Narnia Movie

[fusilier23]

Well, I'd like to think there is room in this forum for discussion of movies, since most don't provoke discussions of very much heat, and either you like them or you don't.

Being honest, I must admit that I have always been a fan of fantasy, and continue to be even into my 30s, though I hope that does not make me a geek. I am thankful for the advent of CGI, for it means that many of the fantasy classics and neoclassics are now practicable as movies, and very successful ones, as the Lord Of The Rings movies showed. With that success it was only a matter of time before someone took a stab at bringing Tolkien's buddy C.S. Lewis to the big screen. Given the success of this first installment of the Chronicles (covered all costs, well into profit, and still running strongly), I think there is a stong possibility that at least the next two, and possibly all seven, will ultimately be filmed, and the film fantasy world will be made that much richer.


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I'm not going to rehash the whole plot here, you can read the book or see the film for that, but I will give a brief overview. In this tale four children are sent away from London in or about 1940 and stay with an aged professor whose house contains a wardrobe. That wardrobe turns out to be a portal to the world of Narnia, a mixture of Greek and Norse myth jumbled in with talking animals. It is frozen in a permanent winter (always winter and never Xmas) by awicked ice-queen type called the White Witch. However, there is a prophecy that the coming of four "sons of Adam and daughters of Eve" coupled with the resurgence of Aslan, an extremely powerful lion king, will spell doom for the witch. One child, younger brother Edmund, betrays the others and his life is declared forfeit to the Witch, however, Aslan offers his own life in the boy's place, and undergoes an extremely painful and humiliating execution. However, ancient magic brings him back to life, the witch is defeated, and the children installed as kings and queens. After several years as such, while pursuing a white stag who supposedly grants wishes if caught, they find themselves tumbling back out of the wardrobe, just as they were, and the clock has barely changed in our world. Fantasy themes include portals, magic arms, sacrifice, redemption, learning better, and a few others.

The basic story, and most of the salient plot ponts, together with much of the allegorical imagery that C.S. Lewis is famous for (he was a VERY devout Anglican) are largely preserved, though some of it is toned down. This is good, since with the books having been read by at least three generations too much fiddling with it would have produced a huge backlash. Some changes need to be made, of course, since what plays out well on the page doesn't necessarily do so on screen, and the beginning is extended to show the air-raids on London so that everyone seeing the movie will know why the children are sent away, whereas this is dealt with in a throwaway reference on the first page in the book, since most folks from the 50s when the books were published would know immediately what the air raids referred to.

Without a doubt, the special effects are great, surpassing even the Lord of the Rings in sheer variey of fantastic creatures shown: fauns, centaurs, griffons, dwarves, giants, a phoenix, goblins, boggles, hags, tree spirits, minotaurs, harpies, merpeople (briefly)and variegated talking animals, most notably two Cockney beavers (who eat fish and chips) are all present and all look very real, although the most real of all is definitely Aslan himself, voiced very well by Liam Neeson (though I would have preferred John Huston, who is unfortunately no longer with us), with great attention paid not only to the mouth movement, but that of the surrounding musculature when he speaks.

The acting by the six or seven major human characters is better than passable, which is no mean feat considering that four of them are kids. Tilda Swinton is believably evil as the White Witch, eschewing Draculean laughs and the female eqaivalent of mustache-twirling in favor of subtle cruelty and understated viciousness, save in her biggest moment as she tells Aslan all the world is going to be doomed once she finishes with him before she brings down the fatal knife. Good villains should always be believable in their evil, unless you are going totally over the top as you might with a Darth Vader. William Moseley is also believable as the eldest child suddenly thrust into a leadership role,although, since he is almost a man already, his stepping up to fully being one is not a stretch. Anna Popplewell is a decent Susan, although she is also one of the older kids she doesn't have a whole lot of developing to do, save in a scene (not in the book) in which she remarks to her sister she'd like to rebuild their former closeness, and her sister replies that things were fine before she became boring. Skandar Keynes, as schemer Edmund (he was also apparently the troublemaker of the cast) is definitively the brother no one would want to have, accurately conveying resentment against both his younger sister for being the youngest, and his elder siblings for thinking they know better. Finally, Georgie Henley steals nearly every scene she is in as innocent Lucy, for once a child playing a child who actually looks like a child rather than a miniature beauty queen, with a Peter Pan collar and a bow in her hair together with impossibly wide eyes.

I can see a lot of the changes that were made, but I wonder about some of them.

- I think the extended beginning with the raid on London could have been extended by about a minute to show RAF fighters battling the Luftwaffe and another minute showing the London emergency crews in action, firemen hosing down the wreckage, rescuemen trying to salvage what they could, policement taking notes, and so forth, all in the tin helmets of the time. It would be a neat homage to 9/11 among other things.

