Congo “Book Vs. Movie” Essay, Research Paper

CONGO “Book vs. Movie”

Congo by Michel Crichton was an extraordinary book as well as a movie about a group of scientists taking a journey into the heart of Africa in search of the black diamonds, in the lost city of Zinj! While being observed back in the U.S. over satellite camera, the whole team dies within a matter of seconds by some unknown being. The scientists back home sent out a second team (Karen as the leader) to find the others and to pick up where they had started! There was only one problem with this plan, however. However, there where no flights going to this part of Africa in the next month.

They then came across a group of scientists that where taking a sign language talking gorilla named Amy. They where going to the same spot because they thought that this is where Amy was born, and she keeps on having nightmares about this place. They team looking for the diamonds asked them to go because the gorilla team needed more money, which Karen could provide.

Once the other team had gotten into the plane and on there way to Africa, they started being attacked by another country because they where crossing over there border with out there permission. They where forced to jump out of the airplane with Amy, to land safely on the ground. Both teams then set out for the lost city of Zinj.

On there journey there Karen had continued staying in contact with her boss over the satellite, until one day when Amy and Peter (Amy’s owner) where playing and Amy bumped it and caused it to break. Her boss then probably thought that she was killed too.

Once they reached Zinj, they found that it sat on the top of a great volcano, but they had also discovered what had killed the others! They seemed to be a mutant form of a gorilla, with gray hair and mutated face with incredible intelligence. They discovered them with in a temple where they would rest during the day. The first night there they heard rustling around their camp, coming closer and closer to them. They turned on a spot light right towards them, to discover about 50 of these gray backs staring them right at them. They started to fire at them making them flee away!

The next day they found the found the mines that the diamonds where in. They had not been cleaned out at all! All of the diamonds where left and abandoned, never bothered. While Karen was crying over the diamonds Amy and Peter where looking around the city while Amy was signing “Amy scared, Bad Place, Amy not like. Peter realized that Amy was always having nightmares of her watching her own mother be killed by these gorillas! She would always make finger paintings back home of something with a yellow eye. Peter asked her what it was, and she made him follow her. They came to a temple where inside there was a huge statue of one of the gray gorillas! He realized that this culture used to worship these gorillas and train them to guard the mines while they couldn’t. “That explains why they are so intelligent, and why they kill all that come into their territory. Also why they kill by smashing ones head open with two stone paddles, killing them instantly.”

That night they set up camp at a different location and surrounded the camp with wire that is linked to automatic machine guns that shoot towards where the line is being pulled. They all where armed with flashlights and pistols, and some had night vision goggles, and heat seeking views to see them coming. They thought they where all ready!

That night they heard the same rustling in the brush but when they turned on the goggles and the views they saw NOTHING! Nothing was coming up in there view at all. One of the auto machine guns started going off at the back of the camp, and all of a sudden they all came over the hill and where attacking from all sides. All hell breaking loose, some swinging down from trees, some lifting the line and going under. The havoc

Only lasted a few minutes until the gorillas started to retreat.

Once they where all gone the turned on all of their spot lights, which revealed all of the dead gorilla bodies lying dead on the ground. But there was more that dead gorillas, there where dead HUMANS too! Three of Karen’s men died all three of their skulls crushed open allowing their bloody brains to spill out right into the dirt.

The very next day they realized that Amy had run away after the attack, but could not stop to look for her. They all realized that they had to get out of there that day and never return. They started packing their things while peter called out to Amy awaiting her arrival back.

Once ready they set out to the mines for the last time to collect the diamonds, but on their arrival the earth stared to shake more than it usually did. They then knew that if they didn’t collect some diamonds quick they would die! They collected a few diamonds and… Both of the endings are to much different so I will list both of them in the next section of Compare and Contrast.

Compare and Contrast

Characters

Amy, in the book, had a talent to talk in sign language so any one who knew how to read it could communicate through her. But instead of just sign language, in the movie, she whore gloves that senced every movement of her hands and transmitted it back to a small computer on her back which verbally said the words out loud in a female computer voice! This allowing her to talk to anyone that she cared to.

Karen in the story was only in search of the diamonds for her company, to make a new form of energy. But in the movie she had more important things on her mind. Her husband was on the first trip out there, which was killed. So she went in search of him and then would get the diamonds if she could!

In the movie there was another man that helped out in the funds to get down there. He was an explorer that claimed to have traveled all around the world that would love to go to this part of Africa. He really turned out to be a fake in search for the diamonds to become rich. And in the book… well he wasn’t even in the book!

In the story, Karen’s boss was only interested in finding the diamonds to for his company to become rich while making a new form of energy, while not even caring about his son’s death. But in the book he still cared about the diamonds but he didn’t even have a son, at least not in the business, and certainly not dead in Africa!

Compare and Contrast

Plot

In the story, when they arrived at jungle, they where fine until night where they attacked by mutant gorillas. They only attacked at night because they all slept during the day while it was light out. In the story they also found that they kill by smashing head between rock paddles, killing people instantly. In this case all of the gorillas died when the volcano erupted! Peter and Karen got away in a hot air balloon, that the found in another plane that her boss had sent (which was shot down) WITH Amy.

In the Movie, when they arrived at the jungle they where right away faced by the gorillas. In This case the gorillas attacked during the day and night any chance they could. Amy and Peter never really witness them all die however. Karen did however Killed some gorillas by a laser that worked off of the diamonds, in order to escape the temple when the gorillas surrounded them. At the every end Karen and Peter got away in hot air balloon WITH OUT Amy. For she had decided to stay behind and live with her species of gorilla.

If I had to choose which version of Congo was better I would have to say that the book is much better. It goes into more detail of everything and adds more suspenseful situations that allow your mind to go free and create any mental picture that you want. While in the movie you are restricted to what the present and show to you not allowing much detail and gore as the book did. After all it was rated PG-13!

Bibliography

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