# The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)



## Dave

*Writer To Adapt The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe* 

Emmy-winning writer Ann Peacock will adapt C.S. Lewis' beloved children's book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for the big screen, Variety reported. Walden Media is producing the feature adaptation in partnership with the C.S. Lewis Company.

Walden partner with the Lewis company in December to option the entire seven-part fantasy book series The Chronicles of Narnia, of which The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second and best-known installment, the trade paper reported.


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## Tabitha

....not sure how much I like this idea.

Do you remember the mini-series from the early to mid-nineties? I remember it being on Sunday afternoons, maybe on C4.  It did a halfway good job, but just didn't seem to capture the big picture.  I loved the books with a passion - I used to read and re-read them like crazy, and I think they could be too familiar to me for any adpatation to ever do them justice.

Are they still as popular?


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## Dave

That series was produced by the BBC and is available on video (possibly DVD too, but I don't know for sure). 

I agree that it would be difficult to beat that adaptation, even with cgi and state of the art fx, because the stories are quintessentially English, and CS Lewis' Christian themes would inevitably be watered down by any Hollywood production.



> Are they still popular?



My daughter is half-way through them, she's read more of them than I ever did. Some of her friends have read them all. It has just celebrated an anniversary (possibly 50 years) and had a big promotion in bookshops and libraries, so I guess the answer is yes!


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## Highlander II

I read them once -- and I remember that mini-series - they did show it in the US a few times -- but it's been a LONG time since I've seen it / read the books ---- 

I liked them well enough, not sure I'd be much interested in movies done for those ---- like Dave said -- many of the themes and underlying messages would be lost ---


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## Dave

*Shrek director confirmed*

*Adamson Helming Lion* 

SCIFI WIRE - Shrek co-director Andrew Adamson will helm the live-action feature-film adaptation of C.S. Lewis' classic fantasy novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for Walden Media, Variety reported. Adamson joins award-winning writer Ann Peacock, who recently signed on to adapt the book, the trade paper reported.

Former visual-effects supervisor Adamson made his feature-directing debut with the computer-animated Shrek, alongside Vicky Jensen.


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## Bayleaf48

Be very interesting as read these books when I was younger & my favourtie was 'The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe'

:blush:


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## Dave

What makes that so interesting to you?
Why was that your favourite book?
Which characters did you like best?
Do you think the stories should only be read when you are younger? Why is that?
Do you think this team will make a good job of turning the story into a film?
Do you think the BBC adaptation can be bettered?
How should they adapt it?

Bayleaf -- if you answer these kinds of questions then your posts will be more interesting, other members will have something to reply to, the thread will propagate itself and be much more interesting, and no one will be upset with you again.

Have your own opinion. Express it and use examples to back it up. Read reviews (in books, magazines and online) of things to give you insights.

Try to ask some searching questions yourself that will make another member think.

But if you really have nothing to add to the discussion, you don't NEED to post anything at all.


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## nic

Wow, I LOVED "The Lion, Witch and The Wardrobe" so I'm excited to hear it's being turned into a film.
I remember going to my grandparents house and watching the tv series. Hehe, it was even Edmund's taste for Turkish Delight that got me eating the stuff!
Not to give spoilers away for those who don't know the story, but I cried when:


Spoiler



Aslan the lion died


I'm sure that there was a time when every 2 weeks "Blue Peter" used to bring that animatromic-type Aslan on. I think the lion was regarded as pretty hightect for that time.

Is it _just_ "The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe" that is going into film production, or do you think they're concidering doing the complete Chronicles of Narnia?
... then again, "The Magician's Nephew" was the first part. "TLWATW" was the 2nd one - though certainly the most well known.


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## Leyla

Ooh - the Narnia books have to be my favourites!! The Silver Chair is so the best. I've actually got the old video of TLTWATW - with that Lucy kid whose face you want to punch. The rest of it was good though. Films would be good - as long as they are following the books correctly.


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## Bayleaf48

Dave, even as a child I found the whole world of Narnia 2 be wonderful & in particular the book "the Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe', can't explain why as there's just something about that particular book that I really like

As 4 my favourite character it has 2 be Aslan as he's just great & was prepared 2 lay his life on the line 4 others

I think that the stories are suitable 4 any age as they're not aimed at children directly, but at a more general audience

As 4 the team making it into a good film, hopefully they will have read the book & so will do plenty of research before making the film

Saw the BBC version years ago & that 2 me was as close as it could possibly get 2 the book & doing it in parts like they did made it even more interesting

It shouldn't be adapted as it would ruin it

:blush:


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## X Q mano

*Narnia?*

Hi,

Does anybody know when the Narnia movie is going to be released?


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## erickad71

*Re: Narnia?*

There's going to be a movie?! I love that series, I read it quite a few times growing up.


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## Princess Ivy

*Re: Narnia?*

its scheduled xmas 2005, here is a link to the article
http://narnia.com/movie/news/movienews_030104.htm

but unfortunatly disney got hold of it, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, i don't hold out much hope myself.


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## X Q mano

*Re: Narnia?*

Yeah, Walden Media makes it, Disney are responsible and the Shrek-director shall direct it. I don't remember his name at the moment, but you can check it out at www.narnia.com Trouble is, they don't post news there very often...


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## Brian G Turner

*Re: Narnia?*

Nice to see you back, XQ.


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## rune

*Re: Narnia?*

I saw a clip of this movie when I went to see something else last night.  It looks quite good, I was presently surprised


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## Culhwch

*Re: Narnia?*



			
				rune said:
			
		

> I saw a clip of this movie when I went to see something else last night. It looks quite good, I was presently surprised


 
Presently surprised? But not suprised in the past or the future? Sorry, couldn't resist...

Yeah, I think this is out on Boxing Day here, not sure about everywhere else. I've not seen any footage, but have seen quite a bit of the production design artwork, and it looks to be shaping up nicely. The first preview came out over the web just in the last week, though sadly it was too big for me to even consider downloading (still on neolithic dial-up, sadly). If you're interested:

http://www.movie-list.com/trailers.php?id=chroniclesofnarnia


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## Brian G Turner

*Re: Narnia?*

Darn good trailer.


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## Culhwch

*Re: Narnia?*

Yeah, when I went to see Hitchhiker's yesterday the trailer was on beforehand. Looks astounding. Hopfully it'll fill the post-LotR void this Christmas.


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## Winters_Sorrow

*Re: Narnia?*

It opens on 9th December in UK.
I have to say I didn't hold up much hope when I heard they were making this film (more so when I heard Disney were involved!)
However, what production stuff I have seen so far looks top notch. 
In many ways, I'd be more annoyed if they mess this up than I would have been with LotR as (and I'm sure with most people) the chronicles of narnia was one of the first pure fantasy books I read as a kid and I still love reading it every now and then

here's hoping for it to be a roaring success so we can go all the way to "The Last Battle!" 

p.s. as an aside there seems to be a real 'growth' industry with kids series being filmed at the moment. Harry Potter, Lemony Snickett & Narnia.

Here's hoping for the Famous Five next!


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## Traveller

*Re: Narnia?*

I saw the trailer yesterday when went to see ROTS it looks great I have always loved the books and cannot wait to see the films.

They do insist on doing them the wrong way round though The Lion With and the Wardrobe is the second book they never do seem to make the Magicians Nephew maybe its a popularity thing


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## Culhwch

*Re: Narnia?*

But didn't Lewis write them out of order - I was always under the impression that The Magician's Nephew was written last (or at least after TLTWATW) to tie up some loose ends (or loose beginnings, as it were) in TLTWATW. Besides, TLTWATW had to be the first film, as the most popular and known of the books.


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## Traveller

*Re: Narnia?*

Yes he did write them out of order but as they always place the Magicians Nephew first would it not have made the smallest bit of sense to do it first but yes The Lion Witch and Wardrobe is the most popular one so it makes even more sense to film it first.

Another set of films filmed in New Zealand


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## Culhwch

*Re: Narnia?*

Yeah, all the good films are shot in New Zealand these days - LotR, Narnia, King Kong. And here in Australia we get to play host to dire efforts such as Ep II and III, the Matrix sequels, the Mask sequel.... I just don't understand. Is there a sign on our door that says 'Make Your Crap Films Here! We're Not Choosy!'? 

It was a while ago I last read them, but I don't think Nephew was a patch on Lion anyways. And as the whole series probably wasn't greenlighted (not sure even if it is now - I don't think some of the books would hold up a stand-alone film), Lion would have been the sensible choice for a possible one-off.


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## Gem

*Re: Narnia?*

I'm looking forward to seeing TLTWATW. I'm sure it will be excellent. However, part of me wants to reject the big-budget Hollywood film because i'm such a huge fan of the lovely cheap-and cheerful 1980s tv series that I grew up with.


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## stencyl

*Re: Narnia?*

There was a trailer mixed in with the about 30 minutes of commercials and trailers before Star Wars III. The stuff before the movies is going to be longer than the movies soon.

It was an impressive trailer, though.


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## dwndrgn

*Pullman's take on Narnia*

here is an excerpt from an article on bbc.co.uk regarding the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia film:






> Evangelical Christian groups in the US have backed the movie, seeing parallels between CS Lewis' tales and Bible stories.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *It's not the presence of Christian doctrine I object to so much as the absence of Christian virtue*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Philip Pullman
> 
> "We believe that God will speak the gospel of Jesus Christ through this film," Lon Allison, director of Illinois' Billy Graham Centre, told the newspaper.
> 
> But Pullman said the Narnia books contained "a peevish blend of racist, misogynistic and reactionary prejudice" and "not a trace" of Christian charity.
> 
> "It's not the presence of Christian doctrine I object to so much as the absence of Christian virtue," he added. "The highest virtue - we have on the authority of the New Testament itself - is love, and yet you find not a trace of that in the books."


 Find the whole article here:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4347226.stm


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## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: Pullman's take on Narnia*

I had read the article before.  In regard to the books not showing a trace of "the highest virtue" of love -- it seems that Mr. Pullman didn't read the same Narnia books that I did.

Since the books, like Tolkien, show different kinds of beings working together for a common good, I think that the accusation of racism comes from a willful misreading, and "misogynistic" is absurd.  The books reflect an old-fashioned attitude toward women (not surprising from a man who was born at the beginning of the twentieth century), but it's a long way from that to outright misogyny.  "Peevish" just puzzles me, because I have no idea where that comes from at all.

Actually, it's Mr. Pullman who sounds a bit peevish.


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## Teresa Edgerton

*New Narnia Trailer*

http://movies.aol.com/movie/main.adp?tab=trailers&mid=19417

This is apparently exclusive to Moviefone right now.

The sets and costumes look lovely.  Of course, how well they've adapted the story we won't know for a while yet.


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## kyektulu

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

*Thanks for the link.

 I cant wait for the movie to come out! *


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## Rosemary

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				kyektulu said:
			
		

> *Thanks for the link.*
> 
> *I cant wait for the movie to come out! *


A long time since I read the story, so perhaps I will enjoy it.  Might even take the eldest Granddaughter to see it!


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## nixie

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

I'll be first in the queue


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## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

I'm going to try and pre-order tickets for the earliest showing, and I'm hoping that will mean no line.


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## Rane Longfox

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

Saw two adverts for this ahead of watching Wallace and Gromit last thursday. I agree, it looks stunningly made. Do you know if they're intending to do more, or just LW&W?


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## Pyan

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

Well, they're billing it as "_The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe_", so I suspect the makers are waiting to see how ticket sales go on this one. I don't think they'll make _"The Horse and his Boy_" (may offend Muslims), "_The Silver Chair_" (too short) or "_The Magician's Nephew_" (unless as a prequel if they_ really_ take off), so that will leave a neat 4 film package with continuity of characters in the Pevensey children. I just hope they don't tinker with the plot (are you listening,Mr Jackson?) to make it, _in their opinion_, a better movie.


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## Culhwch

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				pyanfaruk said:
			
		

> I just hope they don't tinker with the plot (are you listening,Mr Jackson?) to make it, _in their opinion_, a better movie.


 
Issues, much? A Rings purist, I assume? I don't care what changes they make, as long as the film is great. Some things just don't work well on the screen that may have on the page. Plus, Film is a much shorter medium (though with these books, that shouldn't really be an issue). Changes are inevitable. It's how they are handled that matters.


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## Pyan

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*




			
				Culhwch said:
			
		

> A Rings purist, I assume?


 
Guilty as charged, yer honour.

I wonder if it's a thing that applies only to much-loved, well-read books.I first read LOTR and the Narnia books way back in the early '60s, and have re-read them many times since, so I suppose I must have a mental vision of them much stronger than most books I've read since. If someone made a film (or the equivalant) of _A Song of Ice and Fire_ in 40 years time, I suspect a lot of people would be annoyed if extra scenes were included by the director, and well-loved dialogue was altered "to make a better movie".


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## Culhwch

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

That depends - I'd have to see it first. And hope I do, if only in vain....

But I know what you mean. The knife cuts both ways. I'm a fan of LotR books, but I loved the movies to death as well. But then, I love the Harry Potter books, too, and thought the film adaptation of Chamber of Secrets was just plain awful....


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## Teir

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				Culhwch said:
			
		

> . But then, I love the Harry Potter books, too, and thought the film adaptation of Chamber of Secrets was just plain awful....



All harry potter movies are awful disappointments  

This is embarasing but of never read any of the narnia material. I spose ill have to now with this coming out


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## Leto

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

Never read any either (nor was aware of their existence before haunting this board), but saw the trailer before Wallace & Gromit. Seems interesting enough (as well as next HP, but I liked the movies)


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## Rane Longfox

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				Leto said:
			
		

> Never read any either (nor was aware of their existence before haunting this board), but saw the trailer before Wallace & Gromit. Seems interesting enough (as well as next HP, but I liked the movies)


You've _never read_ Narnia???!!!???


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## Leto

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

Nope. Never heard of it. I think outside anglo-saxon world it's not really well-known.


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## Teir

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				Leto said:
			
		

> Nope. Never heard of it. I think outside anglo-saxon world it's not really well-known.



hmmmmm,........ i just assumed Narnia was one of those universal things everybody was aware of. I really need to get out of this country for a while one day


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## Pyan

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

If you google "Narnia" you get 5,930,000 hits. I'm _amazed_ that Teir is unaware of it! But what I'd give to be reading the series for the first time again.


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## Culhwch

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				Teir said:
			
		

> All harry potter movies are awful disappointments
> 
> This is embarasing but of never read any of the narnia material. I spose ill have to now with this coming out


 
I thought the first was good, and the third brilliant, but that's just me....

Have read I think the first four or five Narnia books. I liked them, but I wasn't enamoured of them like some seem to be. But this is probably _the_ movie I'm looking forward to this summer.


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## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

The Narnia books have apparently been published in thirty different countries over the years, which would take them far afield from the Anglo-Saxon world.  Of course the article I read didn't say how well-known the books were in any of those countries, or how long they remained in print ...


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## Leto

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

Frankly, they're old books, I've asked several friends (from 57 to 17) and no, none of us remember them. 
Maybe the movie will be a occasion to renew them to the French public. Is it kid fantasy or also accessible to adults (who don't have fond memory to support their entertainment) ?


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## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

Well now, there is the question, since all the adults I know who really love the books discovered them in childhood or adolescence, and we do have that fond memory of the original magic.  Where other people might read the books and say, I've read this sort of thing before, we filtered our impressions of other books through our experiences of Narnia.

I suppose it would depend on whether or not the adult, through being a parent or a teacher, or simply eternally young at heart, is in the habit of reading children's books.  If not, then the movie might be more appealing than the books, simply because if all else fails it promises to be pleasing to look at.

On the other hand, if you have a handy young relative who is about eight or nine years old, you might grab a copy of _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_ (I assume with the movie coming out copies will be available in French any time now), sit the child down, and experience the story together.


