Another year, another load of books being turned into cinematic blockbusters. Last year the massive adaptation of Philip Pullman's highly regarded The Golden Compass (the book was titled Northern Lights in the UK) heralded in a cinematic rendering of the epic His Dark Materials Trilogy. This year sees the new Harry Potter, Prince Caspian and another of Dan Brown's bestsellers making it to the big screen. We take a look at the best and worst of films from books.

You don't have to look too far to find the benchmark for book-to-filming, with Peter Jackson's astonishingly vivid and transporting Lord of the Rings tribute to J.R.R. Tolkien's imagination still etched on the mind. Conversely, can anyone out there actually remember Christmas 2005's workmanlike Chronicles of Narnia?

Herein lies the double-edged sword of adapting literary classics, or just very popular books; an inbuilt curiosity factor, but with inevitable comparisons to its multi-million selling source. An obvious example is the leaden movie version of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which was an un-involving yawn-bringer to the book's engrossing page-turner, yet enough of its 60 million readers bought a ticket to create incredible blockbuster success.

It's not all about the money. The best book-to-films often get their reward with golden statuettes, critical adoration and audience satisfaction, rather than enough cash to build another Millennium Dome (don't do it!). Obviously there are exceptions to this rule: The Godfather, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Forrest Gump, The Silence of the Lambs, Schindler's List, The English Patient and Return of the King; all sublime Oscar winning movies, all cash magnets.

For other unfortunates, however, it all turns a bit Captain Corelli's Mandolin – probably the most cack-handed filming of a popular romantic novel ever. I'm still having nightmares about Nicolas Cage's chirpy Italian officer.
And then there are the Harry Potters, which are the most subjective of all novel adaptations and can be judged on one basic rule.