Oh, my friend said the same! He just hadn't noticed the cheesiness (in the same way) originally.
I've been reading a lot more than I used to, so my mind has been working a fair bit more than it used to.
I think reading gives enough "prompt" but not too much detail, forcing the mind to work to close the gaps. We as humans need to "build the picture" to create understanding, and that is why fairy tales are so great. We can imagine what isn't possible. Yet.
I'm getting ready to read a set of books soon where I have already watched a TV adaptation of it. I look forward to seeing what kind of world I can create and if I will be able to separate it from the characters I have become familiar with on the screen.
Let me know how it goes, as normally it is the other way. Reading the book first means making your own character, and then they are replaced by the movie later. It happened to me with LotR.