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Narnia!
Writing reviews is kind of natural to me. I always want to write what I think after I see a movie, and I figure now I may as well, since I have a place to keep them and someone or other might be interested. This one is about Narnia. Over all, I liked it, but this ended up being mostly about faults I saw, so...reader discretion is advised? I don't know.
It started with no lion, guns, and planes, oh my!![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tkp was happy as a clam—because there wasn't blitzing in the books (nor were there clams, just so we're clear).
There will always be a spot in my heart for the Narnia books: the spot labeled, “it was something I read in highschool that didn’t suck.” I like them but wasn’t raised with them, like some people were. I like them but didn’t see the religious symbolism, like some people do. I like them but felt like C.S. Lewis didn’t like me, and didn’t like our four little heroes, like all of Narnia does without much reason.
The narrator always felt belittling to me, and luckily, the movie made like a film and left that aspect out. But I still wish I could’ve felt more sympathy for Edmund, and figured out why, exactly, these kids are so special to Narnia—but no, in these respects, it was very faithful to the books. There’s something to be said for that . . . maybe: “God do I still wish I could’ve felt more sympathy with Edmund, and figured out why, exactly, these kids are so special to Narnia.”
In some ways, the movie was lesser than those books I remember. I didn’t like a lot of the graphics, I especially felt the beavers and the camp looked cartoony. I felt that the Queen was more icy in the book. But perhaps this was because in the books I could imagine her not wearing a tea cozie (though I love her costume for the final battle!—she was wearing Aslan’s mane!).
And just a general beef: why is it that fantasy books need to have the Giving Of Stuff scene? The Father Christmas scene is the Galadriel scene is all my brothers friends when we played D&D: DMtkp, why aren’t you Giving Us Stuff? (followed by, “I cast Magic Missile into the darkness!” and “If there are any girls there I wanna DO them!”).
But! The first part of the movie was magical. Magical in that it had no magic and felt more magical because of it. Also, Mr. Tumnus kicked Harry’s a Pothead and the Sorcerer’s Stoned in the arse and said, “This is how human-hooved footed cross species are supposed to look, bitch!” and his first scene with Lucy was just awww, so cute. The child actors were incredible, especially Lucy, who should be in the BFG. Just because I want the BFG to be a real people movie and here you go! Found you a good little girl actor. The voices were also excellent, and Liam Neeson is tied with James Earl Jones for Best Lion Voice Ever.
I’m a little confused by the end. I can’t remember what happens in the book, but it seems . . . almost squicky that there are these people with adult experiences in these children’s bodies. Just like Big...except the exact opposite. Also, aren’t they supposed to go back??? For the sequel, dun dun dun.
It started with no lion, guns, and planes, oh my!
tkp was happy as a clam—because there wasn't blitzing in the books (nor were there clams, just so we're clear).There will always be a spot in my heart for the Narnia books: the spot labeled, “it was something I read in highschool that didn’t suck.” I like them but wasn’t raised with them, like some people were. I like them but didn’t see the religious symbolism, like some people do. I like them but felt like C.S. Lewis didn’t like me, and didn’t like our four little heroes, like all of Narnia does without much reason.
The narrator always felt belittling to me, and luckily, the movie made like a film and left that aspect out. But I still wish I could’ve felt more sympathy for Edmund, and figured out why, exactly, these kids are so special to Narnia—but no, in these respects, it was very faithful to the books. There’s something to be said for that . . . maybe: “God do I still wish I could’ve felt more sympathy with Edmund, and figured out why, exactly, these kids are so special to Narnia.”
In some ways, the movie was lesser than those books I remember. I didn’t like a lot of the graphics, I especially felt the beavers and the camp looked cartoony. I felt that the Queen was more icy in the book. But perhaps this was because in the books I could imagine her not wearing a tea cozie (though I love her costume for the final battle!—she was wearing Aslan’s mane!).
And just a general beef: why is it that fantasy books need to have the Giving Of Stuff scene? The Father Christmas scene is the Galadriel scene is all my brothers friends when we played D&D: DMtkp, why aren’t you Giving Us Stuff? (followed by, “I cast Magic Missile into the darkness!” and “If there are any girls there I wanna DO them!”).
But! The first part of the movie was magical. Magical in that it had no magic and felt more magical because of it. Also, Mr. Tumnus kicked Harry’s a Pothead and the Sorcerer’s Stoned in the arse and said, “This is how human-hooved footed cross species are supposed to look, bitch!” and his first scene with Lucy was just awww, so cute. The child actors were incredible, especially Lucy, who should be in the BFG. Just because I want the BFG to be a real people movie and here you go! Found you a good little girl actor. The voices were also excellent, and Liam Neeson is tied with James Earl Jones for Best Lion Voice Ever.
I’m a little confused by the end. I can’t remember what happens in the book, but it seems . . . almost squicky that there are these people with adult experiences in these children’s bodies. Just like Big...except the exact opposite. Also, aren’t they supposed to go back??? For the sequel, dun dun dun.
For Narnia!
Oh my gosh! My friend and I were talking about the Queen wearing Aslan's mane at the end of the movie! Our converstion went something like this:
My friend: Then, at the end of the movie, she wears Aslan!
Me: You make it sound like it's a designer brand!
Anyway. =) I agree that the beavers didn't look the greatest, but I think they did the best job that they could. Or maybe I'm just biased. =P
I also agree with you that the centaurs (and faun) looked so much better in CoN than in HP. I wish they hadn't done CG centaurs in HP; it looks so bad (even though the 5th movie looked better, they still didn't look that great). I loved how you phrased this in your review. =)
And although I don't think the movie was better than (or as good as) the books, I think that it was pretty darn good.
Oh, and about the symbolism in CoN- I actually wrote a 5 page paper about it. It was for a class in college. =)
So yeah. I know it's probably annoying, but I'm all "go CoN!" It's probably my second favorite fantasy series, with Harry Potter being the first. I think the Wrinkle in Time series is my third favorite series. Anyway! =)
Re: For Narnia!
I need to reread the series--I actually haven't read it since 6th grade.