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## mermishshelf

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

I know of a few kids who have seen one of the promotional posters and thought they were quite scary.  Nonetheless, I'm excited for the movies and am counting the days.  It looks like they put a lot of effort into the effects, you know?


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## Rane Longfox

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

Yeah, the effects do look good. Though in one of the trailers I saw, Aslan looked a little... polygonal.

I'm still amazed that there are people who don't know about Narnia. Along with LotR, it was one of the founding series of modern fantasy. Ah well


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## Teir

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				pyanfaruk said:
			
		

> If you google "Narnia" you get 5,930,000 hits. I'm _amazed_ that Teir is unaware of it! But what I'd give to be reading the series for the first time again.


 
i never said i was unaware of it, i said i hadnt *read *it

BTW culhwch, the hp movies were good for pure entertainment, but i was comparing them to the books. I just feel they didnt represent the novels well at all.


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## Leto

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				Rane Longfox said:
			
		

> Yeah, the effects do look good. Though in one of the trailers I saw, Aslan looked a little... polygonal.
> 
> I'm still amazed that there are people who don't know about Narnia. Along with LotR, it was one of the founding series of modern fantasy. Ah well


You know I'm not a big fantasy lover, honey. And that I disliked The Hobbit ?

Kelpie, I'll follow your advice : will go and watch the movie and if I liked it will read the books. Thanks


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## Salazar

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

One of C.S Lewis' masterpieces and now it's on the big screen, now I wish I read the book


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## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

An article in the Daily Mail about the Narnia movies contained this blood-curdling revelation about what almost happened:



_It was Moore who spent several years pursuing the rights to the collection of seven books.  

At one point, when the rights were held by another film company, it was going to be re-located to present-day Los Angeles after an earthquake. 

"They thought children wouldn't understand the original, so they changed Turkish Delight (a major plot point in the story) for hot dogs and hamburgers," he added. 

Worse was to come. "The most ludicrous statement I heard was that they had Janet Jackson as the White Witch, so I made this very strange vow to rescue this childhood treasure," said Moore, who read the books from age seven and spent as much time as he could exploring the backs of wardrobes._


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## Rane Longfox

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

 Thats a joke... right???!!!???


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## Pyan

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				Teir said:
			
		

> i never said i was unaware of it, i said i hadnt *read *it


 
Sorry, Teir - must clean my glasses


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## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

Nope, Rane.  Apparently not a joke.  I'd read something about this before (though not the Janet Jackson part).


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## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

I ordered tickets today, for the first showing on Dec. 9.

(Trying not to let my expectations rise too high, but it's getting harder and harder.)


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## GOLLUM

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*

I too look forward to seeing how they handle these films having read the books in my childhood....


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## Kerayi

*Re: New Narnia Trailer*



			
				pyanfaruk said:
			
		

> I don't think they'll make _"The Horse and his Boy_" (may offend Muslims), "_The Silver Chair_" (too short) or "_The Magician's Nephew_" (unless as a prequel if they_ really_ take off), so that will leave a neat 4 film package with continuity of characters in the Pevensey children.


 
I was interested to see that you thought the silver chair too short as i felt the same way...weird!  Why do you think horse and his boy will offend Muslims?? (Bear in mind i havent read 'THAHB' for a while )


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## dwndrgn

*The Chronicles of Narnia*

Are a lot of you planning on going to see this one?  I almost feel bad for not even having an inkling of desire to see it.  I never read the books as a kid and only tried much later to pick up The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and couldn't get through it.

I only (almost) feel bad because I want a continuation of faithful (pretty much) translations of scifi and fantasy to get up on the big screen, so I feel that I should participate in that decision by seeing the movie in the theater.  But, I can't even get lukewarm about it.  

Although, it is quite possible that I've been turned off by all the Christianity hype revolving around the movie.  I really couldn't care less either way, but with everyone and their uncle Charlie harping on about it everywhere...now I'm annoyed by the whole thing.  But, I don't think this is really the reason I don't want to go see it.  I truly feel that I didn't like the story and therefore won't like the movie.  Can I say that if I haven't finished the book?

Anyway, what are your thoughts.


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## Esioul

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

I enjoy the books, so I am looking forward to seeing the film. Maybe start with the first one Dwndrgn and you will get into it more? Personally The Lion, Witch etc is not my faveorite one.


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## Foxbat

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

I'll probably wait and watch it on DVD. I quite like the Narnia stories but I'm generally just a lazy person and the nearest cinema is just too far away


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## Esioul

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

Heh, there is no good cinema here either, so I'm waiting till I get home (only 5 days to go now, I'm so excited!)


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## Teir

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

Very much looking forward to this! Probably see it next week. I love the trialers...if nothing else, this film is gonna have an awesome soundtrack!  Ive never read the books but I spose now ill have to . It was about time anyway


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## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

I saw it today and enjoyed it very much.  But then, I loved the book.

The sets and the effects and everything that comes under the heading of art direction were beautiful.  The young actors playing Lucy and Edmund were excellent.  The script was satisfyingly faithful to the book, but it fleshed out the characters a bit more, and the religious elements were actually more subtle than I expected.

My husband and I arrived early -- but not early enough.  The theater was already full to bursting with hordes of parochial school kids.  We would have had to sit in one of the first rows.  Fortunately, it's a large multiplex and there was another showing within the hour and we were allowed to exchange our tickets.

We went straight in and claimed our seats in a practically empty auditorium, which began to fill up fairly quickly.  It turned out that they had over-booked the 12:30 showing.  So there we were with a room full of excited school children, who, like us, were kept waiting an extra forty minutes.  We feared the worst.

But shortly after the movie started the theater became very quiet, and remained so all the way through.  I think it's safe to say that the kids were sucked right into the story.


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## Salazar

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

I am so going to see that Narnia this Holidays! I've waiting for a while


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## Dave

I saw this today and I think it's very good. Jonathan Ross on 'Film 2005' said that he was disappointed; that it wasn't as good as 'Harry Potter'. I'd agree with that, but not to such a degree.

Ross also criticised that beginning, the costumes and the Queen. 

Except for the beginning, the film is quite faithful to the book. Someone who had just re-read the book agreed with this. There are only few extra scenes added to set the background with their father in the war. The book goes straight into the wardrobe after a few pages and in a film that would translate into seconds, so something more is required. I did notice that some children were getting restless during the talking. I also didn't think that the steam train pictures were necessary. I've also travelled on that line near Haworth. It's been in countless films including 'The Railway Children' so it's quite recognisable now.

On the costumes, I think they were just right. Everything about the film had a 1940's retro-look and the costumes were just a part of that. 

The special effects were excellent, especially the Beavers (voiced by Ray Winstone and Dawn French), Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) and the other animals. Jim Broadbent is hidden under make-uo as Professor Kirke.

Ross said that he couldn't tell that the White Witch Queen was evil and the Aslan was good. He must have seen some other film. She wasn't evil in a pantomime villain way, but she was throughly nasty and manipulating, and throughly evil.

In the USA the film is having 'Passion of the Christ' like advance screenings by Christian groups due to it's strong Christian themes. These are, of course, deliberate: 

Aslan the lion, the wise king who created Narnia, mirrors Jesus Christ because he sacrifices his life to save others, then later is resurrected in triumph to save the world from evil.

When the book opens, Narnia is gripped by a curse that dooms it to unending winter -- a parable to Adam and Eve being cast out of the garden of Eden.

Each of the seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia addresses one of the seven deadly sins, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe specifically focuses on gluttony. 

But I would guess that is all way above the heads of most young film goers. Go along because it is a good story.


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## PTeppic

> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *Each of the seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia addresses one of the seven deadly sins, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe specifically focuses on gluttony.*


Went over my head too!

It's okay as a film, but definitely aimed at children. The animals are very well done, sfx-wise, especially the fawn and centaurs. though in one or two blue screen moments against the scenery the edges still felt visible, which these days is unacceptable.

For me, coming out of the cinema, the whole thing just felt thin. Kids find secret world, accept they're the missing key in an ancient prophecy (though debate whether to help), each get a gift which they then use at a key moment (very Bond-esque), amazingly (magically?) learn how to use weapons in a day, one of them is tricked briefly but soon sees the true path, all join together in battle, the "dead" coming to the rescue, etc. Straightforward plot, few twists, only a couple of parallel threads. 

BUT, Tilda Swinton seemed out of her depth and thoroughly uncomfortable as White Queen, little background on any of the mythology, "deep magic", how they forgot their human families to quickly, Aslan's past etc. 

And it all felt like we've seen it before, only bigger, uglier and better. Which of course we have: LOTR. Small people finding their importance in a strange new world, man with a sword gets to be king, dead helping win the final battle etc. 

Good, but not great.


----------



## Dave

*Re: Re: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)*



> _Originally posted by PTeppic _
> * ...each get a gift which they then use at a key moment (very Bond-esque) ... it all felt like we've seen it before, only bigger, uglier and better. Which of course we have: LOTR. Small people finding their importance in a strange new world, man with a sword gets to be king, dead helping win the final battle.*


Except that 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' was first published in 1950 and 'Casino Royale' in 1961. 'The Hobbit' was first published in 1937, but 'The Fellowship of the Ring' was not published until 1953. 

So who copied who? Lewis and Tolkien were contemporaries.

Anyone know why, since they have plans to film the whole series, Disney have begun with this episode? I know there is debate over which book to read first, but in the books I have the publishers say you should read them in chronological order and have numbered them that way. Lewis himself said it didn't really matter, but sided slightly with chronological order.


----------



## lizzybob

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

I saw this movie this afternoon and its amazing! To start with I was a bit skeptical about the look of the movie as I felt it had loads of aspects that looked like lotr from the trailers I had seen ... but ... turns out it really isn't. I love the use of sound in the movie and Lucy is acted really well. I really really enjoyed it and it just brought back all the memories of my childhood or at least the early parts. 

However I do have to say that it is really bugging me how the Christians are taking this movie and making it more overly religious than I see it to be. Yeah ok so Aslan comes back to life but he is not another Jesus and I personally don't feel that he was ever supposed to be a Jesus figure.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

He certainly was a Jesus figure in C. S. Lewis's mind when he wrote the book.  What the director had in mind when he made the movie is more open to interpretation, since he's never come out and said.

But the story functions pretty much the same way whether one looks at it from a Christian perspective or not.  (Since I have been both a Christian and not-a-Christian during the years since I first read the books I think I can speak to that.)

I'm not against anyone enjoying the movie on their own terms, whatever those terms may be, and recommending it to like-minded people on those same terms.  I don't see why that should encroach on my own pleasure in any way.

And at least we don't have Christian fundamentalists condemning us to hellfire for our mere interest in fantasy these days.  That has to be a good thing.  I remember when my children were still in school and the mother of one of my daughter's classmates said to me, "I used to read fantasy, but I can't anymore, because now I'm a Christian."

I thought that was an interesting statement, considering all the great fantasy writers who have also been deeply religious.


----------



## goblinQueen

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

I just saw this over the weekend too, and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the scenes with the White Witch. I was disappointed, though, that the picnic scene with the fox was left out. Overall though, it was a beautiful movie!


----------



## philoSCIFI

I liked the film. (I was going to go in depth as to why, but I lost my post when Ascifi decided to do some funky refresh thing on me.  )

Anyway, I like that they started with this one first. (Again, would go in depth but had to refresh and lost the post.)


----------



## Dragon Goddess

*Re: Re: Re: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)*



> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *Except that 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' was first published in 1950 and 'Casino Royale' in 1961. 'The Hobbit' was first published in 1937, but 'The Fellowship of the Ring' was not published until 1953.
> 
> So who copied who? Lewis and Tolkien were contemporaries.*


*Chuckles.*  I think part of the point to Tolkien's Foreword to the Lord of Rings is that his story isn't an allegorical piece like the Narnia books, or George MacDonald's Golden Key.  I'm no great fan of LotR, but I've always liked Tolkien's words about a story with "applicability" versus an allegorical story.





> _Originally posted by Dave _*Anyone know why, since they have plans to film the whole series, Disney have begun with this episode? I know there is debate over which book to read first, but in the books I have the publishers say you should read them in chronological order and have numbered them that way. Lewis himself said it didn't really matter, but sided slightly with chronological order. *


I can think of two possibilities.

1)  What exactly is your publisher's idea of "chronolgical order?"  You see the publisher of the series when I read it, the producer of the set from which most of my Narnia books comes, published them in the order they were written.  That makes The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe the first book by... ah... external chronological order.  Lewis didn't write The Magician's Nephew until later.  It comes first strictly by the internal chronological order.

2)  I haven't read the books in a while, but do any of the other stories feature Santa Claus?  Maybe they just picked it as the Christmas story.


----------



## Dave

*Re: Re: Re: Re: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)*



> _Originally posted by Dragon Goddess _
> *What exactly is your publisher's idea of "chronolgical order?"*


I have to admit I only read them as a child, a long time ago and I never read the 'Magician's Nephew' as I got bored by that time. I did watch some of the BBC TV series.

I think most people do read 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' first and I did myself, but my children have the books now and in "Book 2" - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - full colour collector' edition published by Collins in 1980 it lists the books on the second page "In Reading Order". 

I also read that CS Lewis wrote a letter to fans in which he said that he slightly came down on that order (which is the chronological order of the events as they happen in Narnia itself), but that it makes the books appear more allegorical than was his original intention.

My point was more that if Disney is setting out to make all seven then why not start with the first. It strikes me that they have gone with the one that will have the biggest box office draw because they are unsure of it's success. If they need to test the water in that way, maybe it is not so certain that they will make the whole series.

As for PTeppic's comments, I would have to agree that the story is a little weak, but it was for kids, and if it was not for Lewis and Tolkien then I doubt there would have been Conan, Elric or any of the packed shelves of 'Fantasy' that now fill bookshops.


----------



## Annette

I've never read any of C S Lewis' books. My daughter has just read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and thorughly enjoyed it. We've just been to the cinema to see this film and as a family thought it absolutely brilliant. 

I don't understand why people go to the cinema to see films and then pick them to pieces. I go for the enjoyment of seeing a film together with my family. 

I've listened to a couple of 'critics' who've slagged the film off and I know its their job to let people know what they think of the film, but at the end of the day isn't that 'peoples choice' to go see the film or not. I think that if we listened to a critics description and took it to heart then most of us wouldn't even bother visiting the cinema at all.

I hope you understand the point I'm trying to get across. I for one would love to go and see the film again. My opinion is that it was good and worth seeing twice.

As for the child actors and Tilda Swinton I think they played fantastic parts. She (the White Witch) came across to me as an evil piece of work.

Thats my opinion anyway. 

annette


----------



## Dave

The Odeon free film guide 'Addict' tells us that this is an adaptation of the story by Lewis Carroll. It's not a typo as it appears twice on the page. That just shows you how much these critics know.


----------



## Annette

Thats a good point Dave. I'd heard that The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was true (or as near as) to the book, so why criticise the way its been adapted on film. 

annette


----------



## Dragon Goddess

*Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2*



> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *I think most people do read 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' first and I did myself, but my children have the books now and in "Book 2" - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - full colour collector' edition published by Collins in 1980 it lists the books on the second page "In Reading Order". *


The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is "Book 1" in the series as published by Collier Books in 1975, the set I have.  It doesn't give a "prescribed" reading order.  The original copyright for the Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe is 1950, while the original copyright date for The Magician's Nephew is 1955.





> _Originally posted by Dave _*I also read that CS Lewis wrote a letter to fans in which he said that he slightly came down on that order (which is the chronological order of the events as they happen in Narnia itself), but that it makes the books appear more allegorical than was his original intention.*


"The chronological order of the events as they happen in Narnia itself," would be the internal chronolgical order of the series.   I think it's better to read/watch a series in it's external chronological order, not to mention wishing Lucas would stop rewriting the original Star Wars trilogy.  The Magician's Nephew isn't the first book written, it's a prequel moved to number one by people organizing the series by it's internal structure.





> _Originally posted by Dave _*My point was more that if Disney is setting out to make all seven then why not start with the first.*


And my point was that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first book written in the series rather than the later prequel The Magician's Nephew.





