Adaptations that botch the intended message of the source material
**The Lorax**
In addition to the environmental message, the Onceler’s face was hidden in order to drive home the point that greed and ambition can blind anyone to the horrible things they commit. The film adaptation gives the Onceler not only a face but a family which in this version makes his fall from grace not his fault instead of self inflicted.
**The Neverending Story**
While the films isn’t that bad, the book was originally a cautionary tale about the dangers of escapist media and losing oneself to a fantasy world (hence why it’s called The Neverending Story), which the film completely disregarded.
**I Am Legend**
In the book, >! it’s eventually revealed that most of the vampires are sentient and despise Robert Neville for killing them. Basically he is the monster he used to see in them, and at the end of the book he kill’s himself, proclaiming that now he is a legend to the vampires he once hunted. !< While the films original ending preserves this somewhat, it ultimately botches the theme, leading to a less than stellar adaptation.