That sounds like rationalization. It doesn’t satirize the novel. That’s not how satire works. (And how did you get sold on the excuse that instead of finishing the book the director decided to satirize it? How did he know what he was satirizing if he didn’t read the book? That’s an obvious cop out.)
Let me think of an analogy that the illiterati might understand. I’ll use a movie instead of a book so non-readers might get it. You wouldn’t try to satirize Star Wars with a bad remake that omitted The Force, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Jedi Kinghts, and then called it Star Wars. Anyone who saw the original Star Wars would say it sucked. Anyone who said it was satirizing Star Wars would sound like an idiot.
”What happened to Obi-Wan Kenobi? May The Force be with you? Use The Force, Luke?”
“It’s satire.”
”No it’s not. That’s not how satire works. What the fuck is wrong with you?”