Was this in the book?

When novels jump to the screen, they sometimes leave a bit of themselves behind. These 10 adaps flipped the finale, turned bad guys into good, even spared some folks from death. How's that for a plot twist?

- Sulogna Mehta

1. The Count of Monte Cristo.

In Alexandre Dumas's 1844 tale of vengeance, sailor Edmond Dantès is framed and thrown into a hellish island prison. He escapes, reinvents himself as the Count of Monte Cristo, and extracts epic revenge. The 2002 movie has less brooding, more action. The payback comes via sword fights. The movie is also more romantic. Edmond gets his Mercédès. On screen, everything is sweeter, neater. But nowhere near as deep.

2. First Blood.

This tale of a PTSD-riddled veteran, waging a one-man war, is Sylvester Stallone at his finest. But it's not like David Morrell's 1972 novel. Book Rambo is morally murky. He kills people and their dogs. The book ends with Rambo and Sheriff Teasle dying in a showdown. Movie Rambo wounds people. He gets arrested and rebranded as an underdog. The tweak spawned a money-spinning franchise.

3 The Little Mermaid.