> _Originally posted by Dave _* If they need to test the water in that way, maybe it is not so certain that they will make the whole series.*


It's true that the deal is that they get to make the next book in the external chronological order, Prince Caspian, if the first movie is a large enough success. 





> _Originally posted by Dave _*As for PTeppic's comments, I would have to agree that the story is a little weak, but it was for kids, and if it was not for Lewis and Tolkien then I doubt there would have been Conan, Elric or any of the packed shelves of 'Fantasy' that now fill bookshops. *


Conan predates not only Narnia, and the Lord of the Rings, but The Hobbit as well.  Robert E. Howard had already written all of the original Conan stories when he comitted suicide in 1936.  The year before The Hobbit was published.


----------



## Dave

*Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2*



> _Originally posted by Dragon Goddess _
> *The Magician's Nephew isn't the first book written...*


I never suggested it was.





> _Originally posted by Dragon Goddess _
> *...it's a prequel moved to number one by people organizing the series by it's internal structure.*


I think that is the answer.





> _Originally posted by Dragon Goddess _
> *Conan predates not only Narnia, and the Lord of the Rings, but The Hobbit as well.*


Yes, I made a mistake there, of course it was. But, at least I knew Lewis Carroll wrote 'Alice in Wonderland'.


----------



## Dragon Goddess

*Narnia Series Order*



> _Originally posted by Dave_
> *I never suggested it was.*


Sorry, it's just you were talking about The Magician's Nephew as the first book, and to lots of people it isn't.  I went over to Amazon trying to figure out when publication rights for the series tranferred from Collier to Collins, and found someone saying, "The order in which the Narnia Chronicles should be read and published is a matter of great controversy."  They also mentioned those thoughts of Lewis's on the order from, "a letter written in 1957 (published in 'Letters to Children')," and pointed out that Lewis concluded in the letter, "So perhaps it does not matter very much in which order anyone read them."





> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *I think that is the answer.*


*Blushes.*  I wish I'd been clearer to begin with.  Some people, myself among them, are use to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe being the first book.  I'd guess the film makers either are use to it that way themselves, or they did some research and found that a large portion of the audience would be use to it.





> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *Yes, I made a mistake there, of course it was. But, at least I knew Lewis Carroll wrote 'Alice in Wonderland'.  *


Sorry, I was just surprised you knew Narnia predates LotR, but didn't know Conan predates them both.  Robert E. Howard created a number of different fantasy characters in his life, Conan, Kull, Bran Mak Morn, Solomon Kane.  And, while I've never bothered to learn the maps of Middle-Earth, I use to have the maps of Howard's Hyborean Age fully memorized.  Obsessive as I am, I can see how someone who isn't into fantasy could go, "C.S. Lewis, Lewis C., through the looking glass, through the wardrobe, what's the difference."


----------



## edott

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

Saw it with my family and we all loved it from me the old man to my 4 year old daughter. Who found the Centaurs and talking animals, espeacily Aslan fascinating. she spent some time trying to get the cat to talk when we got home.


----------



## jenna

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

i saw it this morning, thought it was brilliant. very true to the book, very well acted - the kids were great, the casting of Tilda Swinton as the Witch was genius, and there was a teenytiny appearance by one of my faves, Noah Huntley who played the older dashing Peter.
the CGI was great, everything was just great!
luckily for me, the cinema i saw it in was fairly deserted, there were two families with kids, and a spattering of couples and single people. not sure if that's because it's Xmas eve, or because it was 10am or perhaps both, either way it's much nicer than a packed cinema...


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

http://www.narniaweb.com/news.asp?id=731&dl=7810735

The critic who wrote this review had the same experience I did, in terms of marvelling at the silence in a theater full of kids.

Did the rest of you who saw the movie notice the same thing, or were you plagued by restless children throughout?


----------



## cornelius

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

it's been available to see in Belgiums ince today (I think)
might go to it next week

Seven parts are a lot... what do you call that? A heptology?


----------



## Culhwch

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

Saw this on Boxing Day. Thoroughly enjoyed it, for which I am glad. So many movies this year promised a lot and delivered little. But this was just great start to finish (despite a few dodgy effects). I will be keen to see it again on the big screen.


----------



## hedgeknight

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

Saw it on Tuesday and was completly entranced by it! Just a wonderful movie - can't wait to see it again.
-g-


----------



## cornelius

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

going next thursday, can't go now cause of six inches of snow.


----------



## Animaiden

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

Saw it last week and absolutly loved it. I want to go see it again, and have been trying to convince my mom, a librarian, to go see it.

Now all I need to do is find my Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe book. I know I have it and that it is somewhere, but all I can find are numbers 1, 4, 5, and 7.


----------



## Psychogirl

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

I can't wait to see it! I was never really interested in the books, but I loved the original movie and I just want to see them do justice to it.


----------



## Traveller

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

Saw it the first week it came out and really want to see it again but just havent had the time yet.

I reread the books when they first started talks about making the film still love them even as old as Iam

I thought it was marvellous they had the scenery down brilliant and I loved Mr Tumnus who was always my favourite in the book.
The battle scenes were well thought out and planned the children were chosen well there isnt a bad thing I can say about it.

They are now apparently thinking about making all 7 books though how they can when The Magicians Nephew is supposed to come first even though C.S. Lewis didnt write it until after the first few books.


----------



## Culhwch

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*



			
				Traveller said:
			
		

> The battle scenes were well thought out and planned the children were chosen well there isnt a bad thing I can say about it.


 
I read some reviews that said the children were a bit dodgy, but I felt they did alright, especially Lucy. Certainly they were better than the Harry Potter kiddies, who seem to be getting worse with each film....


----------



## Salazar

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

I saw it today! That movie is excellent.  I'm so glad I saw that movie. I think the movie is better than the book.


----------



## cornelius

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

I expected a tad better war tactics, and maybe a bit more about the prophecy and all. But hey, this is suposed to be a childrens movie, right?

It wasn't that bad, but I expected more


----------



## Teir

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

Saw i last night it was FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!

 LOVE the score (got a song from it playing on my blog right now )
The camera work was amazing, it was just beautiful cinematography. The choice of cast was perfect.
I didnt expect it to be that good but i cant fault it.

now, if anyone wants me, im going to the shops to get sucked into the money making machine and buy the soundtrack and the book (guess id better get round to reading it now   )

Ok, i sound a little hyped up but i really thought id be disappointed, but i enjoyed myself and thought it was a beautiful film.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

The latest news is that the sequel _Prince Caspian_ is officially in the works.  They've signed up the director, signed up the four kids.

Mind you, PC is not so dramatic and powerful a story, but it should be (crossing fingers) more adventurous and fun.


----------



## jenna

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

i really hope they do all of the books, i can't wait for The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle. and i think they can just tack The Magicians Nephew on at the end, if everyone's seen the first movies and they know it's a prequel i think it will still work. i read TMN after the others and it wasn't confusing doing it in that order...


----------



## Sahara Star

*Narnia: the movie and the book.*

How do you like theese? Tell me.


----------



## roddglenn

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

I haven't read the books in a long time (way way back when I was a kid), but they were a good, easy read.  Not as heavy going as Tolkien's (I personally prefer, but only as a matter of taste.  Tolkien's, I feel, are more gritty).

I did thoroughly enjoy the first film in the series (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe).  I thought it was beautifully made - good CGI, decent acting, beautiful locations etc.  In the void that was left after The Lord of the Rings finished, this series gives me something to look forward to.


----------



## jenna

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

LOVED the books when i was a kid, and LOVED the first movie. i was dead impressed that they stayed so true to the books. i did read that a couple of years ago the rights were with some Hollywood people, and their plan was to do a modern era version set in LA *shudders* i can't remember the details, because i've repressed them they were so sacriligeous. i'm glad someone else got a hold of the rights and did the classics justice


----------



## wildbill333

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

I havent read the books but the movie was tight.
I liked the wolves and it was a funny movie. 
the battle scene is awsome.


----------



## kyektulu

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

*I really like the old version of the movie and its sequals.
However I find the new version to be practically the same with slightly better graphics.
I am afraid I have never read the books, sadly.*


----------



## Sahara Star

*Re: The Chronicles of Narnia*

The Chronicles of Narnia is a wonderful series. My persenol favorite is The Magicen's Nephew and I am reading The Horse and His Boy. I really don't think that The Silver Chair is going to be very good. But that's my opinian. Does anyone agree?


----------



## Saeltari

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

I liked the book. I didn't like the movie very much. I thought the effects were quite good, but other than that the acting was pretty poor in my opinion. It just didn't do it for me. 
 LOTR was mentioned and that one was very good. I went and got the special edition DVD for it, it was very interesting to watch the extra stuff. It was the best movie adaption of LOTR so far. Very good.


----------



## kaneda

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

I really liked the film.  Good effects, and the kids didnt annoy me (which kids nearly always do in films).  The score by Harry gregson-williams is quite lush as well


----------



## orionsixwings

*OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

**JUMPS UP AND DOWN* *

*Oh, Hurrah! The first book is now in prepoduction with newlinecinema and the chosen director is Anand Tucker and Chris Weitz does the screenplay!!!!*


----------



## Nokia

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

It is exciting, but what's your source? Last I heard Weitz had quite understandably pulled out.


----------



## orionsixwings

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

http://www.bridgetothestars.net/index.php?d=movie

This is where I got my news.

The His Dark Materials trilogy is to be made into a movie. The first film in the trilogy, The Golden Compass / Northern Lights is currently in production by New Line Cinema – recent producers of the Lord of the Rings movies. It is currently slated for release some time in 2007. The most commonly stated date in the press and from within New Line is December of that year, which would make sense financially. It is worth bearing in mind however that the release date for the film has been pushed back further and further as time goes on - originally slated for late 2005, then late 2006, and now late 2007.




*Read more about the film's director, Anand Tucker, on the Cast & Crew page*



*Director*

Anand Tucker will be directing the first film in the trilogy. The British director impressed New Line with a comprehensive presentation he had put together; including conceptual art, visual effects demos, and a 20-page director’s manifesto. Tucker has had extensive meetings with Philip Pullman, as well as the film’s screenwriter, Chris Weitz. Tucker and Weitz will now work together to further develop the film’s screenplay. To read more on this, please visit the *Cast & Crew* page


----------



## orionsixwings

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

http://www.hisdarkmaterials.org/content-34.html

here's another site that I frequent.


----------



## Nokia

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

Wow, cool sites. Thanks for the links!!


----------



## GOLLUM

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

I reported this last year sometime here, not sure where the post is now though...

Let's hope it's a good one.


----------



## Elvendon

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

Absolutely lovely film. The locations were beautiful, the actors were convincing and the evil VS good was believable. The only slight issue was Aslan being voiced by Liam Neeson. I don't know, but it just didn't fit somehow... Also I felt they should have, towards the end, revisited the fox and the village that were turned to stone, showing them back in the pink. Though not mentioned in the book, I seem to remember some canon source from C.S. Lewis saying that Aslan rescued them on the way back from the Castle.

My favourite character was James McAvoy's Tumnus. He had me utterly convinced, and seeing him play his part actually inspired me to start writing my current novel! They were going out on a limb casting a young, lean man as Tumnus (who is normally played by a fat, middle-aged one), but it really paid off.


----------



## Teir

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

Loved the film and then bought the books....I'll get round to reading them, really I will!


----------



## orionsixwings

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

It's newline cinema -- same outfit that brought us LOTR -- IT WILL BE GOOD!!!

I can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait! can't wait!

I wonder who they'd pick for Lyra.  I think the best Mrs. Coulter is Tilda Swinton. I love her in Constantine -- she is very versatile and very beautiful.  I would have chosen Bridget Fonda too, though she's not British and a little too old for the role.  Lord Asriel has to be Ralph Fiennes -- PERFECT FOR THE ROLE!  (and John Parry is Pierce Brosnan!)


----------



## Omega

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

New Line are always good for these kind of movies.


----------



## orionsixwings

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

They are holding open auditions for the main character Lyra.  There is some debate as to the age of the actress that they're going to hire because the character - though technically should be 12 - will be doing very mature things.  Too mature for a real 12-year-old to do.


----------



## Rane Longfox

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

Ah, but children are always played by people older than the character, but made-up to look younger. They'll probably be 17 or 18, most likely.


----------



## Nokia

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

But then if they go on to make the other two books, even with all the tricks in the world, she'll look way older than her book age by the third one. Suppose it's unavoidable though. 

orionsixwings - what things will she have to do? Are you talking in terms of the plot or the filming of it?


----------



## Sahara Star

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

Hey, did you know that all the snow was made of paper? They cut it up and used fans to blow it everywhere during the snowing scene. Also, the location was New Zeland.


----------



## Jives

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*



			
				wildbill333 said:
			
		

> I havent read the books but the movie was tight.



Hmmmm...if this means "good" then I agree.  It was a light show, and I thought the fawn seemed a little contrived and not important to the plot, but the beavers were adorable. 

I've always loved beavers.  

Lighter than LOTR, but not in a bad way.


----------



## Jives

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

Oh, my wife and I cheered out loud when Aslan (was he too cool, or what?) jumped on the Ice Queen and ate her face.


----------



## rune

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

I thought the special effects for this movie were very good.  But I didnt think the 4 child actors were very good at all and the film rested on their performance.


----------



## Hecate

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

 I have to admit that I was very impressed with the movie. There wasn't much that they left out from the books. Though The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is not my favorite of the books the movie made it incredibly enjoyable to watch (besides the beavers, they were a little on the irritating side).
 Now that i have said that, I must also contribute my view on the books. They are all very well written and enjoyable to some extent, though some are much much more exciting than others. It took me three months to read the Silver Chair lol


----------



## kaneda

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*



			
				Hecate said:
			
		

> I have to admit that I was very impressed with the movie. There wasn't much that they left out from the books. Though The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is not my favorite of the books the movie made it incredibly enjoyable to watch (besides the beavers, they were a little on the irritating side).
> Now that i have said that, I must also contribute my view on the books. They are all very well written and enjoyable to some extent, though some are much much more exciting than others. It took me three months to read the Silver Chair lol



The silver chair and the last battle are definatly not the best books in the series.  I don't think i finished the last battle


----------



## Hecate

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

Yes the Last Battle was a bit of a snooze fest as well, but it only took me I think 2 and half months to read that  The two i'd say were the best by far are the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and A Horse and His Boy. I absolutely adored those two!


----------



## ghoul31

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

Its was a little too kiddyish for me. But I like the battle scene at the end.


----------



## Pyan

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

Books - classics, which still stand up today as how to write allegory.

Film - reasonable adaptation, but too saniDisneyfied for me ( has anyone seen any blood in the film?), and the ludicrous waterfall scene doesn't fit either the geography of Narnia, or the timescale of the thaw.


----------



## Tea is my copilot

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

I thought the book was rather thouching and as a kid I liked it very much.
I took my neighbour's son to see it (it's always easier to go with a kid).
I especially liked Mr. Tumnus. He was convincing and the scenes with him were amusing. The things I didn't like were those Matrix moves Peter was making (the crossed swords and his chin?), but that's understandable. 
All in all, a good movie.


----------



## billbunter

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

The new Narnia film is the worst effort at fantasy I have seen in a long time. There was no sense of other worldliness. It was uconvincing. There was a cartoon out way back which was really poor graphically but was still truer to the spirit of the booka d had far better music. I feel utterly let down by the director


----------



## billbunter

*Re: Narnia: the movie and the book.*

and sorry about the spelling!


----------



## orionsixwings

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

They have casted Lyra Belacqua already!!!! 

*JUMPS UP AND DOWN FRANTICALLY*

She is a new face and her name is DAKOTA BLUE RICHARDS.  Filming starts September with a release date of December 7, 2007 - a few weeks before Prince Caspian!


