The Cloud Atlas movie, I would argue, is better in a lot of ways than the book. The book is very well written, and the language in the future Hawaii scenario is easier to understand when you read it instead of hear it, but the overall plot is much less naturally cohesive. It's easier to understand and connect with the visual clues in the movie, such as the connected actors and the interweaving of scenes (which the book doesn't do). In addition, the future South Korea story has a more sensible and satisfying conclusion in the movie, I thought. I read the book before seeing the movie.

But the Life of Pi book, for me, was miles better than the movie (again I read the book first). The movie actually disappointed me compared to the book.