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

[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)

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.