----------



## orionsixwings

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*



			
				Nokia said:
			
		

> But then if they go on to make the other two books, even with all the tricks in the world, she'll look way older than her book age by the third one. Suppose it's unavoidable though.
> 
> orionsixwings - what things will she have to do? Are you talking in terms of the plot or the filming of it?


 
didn't see this one.

Well for both.  As far as plot is concerned, Lyra did do an Adam and Eve with Will Parry -- and in the book Lyra was 12 and Will 13, so that is mature.  Also, Lyra is a complex character to portray, she needs to be innocent and mischievous brave and clever and stubborn and foolish and playful and ignorant and a professional liar all at once.


----------



## Rane Longfox

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

A side note - if they call this film "The Golden Compass", I'm tempted to not watch it, just on principle...


----------



## futurecat

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

quote: "Lyra did do an Adam and Eve with Will Parry"

???   i missed something when i read the book apparently!

(no offense intended!  merely humor!)


----------



## orionsixwings

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*



			
				Rane Longfox said:
			
		

> A side note - if they call this film "The Golden Compass", I'm tempted to not watch it, just on principle...


 
British Snob (Joke!)!  If they title it The Northern Lights/Golden Compass, that would be okay?


----------



## orionsixwings

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

IT'S CONFIRMED!

Nicole Kidman is going to star as Marissa Coulter in the upcoming Golden Compass movie!!!


----------



## Rane Longfox

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*



			
				orionsixwings said:
			
		

> British Snob (Joke!)!  If they title it The Northern Lights/Golden Compass, that would be okay?


No The author called it Northern Lights - thus that is it's title. Any change they make to make it more easily understadable for American readers is just stupid. But anyway, thats just a personal bugbear.

On a more positive note - 





> Daniel Craig will be Lord Asriel
> 
> A casting process that has gone through Eric Bana and Paul Bettany comes to an end: Variety are reporting that Daniel Craig will take the role of Lord Asriel in The Golden Compass movie. Craig is the current actor to hold the role of James Bond and his first film in the part, Casino Royale, is released this autumn. It also stars Eva Green, who plays Serafina Pekkala in HDM.


----------



## orionsixwings

*Re: OMG!  The Golden Compass Movie!!!!  (2007)*

Daniel Craig is a good choice though my first choice would have been Ralph Fiennes, but since he's signed up to be Voldemort in the Harry Potter films I think it's kind of a conflict of interest to sign up for another fantasy film.

Eva Green would be perfect as Serafina Pekkala!

I wonder how Dakota Blue Richards looks like?


----------



## Highlander II

3 threads merged to one...


----------



## chipo_x

*Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

this is an amazing book and an amazing movie!
what do you guys think about it! i want to know 
because i love it!


----------



## Talysia

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

I loved the book when I was younger.  When the movie came out, I was a little concerned that it wouldn't live up to the book, or my memories of the book I loved when I was young, but I was pleasantly surprised.  A good film.


----------



## Pyan

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

I'd agree, if it wasn't for the almost laughable avoidance of blood and death in it, presumably to achieve a PG rating.
Still, it's made by Disney.....


----------



## The Ace

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

I'll bet my left one they ignore, "The Last Battle," just like the BBC did, because of the ending.


----------



## Pyan

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

I won't take that bet, Ace, because I fear you're correct - in spite of it being one of the best conclusions to a series ever....


----------



## unclejack

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

I loved the movie, but I've never ready any of C.S. Lewis' books. I will say that the movie did spike an interest in his work though.


----------



## tarifa

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

loved the books, tho havent read them in years, they have an individual sort of _flavour_, know that's kind of a wierd way to put it.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader was my favourite


----------



## Somni

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

I thought it was good.  It may just be fond memories but I think I preferred the BBC series.


----------



## idrawgirls

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

Great Book!!!


----------



## kythe

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

Somni, I agree with you about preferring the BBC version.  

The new movie was alright, but it made a lot of changes to the story that made it look more of a children's version of LOTR.  There were added adventure scenes and characters, and the final battle dragged on way to long. 

The BBC series is full of bad acting and horrible special effects, but one thing I will say for it:  It is a dramatization of the books, nearly word for word.  Having always been a book purist, I still have a soft spot for that version.


----------



## Overread

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

I feel the same way Kythe.
With regard to the new film, I was dissapointed, too many of the senes felt and looked like they were done inside a warehouse, and not in the open countryside. After LOTR I was expecting some real outside senes. I was also had a distinct feeling that the beavers were too small - though this might  be the effect of the BBC. My only other major pet hate is that whilst she is a good actor and player the role well, the woman playing the Witch was (IMO) of too small a frame. I always imagined the Witch being taller and haveing a stronger presence.
On the plus side, I think they got Santa Clause to look brilliant, especially considering what they could have done.


----------



## GOLLUM

*The Golden Compass (2007)*

For anyone interested here is an extended trailer...

YouTube - The Golden Compass: Extended preview (Comic-Con) (July 28)=


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

Thanks Gollum. I was disappointed when I didn't see a trailer for it today when I went to the cinemas.


----------



## Wiglaf

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

So I take reading _Northern Lights_ would be a good idea.  Although with the movie hype, it will probably only be available as _The Golden Compass.  Northern Lights _was all I saw for sale before though; perhaps they thought this was Mexico.


----------



## Connavar

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

Movie or no movie its a very good book and series.


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

Connavar you just said it.


----------



## Lirael

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

I read these a few years ago, and I have to say I really enjoyed them! There were moments where I had struggled to keep on reading, but they were ever so original and rewarding! I ended up buying the audio cassettes for all three, as well as owning the books. Phillip Pullman is an excellent author, and these are, without a doubt, his best books. I adored the characters, I adored the plot, and I adored the writing style.


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

Sounds like you thought them the best but which one did you like the most out of them?


----------



## Connavar

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

What i found refreshing is that even when he was building the world, the story flowed on. There werent slow part in the hole NL which is surprising in a fantasy book.

I recommended NL to my brother and he read it one day and just came home with the other two books in the series. Good to see you can make fans of others and specially when they save you money by buying books for you


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

I did that with a friend of mine who doesn't read much, recommended them to him and he loves them now and I felt good for having gotten someone to read more.


----------



## GOLLUM

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

Yeh, a guy at work's son is in his early teens and was just getting into reading and fantasy. I recommended these books to his son and now he loves them. So much so, that I've been asked to attend with their family to watch the movie when it comes out in December. Cool.....


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

Thats pretty good Gollum. I'll just end up going with friends.


----------



## misterwong

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

yes .. this is wonderfull book !!!  i read it 3 times


----------



## j d worthington

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

Well, not having seen the new film, I can't give an opinion on that; but, as the BBC adaptations have been brought into the discussion, I'll agree that some of the acting is off, and of course the special effects are seriously constrained... yet they have a distinct charm and character to them -- and yes, they are surprisingly faithful to the books. And in case there remains any doubt: Yes, I am very fond of them.

As for Lewis' books... I have to agree with Tolkien that the allegory is far too obvious, to the point of hitting you over the head with all the Christian symbolism and message... yet the books, too, remain personal favorites because, despite the flaw of not blending message well enough into tale to allow the story to make the point(s), nonetheless the tales are wonderful enough to charm and delight, quirky enough to be quite memorable, and often very touching (or downright moving). For anyone who isn't completely put off by any whiff of Christianity (or preaching in general), I highly recommend them; for those who are -- they're missing out on some wonderful experiences....


----------



## The Ace

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

In, 'The Magician's Nephew,' we find out where Jadis came from.  Lewis describes her as being seven feet tall and immensely strong.  Pauline Baines' illustrations show this superbly.


----------



## tarifa

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

i did the chronicles entire repeatedly without realising the christian slant, i was very young an didn't have church rammed down my throat so had no real comparison.

as i grew older an discovered the angle it changed the books for me, a little but they're still worth reading.

is the film worth watching?


----------



## Pyan

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

Yes and no....
It's reasonably well acted, and follows the plot fairly well...but the director couldn't resist putting in extra bits not in the book, and as they were aiming for a family audience, there's no blood and the violence is really toned down, even in the big battle..


----------



## Urlik

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

I wish I'd seen this thread earlier
I love PP's His Dark Materials trilogy and can't say which is my favourite book of the three.
when I was given the recommendation to read them I was warned that the ending of the Amber Spyglass was a bit weak compared to the rest of the trilogy, but I found the ending very fitting to the story.
I just hope that when they make the film of the third book, they don't do a _Disney _and change the ending to appeal to a more comercial audience, but from the trailers I've seen (which are almost exactly as I imagined the characters) I think my fears may be unfounded

ETA
just watched another trailer and they keep refering to the Alethiometer as The Golden Compass which doesn't make sense (especially as it isn't a compass, it just resembles one, and is always referred to as an Alethiometer in the books)

I'm still going to watch the films though and I'm looking forward to the religious outcry when all the implications of the story are widely known (should be bigger than the Da Vinci Code as the conspiracy goes deeper and much further back)


----------



## GOLLUM

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*



Urlik said:


> I'm still going to watch the films though and I'm looking forward to the religious outcry when all the implications of the story are widely known (should be bigger than the Da Vinci Code as the conspiracy goes deeper and much further back)


True except that a lot of the religious references have been removed in order not to offend the Catholic Church amongst others.


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*



Urlik said:


> ETA
> just watched another trailer and they keep refering to the Alethiometer as The Golden Compass which doesn't make sense (especially as it isn't a compass, it just resembles one, and is always referred to as an Alethiometer in the books)


The book isn't even called Golden Compass but the movie is. Damn Americans...*wanders off ranting about Americans*


----------



## avs

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

I finished the series last night...and thought it was awesome. The ending is brutal, it even made made me cry (and I am a 25 years old guy) and I've been thinking about it all day at work....but at the same time it is what sets helps to make this book so brilliant. I don't think it is anything like the hobbit battle at the end of LOTR.


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

The ending of Northern Lights or the trilogy?

He rips the damn jaw off! I want to see that in the movie.


----------



## The_Warrior

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

I wonder if they'll show that in the movie. I rember thinking after I read that part, "Wow! Will tha add this in the movie?" Maybe that's why it's PG-13.


----------



## avs

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

Ending of the trilogy is what got me. But yeah, I am not sure how they are going to handle the jaw thing in the movie. I am kind of afraid to see it because I feel like they are going to make it much more PC than the book was....


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

Yes from trailers it looks like that but it should still be good.

The ending I didn't like that much. Really I didn't.


----------



## The_Warrior

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

Here is some footage from IGN.com Includes Iroek(SP) talking to Lyra and explaining how is armor is like soul, aand some of the fight between the polar bears.

IGN Video


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*

That should be in the film thread. Oh well.


----------



## Alia

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I divided the thread so we can talk about the movie on one and the book on the other.


----------



## Dave

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Here is the first five minutes of the Golden Compass:
THE GOLDEN COMPASS on Yahoo! Movies

edit: three further clips here:
THE GOLDEN COMPASS on Yahoo! Movies


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Good work Alia.

DON"T TEMPT ME DAVE! I want to watch then but I want to watch the whole film. I have to wait til Boxing Day  I think I will end up watching those clips though.


----------



## Pyan

*Re: Philip Pullman - Northern Lights*



Majimaune said:


> He rips the damn jaw off! I want to see that in the movie.


Spoiler!


































And you will......


----------



## purple_kathryn

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I went to see it last night

Excellent .  Although if you didn't like the LOTR movies because of how much you liked LOTR books I wouldn't recommend it to you.  It's pretty faithful (I thought) but chunks are left out (particularily the ending but I can see why they did it that way)

I really hope they make the next two


----------



## Pyan

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Yes, they cut the last two or three chapters of _Northern Lights_ from the first film, and, assuming it's made, they'll be the start of _The Subtle Knife,_ or whatever they call it....


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I would presume Subtle Knife because as far as I know that is its only name.

Good to hear I will Py. That makes a good day into a great one.


----------



## Marky Lazer

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Prolly watching this one tomorrow...


----------



## GOLLUM

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Looks good, especially the Bear Fight.

I'll have to wait for December 26, it's the traditional Boxing Day holiday in OZ when a lot of the christmas movies are released and people either attend a sporting event eg Boxing Day Test in Melbourne or go to the movies.


----------



## Marky Lazer

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Is that Ian McKellen's voice for Iorek?


----------



## Marky Lazer

*Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

Lo! and behold!

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian trailers and video clips on Yahoo! Movies


----------



## Pyan

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

Just hope it's not as sanitized as _The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe_.....

The one I'm_ really _looking forward to is _The Voyage of the Dawn Treader_, but this one looks a bit darker than its not-so-illustrious predecessor.


----------



## purple_kathryn

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Yes it is  

I had thought it was christopher Lee but my friend looked it up


----------



## Pyan

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

And *I* thought it was Patrick Stewart....funny, isn't it!


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

Well, it looks like it's going to be a visual treat, that's for sure.

I'm trying to remember what they might have sanitized in _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_, and not coming up with anything that struck me that way.  Perhaps, Pyan, if you mention some specifics you'll jog my memory.


----------



## The Ace

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

It looks interesting, I just hope they don't take as many liberties with the story as they did with the opening sequence.  On the plus side, the BBC practically ignored this one, although Caspian was about the right age there.


----------



## Culhwch

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

I watched this last night, and I must say I'm very keen to see it. I did love the first one, though.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

I liked the first one a lot -- didn't quite fall in love with it, but it takes me a while to warm to any adaptation of a beloved book.  I kept thinking I was going to see it again and then ... somehow never did.

Someone in the family has the DVD, though.  And this being just the right season, I might be watching it very, very soon.

My only problem with the Prince Caspian trailer is that it manages not to show any of my favorite scenes; if it had, I'd probably be more excited.


----------



## Wiglaf

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

I just hope it does well so that there will be more movies, specifically _The Horse and His Boy_ and especially _The Silver Chair._
The BBC didn't do the first and the ones they did do had a small budget compared to Hollywood films.


----------



## Talysia

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

I'll be interested to see how this one turns out.


----------



## Cayal

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

I liked the first one, can't wait to see this one.


----------



## jenna

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*



Wiglaf said:


> I just hope it does well so that there will be more movies, specifically _The Horse and His Boy_ and especially _The Silver Chair._
> The BBC didn't do the first and the ones they did do had a small budget compared to Hollywood films.




Yeah, the Horse and His Boy was my favourite Narnia book, although it's been that long I can't remember too much about it! My other faves are The Last Battle and The Magicians Nephew, so I hope they do ALL of the books, not just a select few.


----------



## Pyan

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*



Teresa Edgerton said:


> I'm trying to remember what they might have sanitized in _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_, and not coming up with anything that struck me that way.  Perhaps, Pyan, if you mention some specifics you'll jog my memory.


No blood!
Seriously though, the battle scenes were like watching the "A-Team". I don't thing anyone is actually seen getting hurt in the whole film.


----------



## Culhwch

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*



pyan said:


> No blood!
> Seriously though, the battle scenes were like watching the "A-Team". I don't thing anyone is actually seen getting hurt in the whole film.


 
Aslan is killed, Edmund is stabbed. But to be fair, this is a film adaptation aimed squarely at a children of a book that is aimed squarely at children. You weren't seriously expecting Tarantino-esque splatter, were you?


----------



## Pyan

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*



Culhwch said:


> Aslan is killed, Edmund is stabbed. But to be fair, this is a film adaptation aimed squarely at a children of a book that is aimed squarely at children. You weren't seriously expecting Tarantino-esque splatter, were you?



Oh no, I didn't expect that...but a little more realism in the big set battles would have been better....

In Caspian, there is a decapitation described, and the scene in Aslan's How is pretty graphic, too..I just wonder if they''ll be shown..


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

if only it was jean-luc...i woulda been in heaven (in a non-gay way)  awesome actor


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

theyve cut out stanislaus (??) grumanns head at the start..grr


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*



pyan said:


> A little more realism in the big set battles would have been better.



But Pyan, that would have meant no griffins, no centaurs ... 

