Ice Station Zebra: Book or Movie

[Platapus]

I am having a pleasant evening watching a favourite move of mine: Ice Station Zebra.

Usually the question of which is better book or movie is pretty clear. While I may enjoy both, usually there is a decided preference.

Anyone who has read Ice Station Zebra and seen the movie knows that the two are quite different. But I think they are so different from each other that each can be good on its own. I really like the book and, as I posted, it is one of my favourite movies.

Anyone else feel the same about Ice Station Zebra? Or about any submarine book/movie.

[Hawk66]

Both, the book and the movie belong to my favorites.

It is one of the best cold war stories, which also has a realistic background.

[Sailor Steve]

I've always loved the movie. The book I read once and wasn't impressed. This could well be because I saw the movie first, but I just feel the movie has its own special flavor. On the other hand this is true for me regarding other Alistair McLean books, especially Breakheart Pass. Then again I've never read Where Eagles Dare or The Guns of Navarone, so I'm probably not the best judge. I liked the ending of the movie better, where the 'trick' didn't work and they had to take more drastic means. I liked the book better in that the main character was the brother of one of the Zebra scientists, but then I liked the in-jokes in the movie.

Rock Hudson: "On a submarine we're all on a first-name basis. My first name is 'Captain'."

Patrick McGoohan: "As you may have guessed, my name is not really Jones." (Of course not. It's John Drake.) :D

On the other hand I have to admit that if it weren't for McLean's imagination there wouldn't be any movies based on his books.

[Hawk66]

What I especially like is the arctic settings and 'realistic' handling of the sub...and not the silly depicted sub vs sub combat (like air combat) in most post-WWII movies.

[Jimbuna]

Read the book and seen the movie but I'm not really an Alistair McLean fan so my preference would have to be the movie.

[Platapus]

Then again I've never read Where Eagles Dare or The Guns of Navarone,

Where Eagles Dare is a pretty exciting book. Especially when you consider that the entire book's action (other than the flashbacks) takes place in about 2-3 hours.

Guns of Navarone is a different story. It starts out slow but in the middle it really bogs down. It's an interesting story, but in this case, I lean more to enjoying the movie more.

[Platapus]

The Russians put our camera made by *our* German scientists and your film made by *your* German scientists into their satellite made by *their* German scientists.

It was one of the first movies to depict, some what, realistic satellite photographic reconnaissance technology.