But seriously, I think that Aslan's death provided quite enough material for childhood nightmares (it was painful for _me_ to watch parts of that scene) without adding in bloody battle sequences as well.


----------



## Marky Lazer

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Saw this one yesterday. It's okay, but not top-of-the-bill I think. Very pretty, though.


----------



## Nesacat

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Just saw this too. Iorek opened his mouth and Gandalf spoke. Could have knocked me over with a feather. Will teach me to pay more attention to the cast list. I thought it was pretty well done and looked quite natural for the most part. It was a very well cast movie too. Lyra was wonderful. 

It's quite faithful to the books despite parts being left out but as has been said before you can see why they did that and why they ended the way they did. I am looking forward to the rest of the movies and I do hope they make them.


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

they may have toned down the deaths and religious reference..but the christian faith aint gonna like a member of the magisterium trying to poison asriel...that really shocked me


----------



## purple_kathryn

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Nesacat said:


> Just saw this too. Iorek opened his mouth and Gandalf spoke. Could have knocked me over with a feather. Will teach me to pay more attention to the cast list. I thought it was pretty well done and looked quite natural for the most part. It was a very well cast movie too. Lyra was wonderful.
> 
> It's quite faithful to the books despite parts being left out but as has been said before you can see why they did that and why they ended the way they did. I am looking forward to the rest of the movies and I do hope they make them.


 
What I really appreciated is that there are not that many films where the girl character (and I mean girl as opposed to a woman) is that strong. Mostly they're foils to the lead boy character - always weaker or more in the background.


----------



## Lucien21

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



purple_kathryn said:


> Yes it is
> 
> I had thought it was christopher Lee but my friend looked it up


 

Christopher Lee IS in the movie.  Blink and you would miss him though.


----------



## Lucien21

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Dissapointing first weekend figures. 

That sequel looking dodgy already. 

Budget $180m :-----1st weekend $26m 

Even Narnia took $65 opening weekend.


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

well tbh the film left nothing to be desired for...it felt like a matrix reloaded ending...a sort of "to be continued" ending


----------



## Joel007

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I recognised Ian McKellen's voice straight away! And I agree with Nesa that Lyra did a great job. 
It seemed a bit slow but there was a lot of exposition to fit in and set the stage, so I can understand that. Naming people's spirit animals "Demons" seems a bit dubious, but overall it was a good kid's film. I note that the anti-religion seems to have become anti-establishment. 

Armoured bears are cool  The graphics were excellent. I hope that Cristopher Lee gets more than a 5 second part in the sequel (assuming there is one)


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

they cant afford not too...there'll be an uprising if they dont...you dont start mucking up a good series, just to finish it with a "what if it was better if they made more?" moment


----------



## Dave

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I just saw it tonight and thought that it did what it was supposed to - fairly faithful to the book too. I realised that it couldn't have been made a few years ago - the cgi of the Daemons and the Armoured Bears would not have been possible.

Everything was very close to how I imagined it, which is often not the case with films of books. Even the Aleithometer was just as I imagined it to be.


purple_kathryn said:


> What I really appreciated is that there are not that many films where the girl character (and I mean girl as opposed to a woman) is that strong.


That is that way in the books too, and why it is a popular read for girls. I thought that Dakota Blue Richards did an outstanding job as Lyra. I mean an unknown actress picked from obscurity, what a risk? Even if ten thousand girls turned up for the open auditions!


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

cmon dave..someone called dakota not getting picked...hollywood loves obscure names in films to give it more edge...but saying that for a rookie she was pretty good...i just imaged a more cockney sorta gal...someone who was actually english


----------



## purple_kathryn

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Lucien21 said:


> Christopher Lee IS in the movie. Blink and you would miss him though.


Oh yes I know and I was annoyed when I thought he was Ioerk.  The whole Glimi/Treebeard thing still irks me


----------



## jenna

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

Yes, Aslan's death was just as traumatic in the movie as it always is in the book


----------



## Majimaune

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

I think it at least looks good even if it doesn't turn out good.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I went to see it today, and although I'm glad I did because it was such a visual treat, I found the movie, like the book, somewhat dry and uninvolving.  Fantastical things happening, children in peril, all sorts of other elements that should have engaged me or worked on my emotions, but up until fairly near the end I didn't much care how it all came out.  I did hope that with such a great cast they could draw me in where the book didn't, but there I was disappointed, and the pace dragged a bit.  My husband thought the same.  The only performance that particularly impressed me was Nicole Kidman.

Two groups of people walked out during the last half hour or so.  Considering how empty the theater was, that was about a quarter of the audience.  I don't know whether they were bored or confused (it did seem to me that enough things were left out that anyone who wasn't familiar with the book would have been pretty much in the dark at several points) or what the problem was.  Anyway, they left.  Thursday, our local multiplex was running about a dozen showings a day.  With the beginning of the new week today, it was less than half that number.  I don't think the movie is getting good word-of-mouth.


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Only a few more days for me to wait...


----------



## Dave

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Teresa Edgerton said:


> Thursday, our local multiplex was running about a dozen showings a day.  With the beginning of the new week today, it was less than half that number.  I don't think the movie is getting good word-of-mouth.


I thought it was well worth seeing, but I also noticed that it was on in two of the screens of my local multiplex, including the biggest screen, and yet was very badly attended. I saw it on the biggest screen, only a few days after the release, and it was barely a quarter full. 

It is certainly far less popular than expected. Whether that is due to boycotts I couldn't say, but it is a possibility.


----------



## Pyan

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I went to see it on opening night, and it was only just full, if that....


----------



## KateWalker

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

I was a huge fan of the books as a kid and enjoyed the first Narnia installement movie. I also enjoyed the BBC version of these stories that aired over here in America several years ago. They were good too.


----------



## The_Warrior

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

I saw this the first day it came out, by GPuddle on you tube.



YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Still waiting. Comes out in two days, see it in maybe three.

Nice avatar Py.


----------



## ScottSF

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I easily liked it better than any of the Potter films. That being said I think this may have worked better as a mini-series.  Just felt like the story needed more space to breathe and would have liked more time to get to know the different cultures along the journey.


----------



## Dave

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



ScottSF said:


> I think this may have worked better as a mini-series.  Just felt like the story needed more space to breathe and would have liked more time to get to know the different cultures along the journey.


I did feel that it was a little rushed. I have read the books and about half-an-hour into the film I thought "She's already with the Gyptians?". Then I compared the length of the book with the film and that is probably about right, it just felt quick.


----------



## Thadlerian

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Dave said:


> It is certainly far less popular than expected. Whether that is due to boycotts I couldn't say, but it is a possibility.


I don't know how likely that is. The boycott sure got lots of publicity, but I don't think it was that much of a thing. Besides, it was pretty well-known beforehand that the movie had been stripped for ideas. Most fans knew that at least half a year in advance.

I think the low popularity can be explained with other factors, though. One being that these books haven't got the large-scale _worshipping_ of LotR, HP and, to a lesser degree, Narnia. So the popular hype wasn't nearly as great as the commercial. I think the books are too specific (and intelligent) for that to be possible. And perhaps too provoking (not so provoking the boycott would have an effect, but enough to prevent the shared enthusiasm).

Second, I imagine this to be a film no-one recommends to their friends after watching, or goes to watch a second time. It's just too... empty. Purposeless.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Thadlerian said:


> I don't know how likely that is. The boycott sure got lots of publicity, but I don't think it was that much of a thing.



I actually thought the "backlash" would help to promote the film; that's often how these things work.

_Stardust_ put up even worse numbers, and I think it was a much more entertaining film. But there it seemed like the studio didn't do nearly enough to promote the movie, and there was no lack of publicity here.  

I hope it doesn't mean that fantasy is losing its appeal at the box office.


----------



## Cayal

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I am assuming it is because Stardust and Golden Compass (which the book was a load of rubbish in itself) is not as big a draw as LOTR, HP.

I'd never heard of either books before they became movies, and the same was with Eragon.


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Yeah but you don't want to hear of Eragon.


----------



## Cayal

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Not really.

But Lord of the Rings is legend before the books.
Harry Potter is the most popular book in the world at the moment.

So of course those two are going to be massive Hollywood draws.

Golden Compass, Eragon and Stardust are obscure, unknowns amongst those outside of Fantasy (and for some within fantasy)


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I was disappointed in the book, but in all fairness I wouldn't call it rubbish, and it _did_ win the Carnegie Medal besides being something of an international bestseller, _and_ being continuously in print for the last ten years, so I wouldn't call it obscure either.


----------



## iansales

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I saw the film earlier this week. The cinema was quite full - this was in Leeds. I thought it was done well, although a lot of the book was missing. The girl who played Lyra was good, but some of the other kids were a bit stage school-ish. 

Jaire - the book was definitely well known. For a while, it was mentioned alongside Harry Potter.


----------



## GOLLUM

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I thought exactly the same as Ian. For what they covered it was good but too much was left out to make it feel substantial. For those who had not read the book I could easily imagine them walking away from the cinema thinking that the whole thing was a little lightwieght and even trivial which of course the books are not.

Whislt the books are well known they had nowhere near the same amount of hype as the Harry Potter books/films. For all that I think the HP movies did a better job for promoting their respective books and author than did this first movie in the Dark Materials trilogy for Pullmann. A shame really as I have always believed that Dark Materials is far superior to HP.


----------



## Pyan

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I think a lot of that is due to the shortness of the film - at 113 minutes, it runs a good hour shorter than, say, each part of the *LotR* films.

An extra 30-40 minutes wouldn't have hurt it - it would still have been a watchable length, and it could have been fleshed out a bit, so to speak.


----------



## GOLLUM

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Hey yeh! I thought it was a bit short. I just didn't realise how short until now!!


----------



## iansales

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

On the other hand, It could be said that the LotR films are too long...


----------



## Pyan

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Oh, I agree...that's why I said 30-40 minutes more, not as long as the LotR films. 
I find that 2½ hours is just about the longest film I can be bothered to watch these days...plus there's no intervals any more, so you've the choice of dashing to the loo and missing something, or suffering for the last 30 minutes or so....


----------



## GOLLUM

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



pyan said:


> Oh, I agree...that's why I said 30-40 minutes more, not as long as the LotR films.
> I find that 2½ hours is just about the longest film I can be bothered to watch these days...plus there's no intervals any more, so you've the choice of dashing to the loo and missing something, or suffering for the last 30 minutes or so....


AH...what one does in the name of art hey?...


----------



## iansales

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

There's a simple answer to that: don't buy a bucket of Coke to take into the cinema


----------



## GOLLUM

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Or hire a protable loo, a very small one perhaps...


----------



## Joel007

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Always buy the smallest possible drink, given that the "small" cokes these days used to be the large cokes a few years back.


----------



## Cayal

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Teresa Edgerton said:


> I was disappointed in the book, but in all fairness I wouldn't call it rubbish, and it _did_ win the Carnegie Medal besides being something of an international bestseller, _and_ being continuously in print for the last ten years, so I wouldn't call it obscure either.



Winning awards doesn't make it well known.

Be like me naming best international movie or whatever. Wouldn't have the slightest idea.
I picked up a book that won Best Australian Horror voted by the ABC (something like that). I'd never heard of it before I saw it on the shelf.

Was a good book actually. Pilo Family Circus for anyone interested.


----------



## iansales

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Depends on your definition of "well known". If you mean, winning an award doesn't mean you've heard of it, then true enough. But if it means other people have heard of it...


----------



## Thadlerian

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



pyan said:


> I think a lot of that is due to the shortness of the film - at 113 minutes, it runs a good hour shorter than, say, each part of the *LotR* films.
> 
> An extra 30-40 minutes wouldn't have hurt it - it would still have been a watchable length, and it could have been fleshed out a bit, so to speak.


My opinion is that the problems with this movie could have been solved without lenghtening it much. I'm thinking of the weak characterizations of Lord Asriel and Pantalaimon among others, but also the way they have the prophecy fuel the whole plot. Oh, and removing any reference to Christianity.

Then of course there is the issue with the ending, but I believe they could have cut a lot of stuff too, for instance the rendered "alethiometer explanation" scenes (and instead had Lyra say how she read it). You might have to lengthen it a bit, though. It's always nicer with a longer movie 
(Except, perhaps, in the case of Return of the King  )


GOLLUM said:


> A shame really as I have always believed that Dark Materials is far superior to HP.


Amen to that


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Jaire said:


> Winning awards doesn't make it well known.



The Carnegie would definitely bring it to the attention of librarians and schoolteachers, but on that point I was mainly addressing your characterization of the book as rubbish.

The fact that it had enviable sales all over the English-speaking world when it first came out and never went OP since _does_ mean that it's well-known.  

However, it's been largely marketed as YA.  So unless you make a habit of visiting the children's section of bookstores, are a schoolteacher, a children's librarian, or otherwise have reason to be knowledgable about books for younger readers it's quite possible for a book of that sort to make an international splash and for you not to hear of it.

Gollum, the movie wasn't exactly hyped over here, but there was an extensive campaign via the bookstores.  Lots and lots of space devoted to the books, and to books about the books, right up front, too, besides the children's section.

As for the movie not being prom


----------



## iansales

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

The last time I looked in Waterstone's, there were _six_ editions of *The Golden Compass* on sale. And a couple of dozen copies of each edition.


----------



## Mary Hoffman

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Even at the length it was, I escaped tp the loo during the armourede bear duel - couldn't "bear" to see even CGI polars fighting to the death.

I agree with Teresa that all three books are VERY well known. The Amber Spyglass - in my view a very weak conclusion to His Dark Materials - won not only the British Whitbread award for children's books but the overal Whitbread Award, beating the winners in the novel, first novel, poetry and biography categories.  Northern |Lights (which is how we Brits know the book called The Golden Compass in the US) this summer won the "Carnegie of Carnegies" i.e. the best winner of the Carnefgie Medal in 70 years!

It is not elegant for one writer to criticise another in this forum and Philip P. is a friend, but I am a little surprised at the reverence these books inspire. I was sent the first one in typescript (boy, do I wish I had held on to that!) and thought it OK but nothing special. I certainly would not call it rubbish, though!

I've written a long review of the movie for my online magazine, Armadillo and wil post a link here as soon as it goes live.

Mary


----------



## Thadlerian

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

In Norway, they're now selling a _His Dark Materials_ omnibus, with the title The Golden Compass. 

Have they got that far in other countries as well?


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Yes, they've got an omnibus edition here, plus several editions of the books, including two boxed sets.  Some of this, of course, in anticipation of the movie.

Still, a little research turns up the information that the trilogy has sold around 15 million copies worldwide.  You would think with that number of readers for the books, the movie would have generated a bigger box office.

And it's not like the first weekend was a flop, it was just that it didn't match up with the very high expectations.  It seems like the fact that it's fading so fast must have more to do with the movie itself than with any pre-publicity (good or bad) relative to the book.

I thought the costumes and the sets and the effects and everything to do with the art direction and the cinematography were splendid.  I'd see it again (on video) for that reason alone.


----------



## Thadlerian

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

But what about HDM collections sold _as_ The Golden Compass?

I mean, how are they going to sell The Subtle Knife if my nightmares come true and they insist on adapting that one too?


----------



## Pyan

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I imagine they'll do what they're doing with _*Narnia*_, Thad...a series title,(*The Golden Compass, The Chronicles of Narnia,*) with the individual book name as a subtitle (_The Subtle Knife_, _The Amber Spyglass - the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian_)
I think that the _His Dark Materials_ line will be quietly dropped, especially with the toning down of the anti-organised-religion element of the work.


----------



## The_Warrior

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Might be, and it seems like it.  I don't know for sure yet.

I could put my views for the movie on here, but most of them have already been said by diffrent users.


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



pyan said:


> Oh, I agree...that's why I said 30-40 minutes more, not as long as the LotR films.
> I find that 2½ hours is just about the longest film I can be bothered to watch these days...plus there's no intervals any more, so you've the choice of dashing to the loo and missing something, or suffering for the last 30 minutes or so....


Thats cause you run out of food and stuff by that time  

Well still haven't seen it, hopefully sometime soon though, when me and my friends can all do it. Really shouldn't try to get so many people to go. Its too hard.


----------



## GOLLUM

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Teresa Edgerton said:


> Gollum, the movie wasn't exactly hyped over here, but there was an extensive campaign via the bookstores. Lots and lots of space devoted to the books, and to books about the books, right up front, too, besides the children's section.


Similar story here for the books but just hasn't translated all that well into the film. I agree the production values were great. As I said before what they covered was very good. I just couldn't help feeling that the screenplay left a hollow/unsatisfied feeling for me. I remember when LOTR came out and thinking WOW this Peter Jackson did a first rate job at bringing to life the books and conveying their gravitas. So much so that anyone who had not read the books would have a very accurate sense of what they would have to offer to a reader.


----------



## Cayal

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Teresa Edgerton said:


> The Carnegie would definitely bring it to the attention of librarians and schoolteachers, but on that point I was mainly addressing your characterization of the book as rubbish.



I didn't like the book. Can't deny me my opinion can you?


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Jaire said:


> I didn't like the book. Can't deny me my opinion can you?


I'm sure we could try.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Jaire said:


> I didn't like the book. Can't deny me my opinion can you?



I would never dispute someone liking or not liking a book.  Surely we all know best what we like and don't like.  

But it's a long way from saying "I didn't like it" to pronouncing something is rubbish.  Or at least it is for me.  You may recall that I wasn't in love with the book either, but I try to keep enough perspective to acknowledge that a book can fail to gratify my personal tastes and still retain _some_ literary merit.


----------



## Cayal

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Depends on our definitions of rubbish and how we use it.


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Jaire said:


> Depends on our definitions of rubbish and how we use it.


Yes but everyone is different. I define anything at the same or worse the Eragon rubbish. These books didn't cut that, they were a lot better.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Jaire said:


> Depends on our definitions of rubbish and how we use it.




So you're saying that you didn't actually think the book was rubbish in the commonly accepted sense of the word -- just that you didn't like it?

That's disappointing.  I thought you might actually have some interesting points to make about why you thought the book was so worthless.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I came across an interesting article on the movie, which I think makes it clear how very _unclear_ the plot and the characters were to a least one viewer who hadn't read the books:

DeepGenre


----------



## Anthony G Williams

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

This is my take on the film, as published on my SFF blog:

The current Christmas fantasy blockbuster, this is based on Northern Lights (known as The Golden Compass outside the UK), the first volume of Philip Pullman's highly successful His Dark Materials trilogy. I read the trilogy a few years ago and, while I wouldn't call myself a fan, thought it worth the fairly considerable time involved (there is a total of nearly 1,300 pages). Although marketed for children, Pullman did not write for this audience - the marketing decision was based on the fact that the principal characters are children - and in fact the tale is rather grim for the young.

For those unfamiliar with the story, a brief background: this is an unusual and complex fantasy, involving a parallel world (of approximately late-Victorian technical development) with people whose souls are housed outside the body, in talking animals called daemons. The story focuses on a 12-year old English girl – Lyra Bellaqua (very well played in the film by 13-year old novice Dakota Blue Richards) – who becomes the focus of interest of the powerful religious Magisterium and its ally, the formidable Mrs Coulter (an excellent performance by Nicole Kidman, with just the right blend of beauty, charm and reasonableness covering evil intent). In this first part, young children keep disappearing and Lyra, with the aid of a truth-divining pocket-watch like device known as the alethiometer (the Golden Compass of the film title), becomes involved in trying to discover what has happened to them. Lyra's journey takes her to an experimental station in the far north, and encounters with giant talking polar bears, who wear armour and live for fighting.

When making a film of a long and complex book (six or seven hours of reading, condensed into a couple of cinematic hours), the film-makers can either cut out many characters and large chunks of the plot, or can try to include all of the key elements but treat them rather briefly. In the case of The Golden Compass, the later course has been selected. The film starts with a long, voice-over infodump to try to get the audience up and running, then (as far as I can recall) remains more or less  faithful to the book thereafter, but with each scene cropped in a way which keeps the story moving quickly. This works well enough for those familiar with the plot, for whom it acts as a kind of visual refresher, but may I suspect prove confusing and even irritating to the uninitiated. On the credit side, there are many visually spectacular scenes and the CGI is as good as we have come to expect. The acting is also very good from a strong cast, including the Casino Royale pairing of the rugged Daniel Craig as Lyra's "uncle" Lord Asriel and the beautiful Eva Green as the witch-queen Serafina Pekkala. 

The trilogy has attracted controversy because of its anti-religious content, which becomes stronger in the later books. Not surprisingly, the Christian churches have reacted rather badly to the success of the series, although this aspect has been played down in this first film. I presume that films of the other volumes will follow if this one is successful (which so far it seems to be, although less so in the USA). 

Overall, a good effort and I will certainly be watching the sequels, if they appear.


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Well I will finally have something of substance and an opinion in this thread after tomorrow afternoon. Thats when I am seeing it.


----------



## Mary Hoffman

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I have posted a link to my review of the Golden Compass but started a new thread for it on my home page, because it's in my online magazine. The thread is called Armadillo - Golden Compass Review so I hope you find it if interested.

Mary


----------



## clovis-man

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Teresa Edgerton said:


> I came across an interesting article on the movie, which I think makes it clear how very _unclear_ the plot and the characters were to a least one viewer who hadn't read the books:
> 
> DeepGenre


 
I felt that the reviewer was more perturbed with the "unbelievable" nature of the story as portrayed on film than he was confused. Of course there's a problem with this: It is fantasy after all. So what's not to believe? But then there's the other aspect known as "willing suspension of disbelief". The reviewer just didn't buy it. And there's the rub.

I haven't read the books, but finally got around to seeing the movie today. I have to say that I agree with the review. The characters seemed to be cardboard cut-outs, no matter how nicely portrayed. Of course Sam Elliot just played himself with a jack rabbit sidekick. But even the Gyptian ship bothered me. Okay, it was a sidewheeler with sails, but what was the real power source? If it had the neat little balls of flux that drove the airships, why do you need sails? If it was steam powered, why would you need sails?

And you just knew at the beginning, when Lyra told her friend that she would come to rescue him if he ever needed it that, sooner or later, he would dang well need it. But I'm being churlish here.

I'm actually wondering if I should just shut up and read the book(s).

Jim


----------



## Thadlerian

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Read the books, but there's no need to shut up


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

OK finally seen it.

I thought they did the characters very very well, close to the book. The story was done pretty well as well.

There were a few people who I would have liked to see more of in the film. Christopher Lee, I would presume he will have more of a part in the ones to come cause all he had was one line. I would have liked to see the Master of Jordan a bit more as well as Farder Corram

I didn't like how it was Lyra doing the voice over at the start, seeing as she doesn't know all that stuff and its not her telling the story, its being told by someone else.

I wish they had gotten the bears right with how Iorek was exiled. That annoyed me lots. I wish they could have ended it better as well, like in the book how Lyra goes into the new world and Asriel is out of it.


----------



## Thadlerian

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I've posted my opinions on the movie in this thread: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/42702-golden-compass-spoilers-book-and-movie-discussion.html. For some reason, it refused to get off the ground and erupt into fiery discourse.

Summed up: I think this movie is severely flawed, but not more than to be expected from a Hollywood blockbuster type adaption like this. The center of my criticism is that it waters down ideas and characters.


----------



## GOLLUM

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Majimaune said:


> . That annoyed me lots. I wish they could have ended it better as well, like in the book.....


That will occur in the second movie, apparently it was cut short due to continuity reasons.

Overall I liked the movie for what it covered but too much was left out. Anyone knowing nothing about the books wouldn't have thought there was much to this story at all and that's dissapointing.


----------



## Mary Hoffman

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



GOLLUM said:


> That will occur in the second movie, apparently it was cut short due to continuity reasons.



SPOILER










I disagree; I think it was bexcause they didn't want to end the first film on such a downer. And how would Roger's death have squared with what they have shownb us so far of Asriel? i.e. virtually nothing. He's just a cosy uncle who goes off ill-equipped on an expedition to the Northern wastes and is captured.

Mary


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Mary Hoffman said:


> SPOILER
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I disagree; I think it was bexcause they didn't want to end the first film on such a downer. And how would Roger's death have squared with what they have shownb us so far of Asriel? i.e. virtually nothing. He's just a cosy uncle who goes off ill-equipped on an expedition to the Northern wastes and is captured.
> 
> Mary


I think you are right. Though I'm not too sure about the cosy part.


----------



## Thadlerian

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Come on, you saw that scene where he was captured in the mountains, going all "Can't we sort this out like gentlemen?" That is one of the scenes that truly define this movie: Fluff in the place of the book's harshness.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

You are so right, Mary.  Going by the way Lord Asriel was portrayed up to that point -- really, by everything that's been said or not said during the movie -- for anyone who hadn't read the book that action would have looked like it was tacked on at the end for cheap shock value.  There was simply no context for it to make sense.


----------



## Connavar

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Thadlerian said:


> Come on, you saw that scene where he was captured in the mountains, going all "Can't we sort this out like gentlemen?" That is one of the scenes that truly define this movie: Fluff in the place of the book's harshness.



Why am i not surprised.


I didnt wanna see in the cinema cause i knew Craig was a such star that they would never make him as cold and as harsh as the real Asriel.  Somehow i knew they would make it more fluffy to appeal to the mainstream fans.  Like people wouldnt think its referershing to see a YA fantasy that was harsher than usual.

I will rent this in dvd.  

Overall it sounds like the kind of movie i expected of the current hollywood.

Was it even 3 hrs long as you expect of a fantasy movie these days?


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

nope connaver...just a tad over 2 hours...it flew by but felt there was something missing at the end...


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Thadlerian said:


> Come on, you saw that scene where he was captured in the mountains, going all "Can't we sort this out like gentlemen?" That is one of the scenes that truly define this movie: Fluff in the place of the book's harshness.


OK I didn't like that I wonder how they will turn him so he 



Spoiler



 will end up dying with Coulter in the final film.



F'Lessan Amused said:


> nope connaver...just a tad over 2 hours...it flew by but felt there was something missing at the end...


Thats because it was missing stuff.


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

maji i knew that...but from the perspective of my sis who never read the books, and am directly quoting  "is that it?  shouldnt there be more? i heard there was more! grr"


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



F'Lessan Amused said:


> maji i knew that...but from the perspective of my sis who never read the books, and am directly quoting  "is that it?  shouldnt there be more? i heard there was more! grr"


The should have been more though thats the thing.


----------



## Anthony G Williams

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Majimaune said:


> The should have been more though thats the thing.


The story was already quite compressed in the film. They would have had to make it a lot longer to include much more of the book's plot.


----------



## Majimaune

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

Yes but it was only a two hour film so they _could have_ added in more stuff.


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

2 and half hours woulda been perfect...


----------



## Hilarious Joke

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I think _The Golden Compass_ does alright, considering, as a film, its trying to appeal to a young audience; and the ending of the book is such that I don't think it would appeal to a young audience, to finish with a tragedy. It must be very difficult to try and integrate many of the adult themes into a film for children; but it does annoy me how any reference to the church and religion was removed.


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

what i hated about this film and the reaction to the books is that its considered a childrens view point...just because the main characters are kids themselves...Pullman agrees or should i say i agree with him

you should never dull down a book as tons of children loves the book with the sad ending...but when the film industry gets hold of it...well the story is taken out and replaced with greed


----------



## Hilarious Joke

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I don't know, I don't think the ending is _such _a big deal. Like, they left Shelob until the third LOTR movie and no-one really cares, even though that is an awesome part of the story.

Still, I understand your argument about the childrens view point. Wasn't Phillip Pullman involved in the film though?


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

yes but only to a certain extent...its same with jk rowling and the hp films...she had control over it but they changed alot of it


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

same with HHGTTG changed alot despite teh author being involved


----------



## Hilarious Joke

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I haven't seen that...worth watching?


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

it is if youve never read _Hitchhikers_...but *Don't Panic*...it was enjoyable


----------



## Anthony G Williams

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



F'Lessan Amused said:


> same with HHGTTG changed alot despite teh author being involved


That one started as a radio series, of course. Only later was it turned into a book. Then it became a TV series - and eventually a film!


----------



## Connavar

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Anthony G Williams said:


> That one started as a radio series, of course. Only later was it turned into a book. Then it became a TV series - and eventually a film!




I dont see how it could work as Radio.  Lucky for us who are fans of the books they didnt stop with only the radio.


Adams was a brilliant writer.  

I have of course no reason to ever see the movie, its hollywood after all...

Might check out the tv show if Adams and co was involved,wrote it or something.


----------



## Mary Hoffman

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Connavar of Rigante said:


> I dont see how it could work as Radio..



I'm amazed that you haven't heard it! Tapes are available. (CDs now, I suppose). The TV had the same Arthur Dent and the great Peter Jones as The Voice of the Book but the radio version remains the authentic HHGTTG experience, even though the books are great too.

It was conceived to be heard, not read or seen and works superbly on the radio.

Mary


----------



## Connavar

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*



Mary Hoffman said:


> I'm amazed that you haven't heard it! Tapes are available. (CDs now, I suppose). The TV had the same Arthur Dent and the great Peter Jones as The Voice of the Book but the radio version remains the authentic HHGTTG experience, even though the books are great too.
> 
> It was conceived to be heard, not read or seen and works superbly on the radio.
> 
> Mary




As a fan i know everything about it that can read online.

I knew about the radio shows,when,how etc

It is just wierd to me how the actual story and parody thing could work in a radio show.


----------



## F'Lessan Amused

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

mary i prefer the books...tried listening to the radio versions and it doesnt have the same effect on me


----------



## Mary Hoffman

*re: The Golden Compass (2007)*

I suppose it's all a question of what you start with. When I read them, I hear those voices from the original radio broadcasts.

Mary


----------



## spaceseed

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

Meh - it is one of those films that is not good enough to be a classic, but not bad enough to make fun of, either. Whatever is an amateur internet film critic to do?!?


----------



## The Ace

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

As the books include talking animals, giants, dragons and sundry other monsters and the films had to try to include this while being made for children, I don't envy the film's makers.  I feel they did an extremely difficult job as well as could be expected.


----------



## Iqeret

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

Just out of curiosity, has anyone else here seen the old animated version?  I loved it when I was small, though I realize now that it's not exactly amazing film work.  ^_^


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

Yes, I've seen the animated version.  We used to have it on tape, and my children watched it fairly often.  The animation was fairly crude, but it definitely had its moments.


----------



## The Procrastinator

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

Like many here I have a sentimental attachment to the little-guys-in-bad-suits and bad-acting BBC series. Tom Baker was an excellent Puddleglum and Warwick Davis was a champion Reepicheep.

Generally speaking I thought the movie version was good on the whole, with moments of excellence, although it did have a bit much of the LOTR thing going on. I loved the beavers, and I thought they did an excellent job of Lucy and Tumnus. I much preferred the film Lucy - the BBC TV Lucy made me grind my teeth. The fusspot anatomist in me wasn't quite pleased with the film Aslan, though I shouldn't complain really, I spose he was an improvement over Robo-Aslan from the tv series. 

Have not seen the animated version, did not even realise there was one.

I too wonder if they will film The Last Battle. Good on them for making the movie, btw, as it has revived interest in the books, which I love, despite their weaknesses. If you're not aware of Christian thing you don't notice it, they're still damn good stories.


----------



## Ruin

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

Horrific film, and the book wasn't much better.
In terms of the Narnia books, the earlier ones (Nania chronology) such as "The horse and his boy" were the better novels, without interference from the "real world". However, his style seems quite amaturish, but it was nothing compared to the films.
The film was dummed down and child-oriented to a point where it was no longer interesting. It concentrated on creating loveable characters and removing the scary from the setting. The child actors were terrible (almost to the point of Daniel Radcliff in the first Harry Potter movie), the best, surprisingly, being the youngest. 

The battle, the best scene due to the simple reason it had as little dialogue from the children as possible, was reduced to the scenes which children enjoy to dance around and recreate after the movie, loosing the epic sense which adults enjoy so much more, and was well portrayed in the book (similar to the battle in King Arthur in this respect). The scene of Aslan's sacrifice was butchered, turned from the horrifying, dark scene of he novel into a Jesus Christ for Sunday schooler's moment, brightened up and made heroic for the benifit of the younger audience.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*



Ruin said:


> The scene of Aslan's sacrifice was butchered, turned from the horrifying, dark scene of he novel into a Jesus Christ for Sunday schooler's moment, brightened up and made heroic for the benifit of the younger audience.



It's interesting how different people react to the same thing.  I cringed all through that scene both times I saw the movie.  It struck me as far more horrifying _seeing_ the way they mocked him and brutalized him before the sacrifice than it did reading about it in the book.

And I thought the young actors were very good, particularly the girl who played Lucy.  

Moreover, I liked the way the children were portrayed as well-behaved children of Lewis's day, rather than turning them into mouthy modern children.


----------



## Ruin

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

I always found that it was because you couldn't tell exactly what was going on in the book which made it all the more horrifying. The glimpses and snippets given, allowing your imagination to run amok, was one of his finer writing successes through the series in my eyes.

Lucy was a good actor, and I immediately loved the character for hit, however the others, Peter foremost, seemed as lost in the idea of acting in character as they would have been finding a new world in a cupboard. 

Keeping the children as they should have been for the era is not difficult, simply making your way through Eton and similar schools and you will find enough youths who act and speak in that way. Though I must admit I may be being a little cynical.


----------



## Iorek444

*Prince Caspian (2008)*

I'm surprised that there isn't a topic for this! Has anybody seen this movie yet?

While I didn't think it was great, I did enjoy it (though it's been a long time since I read the book and I barely remember it, so thankfully I wasn't able to notice any differences that would have ruined the movie for me).


----------



## Mouse

*Re: Prince Caspian*

I've not seen it and I haven't read the book either. I did see the first film though and didn't like it, so wasn't going to bother with this one. _But _Ben Barnes is in it and he looks hot!  So I might go and watch it. I'd like to point out that I don't normally go and watch films for that reason!!


----------



## The Ace

*Re: Prince Caspian*

I don't think it's out here yet.


----------



## Ice fyre

*Re: Prince Caspian*

Its not out here in Brtain and quite frankly I wont be going to see it unless dragged by my wife, I really didnt like the first Narnia film it was only lifted for me by some nice creature effects. The two Minotaurs in the army of evil were superb as was Aslan, but as to the rest I just didnt like it.


----------



## Dave

*Re: Prince Caspian*

It's not out in the UK, but the trailer is showing before "Indiana Jones and the Longest Title in the History of Cinema", so it must be out soon. 

And it looks good!


----------



## yngvi

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

I was entranced by the Narnian Chronicles as a child and have gone back and read them as an adult more than once.  I think the only thing that stands in the way of their recognition as classic fantasy is the overtly christian content of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'The Last Battle'

'Prince Caspian' is one of the best of the tales and I am looking forward to it, not the least for the big screen debut of Reepicheep the mouse, one of the greatest heroes in literary history (don't laugh!)


----------



## yngvi

*re: Chronicles of Narnia (2005)*

I can't imagine that films will be made of all the Narnia books.  'Prince Caspian' is out soon here (in the UK) and Edmund and Lucy are back in Narnia for the third book (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader).  This also has strong christian themes so could easily be made.  'A Horse and His Boy' and 'The Silver Chair' are more stand alone tales, with the former not featuring any visitors from our world, so a bit less likely to be made perhaps.  By the time they think about 'The Last Battle' all the child actors will be grown up and, with it being so overtly christian and possibly scary for little kids, I think this is unlikely to be made.

After 'Dawn Treader' I think they might do 'The Magician's Nephew' then finito.


----------



## Teutoniclegion

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

am going to see it tomorrow with friends and will let you know


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

After many, many delays and postponements (I meant to see it right after it arrived in our local theaters), I _finally_ saw this movie last night.

And I liked it very much.

I already knew that it diverged from the book at several points, and had made my peace with that.  I told myself to just sit back and experience the picture for what it is rather than what I would wish it to be, and the fact that having made this decision I was able to fall right into the story within about five minutes (usually it takes a lot longer, if I even get there at all) probably says something very good about the picture.  Or maybe just that I was in an unusually receptive mood.

The young actors were appealing. For me, the pacing was just right:  the story moved right along, but there was time to absorb things.  The costumes and sets and scenery were excellent.  (I want to move into Miraz's castle.)  The effects were a bit mixed in terms of quality.  Just like in the other movie I found the centaurs convincing, while the minotaurs looked like people inside minotaur suits.  Some of the creatures, like the griffins and the big cats, moved so quickly in the battle scenes I really couldn't see if they were good or not.  I felt that Trufflehunter was a complete failure, a character you could never forget was CGI for a minute.  But then there was Reepicheep ...

Reepicheep _was_ Reepicheep.  I don't think that fans of the martial mouse will be disappointed.  Perhaps the computer imaging could have been a _little_ better, but the characterization was so perfect this is mere quibbling.

There were short bits of dialogue here and there that I thought were slightly off, but again mere quibbling.

The decision to present the Telmarines as a Mediterranean culture -- I suppose to contrast them with the Old Narnians -- worked well.  One of the big payoffs was that it allowed them to use famous Italian, Spanish, and Mexican actors that are virtually unknown over here.  They played their roles with a quiet intensity that I found extremely impressive. 

Oh, and there is a scene with the White Witch (I know, I know, not in the book) that was very effective.

All in all, a movie I definitely would like to see again.


----------



## Pyan

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

After many disappointments, I've decided that I'm going to watch this one on the premise that's it's an exciting film that happens to have the same name and characters as a book that I've read....


----------



## Ursa major

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

Isn't that what you should always do if you're going to see a film adaptation of a book you like?


(It leaves the door open to being pleasantly surprised, rather than expecting disappointment.)


----------



## Overread

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

I think if they can lose the "made in a film studio" feel that the first film was plagued with then it could be on to something. That was my biggest grip with the first - the fact that throughout so much of it you felt that you could just about see the edge of the studio wall
From the ads this looks to be interesting and might have lost that feel


----------



## manephelien

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

I saw this and enjoyed it a lot more than I expected, to be honest. Meepicheep was great!


----------



## The Procrastinator

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

I'm with maniphelion - it was better than I expected, I enjoyed it. I was reminded once again of how lucky they were to find that little girl who plays Lucy - she is just perfect. Reepicheep was fabulous (though I did miss his squeaky voice, they had his martial valour exactly right), the "Spanish" Telmarines were very effective, Glenstorm had the right presence, and the list of successes goes on. Unfortunately Theresa is right about Trufflehunter - he was the one character that really jarred with me. The abrupt scene changes where entire armies were apparently materialising through mountains and forests without having to traverse them also jarred a but, as did those ridiculous siege engines. But I loved the added scene with the White Witch, and having Caspian as an older character worked really well. I wants to see it again.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

The trebuchets seemed pretty bizarre to my husband (he's done a _lot_ of reading on medieval missile weapons), but he's quite mechanically minded and eventually figured out how he thought they worked.  Then he was fine with them.


----------



## The Procrastinator

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

Well if he could explain it to me then perhaps I would be fine with them too, but trebuchets have a fairly simple mechanical principle that those funny things approximated visually but not functionally, as far as I could see. We can get away with that angle of missile release ourselves (cricket bowlers do it all the time) because of our control over wrist, hand and arm - but siege engines need a brace to stop the arm at a certain point to achieve the correct angle of missile release, because they have no such control. Nor did those funny double-bunger sons-of-trebuchets - but they did look kinda cool.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

Procrastinator:  It had something to do with the way they were rotating, but I didn't pay much attention.  We're always focussing on different things when we go to the movies, and if we encourage each other too much someone ends up talking over the parts the other one wants to hear.

Pyan:  I meant to say this before -- if you do go, don't expect any more bloodshed than the last time around (I seem to remember the lack of blood was a problem for you).  A lot more battle, but they continued to leave the blood to the viewer's imagination.  Which was fine by me.


----------



## Allegra

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

Went to see it and loved it even more than the first one. The acting, scenery, settings and music are excellent. Even the Telmarines accent is carefully taken care of. Yes like everyone else said Reepicheep is great! The battle scenes are amazing (I secretly wished no horses got hurt during filming).


----------



## Pyan

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*



Teresa Edgerton said:


> Pyan:  I meant to say this before -- if you do go, don't expect any more bloodshed than the last time around (I seem to remember the lack of blood was a problem for you).  A lot more battle, but they continued to leave the blood to the viewer's imagination.  Which was fine by me.



Makes me sound really bloodthirsty!

It wasn't the lack of blood as such, more the unrealism of the battle scenes in _TLtWatW_, compared with, say_ Return of the King_. I realise that the two films have different ratings, PG as opposed to PG-13, but I still think a bit more grittiness in _TLtWatW_ wouldn,t have come amiss.

Still, looking forward to _PC_...going on Wednesday.


----------



## yngvi

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

I went to see 'Prince Caspian' over the weekend, having really looked forward to it.  I was a little disappointed, mostly by the last 20 minutes as they just changed too much for someone raised on the books, and they made the battles too big (my Narnia is just like the illustrations in the books, with maybe 50 people maximum in the battles).  That aside it was a very good movie.


----------



## Paperkut

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

Good film  , at least is better that the other 1


----------



## Culhwch

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

I saw this over the weekend, too, and I loved it. Just my flavour of escapism. Besides a few dodgy effects and some dialogue that just didn't sit right, good fun throughout.


----------



## Pyan

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

Well...I really enjoyed it.

It suffered from the usual book-to-film rendition problems of having to alter well-loved scenes to better fit the medium, but, for once, the additions were plausible. It was quite reasonable that, given the difference in the available troops of the two sides, a surprise attack on Miraz' castle would have been tried, and the White Witch would offer her assistance to Caspian, and the added scenes didn't jar with the characterization or plot too much. Contrast this with the infamous "falling over the cliff" scene in LotR.

Agree with Teresa about the children, especially Lucy: I thought William Moseley brought out the essential priggishness of Peter, and Anna Popplewell's Susan was excellent - Susan in the books is probably the least fleshed out of the children, and it was nice to see her played as a vital member of the quartet.

The other thing that I really liked about the film was the retention of large chunks of dialogue from the book - again, this puts LotR firmly in its place, as one of the weakest points in that series was the virtually complete abandonment of JRRT's words. 

All in all, a very good stab at filming a well-loved book. Much better than TLtWatW, especially the grittier battle scenes. Yes, there was no blood, but at least in this one, you could actually _believe_ characters had been killed off.

*8/10 *


----------



## Culhwch

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

Perhaps you should revisit _LotR_ with the same attitude you took into _Caspian_, Py? You might be pleasantly surprised. Certainly - and I'm not an expert on the books, but I've read them a good few times - I thought much of the dialogue, if not directly from the books, was very close to being the real deal (minus much of the inherent tweeness). And, let's face it, slicing Tom Bombadil was an act of inspired genius.


----------



## purple_kathryn

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

I enjoyed it but the christian allegory annoyed me a bit.  Saying that if I hadn't of known it was there I probably wouldn't have noticed it.

Thought the fx were good, better than last time!

and If I had of been Susan I would have stayed and married the prince.  I am a sucker for a sexy accent though


----------



## yngvi

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

Did anyone else notice the scene with the giant sitting under the tree (set up like the original illustration from the book)  Nice touch!


----------



## Dave

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

Not much to add. I went without any prior expectations and enjoyed a good film. I have read the book, but so long ago now that I remembered nothing at all (and I don't remember if I read the others or not.)

I noticed that Eddie Izzard voiced Reepicheep.

The only thought I had about the attack on Miraz's castle was, if they had left only a minimal defensive force, why didn't more of the Narnians attack? They still seemed totally outnumbered, and yet left many behind. And where did all those civilians in the castle come from the following morning? But it wasn't anything a dwelt on for more than a few seconds.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*



Dave said:


> And where did all those civilians in the castle come from the following morning?



I wondered about that, too.  But then I read somewhere that the civilians were in the village, not the castle.  (I guess that means that all Telmarine architecture looks alike.)


----------



## clovis-man

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*



The Procrastinator said:


> Well if he could explain it to me then perhaps I would be fine with them too, but trebuchets have a fairly simple mechanical principle that those funny things approximated visually but not functionally, as far as I could see. We can get away with that angle of missile release ourselves (cricket bowlers do it all the time) because of our control over wrist, hand and arm - but siege engines need a brace to stop the arm at a certain point to achieve the correct angle of missile release, because they have no such control. Nor did those funny double-bunger sons-of-trebuchets - but they did look kinda cool.


 
On a flight home a few months ago, the guy in the seat next to me told me about a time when he and his brother actually built a trebuchet. Apparently schematics were easy to obtain, but instructions were sparse. So they easily built a full sized model, but were unsure of what direction to mount the release mechanism. there were two options, so it was a 50/50 chance of getting it right. They set it up to fire and carefully loaded a 16 pound bowling ball (their missile of choice). When they fired it, they had to run for cover because they had the release in wrong and the ball went straight up about 200 feet. They managed to escape harm and reversed the release mechanism. From there on it apparently worked great shooting the projectile about a football field's length.


----------



## Lith

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

This one's sure dropped off the radar fast.  It was supposed to come to town, didn't, and we barely found it in any of the theaters in Portland over the weekend.

I liked it.  Not so much as the first one, which took me pleasantly by surprise.  A few too many unexplained movie coincidences, and a little confusion over the names of the characters.  Beautiful scenery though, and the kids and new characters were good.

There was a large town right next to the castle- I assume that's where the people in the castle came from the next morning.


----------



## Pyan

*"Narnia" series to continue...*

20th Century Fox have stepped in to make _The Voyage of the Dawn Treader_ after Disney decided to pull out...

Glad to see this - _VotDT_ is one of the best of the series, one of my favourites, and, IMHO, one of the most suitable for filming.



> *Narnia franchise continues voyage*
> 
> The Narnia series of films will continue after 20th Century Fox stepped in to produce the third of CS Lewis's books, _Voyage of the Dawn Treader._
> 
> Fox replaces Disney, which bowed out in December citing "budgetary considerations and other logistics".



BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Narnia franchise continues voyage


----------



## Michael01

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

Glad to hear it. Unfortunately, I have yet to see *Prince Caspian*, and I want to very much.


----------



## The Ace

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

Ah yes, 'There was once a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.'

Great news, they still won't do, "The Last Battle," though.


----------



## HareBrain

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*



The Ace said:


> they still won't do, "The Last Battle," though.


 
Would anyone want them to? I think it would make a terrible film on every level.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the others turn out though.


----------



## Dagny

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*



Michael01 said:


> Glad to hear it. Unfortunately, I have yet to see *Prince Caspian*, and I want to very much.


 
I actually liked Prince Caspian better than the Lion, the Witch and the Warddrobe.


----------



## afroelf

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

I am still of the view that you cannot do Narnia any justice without The Magicians Nephew and the Last Battle.  They are the stories that give context to the series and place it within a narrative. Just doing the middle ones makes it very light weight and formless. It just turns into another trilogy of slightly wierd characters. 
Maybe I am a purist, but to me it is like trying to do the LoTR without Frodo, or turning Aragorn into a republican. 
Frankly I think the wold fiming of Narnia has just been a blatent attempt at cherry picking that does no justice whatsoever to the series and is as bad as Disney's insistance on presenting Pooh Bear with its own cartoons and not the original artwork.
I also have no idea how they will present the themes in VoTDT (the utter east and all that) and suspect they will just slash and burn instead of edit.


----------



## Scifi fan

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

I think they should do the Magician's Nephew and the Last Battle, especially the Last Battle. 




> Maybe I am a purist, but to me it is like trying to do the LoTR without Frodo, or turning Aragorn into a republican.



Aragorn is a democrat???


----------



## Michael01

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*



Scifi fan said:


> Aragorn is a democrat???


 
Well, at least he's looking out for the little guy.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

_The Magician's Nephew_ always felt like an afterthought to me, although it does have some very good things in it.  If it was essential to the narrative, I think Lewis would have written it earlier.

_The Last Battle_ would surely come across as too preachy for many adults, and possibly depressing and confusing for a lot of children.  I find it hard to imagine that any studio would take on such a project.

I just watched _Prince Caspian_ for the second time the other night.  I asked for (and received) it for Christmas, so there will undoubtedly be further viewings.  I really like it -- not quite as much as TLTWTW, but it's a fairly close call.

Bring on _The Voyage of the Dawn Treader_!  I agree with pyan that it's one of the most filmable.  And although not usually a fan of cute talking animals, I do love Reepicheep.  How can any movie that features an ocean adventure and the valiant mouse be anything less than entertaining?


----------



## HareBrain

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

The Magican's Nephew was and is my favourite - I think Lewis is much more inventive in it than in anything else. I'd love to see a well-done Jadis and Charn.

I've just realised that throughout the series, I tend to prefer the bits that don't take place in the land of Narnia: the whole of VotDT; the northern lands in Silver Chair; the Calormene bits and the desert in Horse and His Boy; most of the Magician's Nephew. Lewis's imagination seemes to flow a lot more freely when he's not constrained by his perfect kingdom.

I wish Pauline Baynes could have drawn an animated version of all seven books, though.


----------



## Teresa Edgerton

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*



HareBrain said:


> ... the northern lands in Silver Chair; the Calormene bits and the desert in Horse and His Boy ...



I love those books and those settings, too.

And I adore the Baynes illustrations.  (Also the pictures she did for Tolkien's _Farmer Giles of Ham_.)


_I'd love to see a well-done Jadis and Charn._

Yes.  She's quite terrifying.  Although I wonder how they could ever find someone with the sort of presence the part demands.  Tilda Swinton makes a very satisfactory White Witch, if you don't think about what she was like in _The Magician's Nephew_, but I don't know if she could do the "real" Jadis.


----------



## afroelf

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

I agree with hare Brain - TMN is my favourite too - I love the transformation of Fledge, and I think it would make a fantastic film.  TLB would be very difficult to film, but I really cannot see how Narnia can be done justice without it.  I will also be interested to see how they depict TSC- I suspect they will not though.  TH&HB would make a fantastic film, but does not really fit in with the others. I have been disappointed in the films - not with the content, but with the way that the studios have seen fit to pick and choose what narratives to follow and thus stipping them of context. 
I also am firmly of the view that TMN should be read first, and that without it one does not really have a handle on the series so naturally I think that TLTW&TW should have been the second one filmed.


----------



## The Procrastinator

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

Good news about the Dawn Treader, its one of my favourites of the series (and one of the best ship names invented, reckons I ). Should make an excellent film, and as for the "utter east" business I'm sure they'll fit that in, have to have an Aslan appearance to wrap things up.

I too really like the Magician's Nephew, its a great story, but I don't think you suffer if you don't read it first (I didn't), so maybe they might make a film of it down the track. Though I can't think of anyone who could do Jadis justice either. I did like Tilda's performance as the wild Boudicca-like creature in battle better than her more restrained White Witch - perhaps if Jadis was taken along those lines? Aside from that, while I love the book, I think you can enjoy the other stories without having read MN (though it does make the whole thing richer).

Unfortunately with films its mostly about the money, they have to pay for themselves and make a profit after all, and films of such quality aren't cheap to make. I guess as long as they can milk the franchise so to speak, someone will keep making movies. 

For me the Last Battle is the most problematic story-wise, because its so "Christian Apocalyptic". Most of the themes and symbolism in the other books can be approached and appreciated in a more general fashion, but that one not so much. Anyone not coming at it from that angle, especially a kid, is going to have trouble. I agree with Theresa - depressing and confusing. I have to confess its my least favourite of the books, too, and always was (even though I was a Christian myself for a time).


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## afroelf

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

I think the reason I love TLB is that I love the pictures. Especially that picture of  Tash arriving which used to give me the most delicious creeps when I was a kid.
The christian content of the books is obviously going to be an issue, but if they could think about filming The Amber Spyglass et al - although I don't see all 3 being done - I am sure they can sort out a way through the narrative. However I suppose I should remember that the filmmakers are not their for accuracy but for money. 
In that sense i am very protective of the narnia books - a bit like a LOTR fan without the cloak.
Of course the big question Procrastinator, is whether Jadis, The White Witch and the Lady of the Green Kirtle are the same person? After all, if Jadis is how evil came to Narnia, then there is an argument for them being the same person.


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## Michael01

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

Although I read every book in the series 14 years ago, the only one I remember with clarity is *The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe*.  I do recall being fascinated by the non-Narnia settings, though.  Maybe it's because I read TLtWtW 3 times since I was kid (not to mention watched the animated movie twice).  Anyway, I will have to read them all again.


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## HareBrain

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*



afroelf said:


> I think the reason I love TLB is that I love the pictures. Especially that picture of Tash arriving which used to give me the most delicious creeps when I was a kid.


 
*shudder* It is a brilliant image. It gave me more than the creeps!



> The christian content of the books is obviously going to be an issue, but if they could think about filming The Amber Spyglass et al - although I don't see all 3 being done - I am sure they can sort out a way through the narrative.


 
My big problem with TLB is that the religious allegory isn't something extra that informs the story, it is the point of the story - in terms of a plot, really, very little happens. To anyone who doesn't believe that after death we go to an afterlife fully intact in body and personality, the ending is monstrous, with Lewis killing off a whole bunch of kids in an unlikely train crash just to make a point. And then the message that an interest in lipstick will deny you the best kind of heaven - eurgh!

Actually, my degree of antipathy to the book worries me a little. Maybe it's something to do with my own interest in lipstick


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## afroelf

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

Yeah, but Susan had turned into a stinky grown up! So she got what she deserved!
On a more serious note, the books are actually quite dated in ters of their social perspectives. And yes, also by CS Lewis's religious ideas, but TLB does bracket the series well in terms of being another world and time perspective that can take place within the lifespan of the children. In that sense it does a good job of creating another space continuem. Actually I always thought it was a very neat ending although my mother used to hate TLB and it was impossible to get her to read it to me although she did read the rest to me so I had to read it myself - probably why I have a soft spot for it and also why it is the only one in which my mind's eye picture of Aslan does not resemble my much loved marmalade cat Orlando! 
If you consider how dark other childrens books are- some of the HP series, Phillip Pullman, not to mention most of the cannablistic brothers grimm, I do not think TLB is too bad. Ok, the donkey has a tough time, but I think one can get around it. Anyway, apocaliptic themes have long been part of human narrative so I think we - as adults - tend to overplay it. As for killing the children off in a train accident  - as there is never much connecting the children to this world anyway I don't think their removal from it and their ongoing existance in a "new and better" Narnia is too bad at all - after all look at Dickens! He regularly ends his books by killing of his characters (and not a momnet too soon).
anyway, if they filmed Bambi, they can film anything.


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## Sargeant_Fox

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

I'm glad the Narnia film series will continue. I loved _The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe_, and _Prince Caspian_ surpassed my expectations and entertained me even more. It was better written, better acted, better filmed. Everything was better overall: the costumes, the special effects, the battles, the music. I can't wait to see the third movie.


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## Pyan

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*



afroelf said:


> Of course the big question Procrastinator, is whether Jadis, The White Witch and the Lady of the Green Kirtle are the same person?



Jadis and the WW are definitely the same person:  in _The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe_ she is actually _called_ *"Her Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, Chatelaine of Cair Paravel, Empress of the Lone Islands"* on the note left in Mr Tumnus's cave after the visit by Maugrim and the Witch's Secret Police.

Whether the Lady of the Green Kirtle is also Jadis is not so clear, and has led to lots of debate in various forums...

Are the Emerald Witch and the White Witch the same person. - The Dancing Lawn - Official Forums of Narnia Fans


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## HareBrain

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*



pyan said:


> Whether the Lady of the Green Kirtle is also Jadis is not so clear, and has led to lots of debate in various forums...
> 
> Are the Emerald Witch and the White Witch the same person. - The Dancing Lawn - Official Forums of Narnia Fans


 
Fortunately for my sanity, the debate in that link is very one-sided, and on the side of sensibleness. There's no evidence that they're the same person. Wouldn't Lewis have at least given a strong hint if they were?


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## kythe

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

I've always thought the White Witch and the Lady of the Green Kirtle were different, but that they were from the same world of kings and queens in the room where Digory and Polly awakened Jadis in "The Magician's Nephew".

When Digory and Polly go into the great room in the ruined world, they see "statues" of many kings and queens lined up.  When the children ring the bell, they break a spell which awakens Jadis, who was the last queen on the end of the rulers who looked evil. 

I've always thought if it was possible to awaken one, it should be possible to awaken the others as well.  But they awaken last to first, in backward order.  It will take a long time for the fair to good rulers to begin to awaken.  Anyhow, the sign invited any stranger to ring the bell.  It taunted them, as if expecting visitors to the world who could awaken them.  I have always believed the Lady of the Green Kirtle had perhaps been of the same race of rulers as Jadis, and had her own story of how she was awakened which we never hear.


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## Grimward

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

You have to wonder at Disney pulling out just when they're getting to the best book in the series.  I know there are a zillion other factors that go into what movies to make, but if you could do _*Prince Caspian*_, how do you NOT do _*Dawn Treader*_?  Yes, I know they just finished one of their worst quarters ever and their stock's down 8 percent, but _*Treader*_ should be a slam dunk....

I too like the _*Magician's Nephew*_; that book and _*A Horse and His Boy*_ could stand on their own, the latter less so than the former.  I think 20th Century Fox will have a tough time with _*The Silver Chair*_, though, unless the Eustace of the movies is a far more compelling character than the Eustace of the books (and how in Lewis' story would he top the Pevensie children as characters?).  The BBC series produced _*Silver Chair*_, but went no further (I think...).

Swinton would work as Jadis (after all, she already has been!), I think.  The battle scenes from Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe capture Jadis quite well.  And, finally, I would amend afroelf's statement 


> anyway, if they filmed Bambi, they can film anything.



to say, "If they filmed Bambi vs. Godzilla, they can film anything." !


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## The Procrastinator

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

_Last Battle_: As a kid it wasn't the "death" of the kids that bothered me near as much as Susan getting left out of "heaven" for being too interested in boys and makeup. I was rather cross with Mr Lewis about that one and probably still am! But really the whole thing seemed so simplistic and black and white, which gave it much more of a "detached" feel - I just didn't feel as involved with it, even though I enjoyed it. Oh, I beg your pardon, there was a shade of grey after all, which slipped my mind - a Calormene soldier got in to heaven! Wa-hey!

_Silver Chair_: I love this one, it was actually the first Narnia book I read (dad bought it for me, not realising they were a series), as far as I can see the big problem will be cramming it all in. Probably not as filmable as _Dawn Treader_, which btw should make a better movie than _Prince Caspian_ did. The Beeb did indeed produce the Silver Chair as one of their TV series of Narnia (Tom Baker was Puddleglum), and that was as far as they got. Who could blame them...

_Eustace_: I always liked Jill better.  But I think they could do something with him. Once he gets his head straight he's a bit like a woosier Edmund.

_Jadis_: Yes, she is the White Witch, and I'm fairly sure the Lady of the Green Kirtle is described in the _Silver Chair_ as being of "the same race" as Jadis or something of that kidney, but is not the same person.


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## Raven

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*



Sargeant_Fox said:


> I'm glad the Narnia film series will continue. I loved _The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe_, and _Prince Caspian_ surpassed my expectations and entertained me even more. It was better written, better acted, better filmed. Everything was better overall: the costumes, the special effects, the battles, the music. I can't wait to see the third movie.



Ouch. I have to say I didn't like either film, but _Caspian_ was better acted? Better written? Better filmed? Just... no. It was a horrible mess of a film, IMO.


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## kythe

*Re: Prince Caspian (2008)*

I finally saw this movie, only because I suddenly noticed it was on Netflix instant so I didn't have to rent it. I hated the new Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe because I felt it changed so much from the book. I prefer both the animated version and the BBC production of the story. I was so disappointed in LWW that I hadn't even planned to see Prince Caspian, that's why it took me this long to get around to it.

I was quite surprised to be drawn in to Prince Caspian from the beginning. It felt gritty, and the pacing and scenery were excellent. I didn't expect to like it, but now I'm going to re-read the book and I might even see it again. 

The movie did start to fall apart a bit during the last hour. I think it lost a major theme from the book, faith, and for me that harmed the story and detracted from Aslan's role. One major point in the book was that if the kids had trusted in Aslan sooner, the outcome would have been better. The movie reduced this to Aslan finally showing up and just saying some stupid line to the effect that it "couldn't happen the same way twice". I understand that they were trying to tone down the Christian allegory, but it's a bit hard to miss in this story without taking Aslan out all together.

Then they went on to yet another miniature LOTR-style battle, complete with fighting trees. That was yet another part of the book that was truly beautiful and magical - when Lucy awoke the trees and they danced. I was disappointed to see Aslan roaring them awake so they could fight.

Peter's attitude brought up other problems that were never redeemed. To be fair, he was always something of a prick. I thought it really worked that he had an ongoing power struggle with Prince Caspian. But I still have mixed feelings about him being portrayed as a bully in the beginning at the train station. In the middle, he actually appeared tempted by the White Witch (when/why did he ever turn away from Aslan?). At the end, he simply says he and Susan will not return because they are too old and there is nothing more they can learn in Narnia. So, is he just going to go back and keep bullying people? The movie just didn't redeem him in any way or make him at all likeable, even in the end. This is a problem for what should be the noble High King Peter.

I guess my review sounds quite negative, but sometimes it's easier to point out what you didn't like.   Overall, I did enjoy the movie much more than I thought I would. I am glad I finally saw it.


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## chongjasmine

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

When will the newest narnia movie be out?


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## Pyan

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

Last I heard, May 2010...

In the meantime, here's some set photos...

More The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader Set Images


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## Dozmonic

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

Oooh, I hadn't heard about 20th Century Fox taking over ;-)

I'm surprised that as many people on here liked Prince Caspain as they did. I really enjoyed the first movie, I thought it got the fantasy element of the world just right. Sadly the best acting from the kids came from Lucy, but I didn't let that put me off. Prince Caspian, however, was the first film I've almost walked out of the cinema from. I really enjoyed some of the visuals but the story as a whole did not grip me at all. I believe they could have handled it far better than they did, because they didn't do the story justice.

Here's hoping I'll enjoy VOTDT more ;-)


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## Pyan

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

I hope so too - it's far and away my favourite "Narnia" book, and, IMHO, probably the one that'll best stand being turned into a film.


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## Rosemary

*Re: Narnia Prince Caspian Trailer*

I won't be watching it.  I have yet to see a movie of a book I have read that is really good.  They have so many of the wonderful scenes cut out, it ruins the film for me.


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## blacknorth

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*



HareBrain said:


> I've just realised that throughout the series, I tend to prefer the bits that don't take place in the land of Narnia: the whole of VotDT; the northern lands in Silver Chair; the Calormene bits and the desert in Horse and His Boy; most of the Magician's Nephew.



I'm of this opinion too - Magician's Nephew, Horse And His Boy and The Silver Chair are absolute favourites.

But I'd love to see a film of The Last Battle - filmed like Excalibur!


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## Alysheba

*Re: "Narnia" series to continue...*

I liked TLTWATW better than PC. But I look forward to the next one.


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