- I do NOT think the initial encounter between Edmund and the White Witch should have been in pajamas. The scene of a fully-grown woman behaving in a seductive manner and taking a young boy in his pajamas under her mantle "to keep warm," rather than the blanket of her sleigh, is downright creepy.

- There isn't any precedent in the book for the Witch's crown and castle to be made of ice, although the idea of the melting of her crown showing the crumbling of her power does work.

- I'm not sure why the reason for the kids going into the wardrobe is changed from fleeing a party of sightseers to having broken a window blaying cricket. I can see ducking into the wardrobe to avoid a group of strangers that the housekeeper has specifically said to stay out of the way of, I can't see it to avoid the consequences of breaking a window, since the Professor and his staff would have put two and two together and no one would have ducked any consequences.

- The addition of the fox distracting the wolves and the flight through the tunnel and over the frozen river does add some needed variation to an otherwise regular chase sequence.

- the flag of Narnia is supposed to be a red lion on a green field, and here the field is yellow, which looks more like the royal standard of Scotland, but oh well.

- It is too bad they removed the romp that Aslan and the two girls are supposed to have after his resurrection, that could have been a nice montage and an opportunity for the composer to show off.

- most importantly, after Edmund's rescue, and the conversation that he has with Aslan out of earshot of everyone else, his siblings simply absolve him without him saying he was sorry first, which I think sends a dfifferent message than the book.

- There is unfortunately nothing showing the children's reign, nor any reason given for them chasing the white stag, and the idea that they would do that in their robes and crowns is kind of silly.

I think the action sequences are great, as good as almost anything in LOTR except maybe the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Although there isn't any precedent in the books for Peter and Edmund wearing armor, it does make sense, and you can see realistic dread in their faces as they prepare to take on the enemy. There isn't any precedent for seeing the White Witch stab Edmund in the stomach, nor for Susan to shoot a dwarf about to stab him when already wounded, but I think it's better to show the girls as well as the guys in the fight, and hiding how Edmund was wounded is ducking facts. There are questions in the minds of some reviewers and parents about the level of violence, but nothing exceeds what's in the book, and the fact is that C.S. Lewis was a strong believer that things like that should not be bowdlerized.

So, I'd be interested in the comments of others here.

[portia]

I thought the book was fine as it is and they didn't need to make a movie out of it.

[Joe]

Hi all,

I haven't seen this current production; but I've viewed the trailer and several documentaries. The battle scenes are amazing! I hope to see in the cinema soon!

But I *really* like the BBC's version, done in 1988, which I recently purchased on DVD. It's quite low-budget but is excellent. The four young actors are brilliant!

Also the BBC produced movies on two other chronicles: 'Prince Caspian 'and also 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'.

Thanks for your review Steven!

[fusilier23]

No, Jeremiah, no one is looking to cause any problems here. The life of C.S. Lewis and whatever obsessions anyone wants to ascribe to him would be the subject of a separate thread. BUT, you couldn't really make the movie without the allegorical stuff without altering it beyond recognition. It's really up to the viewer to interpret all that allegorical stuff and get whatever out of it. That's a personal experience and should stay that way.

As for the Passion, never saw it, and I'm not touching that one with a ten foot pole. I do like the idea of movies with a positive rather than a nihilistic message, but that's a larger debate than this thread.

I did see the BBC production, which actually got as far as the fourth book, The Silver Chair, and thought it was decent, for a fairly low-budget TV production, but the obvious costumes reminiscient of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and the crude animation made it hard to suspend disbelief.

I think, I say I think, that they greenlighted Prince Caspian, the second of the series, or are about to, since they do need to worry about the kids growing up to the point where they can't be used. My concern is that movie could fall flat, as it suffers not from being "more of the same" but from a disappointment factor, with the kids returning to find Cair Paravel in ruins and most of the fantastic creatures either in deep sleep or hiding. Aslan is more elusive, and it becomes evident that maybe the elder kids are losing their faith.

The problem is that C.S. Lewis kind of wrote the Chronicles as he went along. LWW was written in haste and written to stand alone, CSL didn't know there would be more, and, if you pay attention, it becomes evident that he intended to end the Chronicles with the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the end of the stories of the four original children, in fact he did not even start thinking about the Silver Chair until six months after VDT was published, which to some degree takes the happy ending of VDT and dashes it, showing once-vigorous Caspian a doddering old king haunted by the tragedies of the stinging to death of his wife and the vanishing of his son.

I also question whether they would film The Horse and His Boy, although who knows what the world political situation will be by that time. I'm all for it, but studios have to be careful.

[fusilier23]

Just as an update, it's official, they have greenlighted "Prince Caspian," the second book in the series, to be filmed. Andrew Adamson will direct again, and all four of the children will be returning. I think Liam Neeson will voice Aslan once more. No word yet on the casting of the other principal characters: scholar Dr. Cornelius, dwarven cynic Trumpkin, young Prince Caspian, or the villainous usurper Miraz. Xmas 2007 is the projected release date.

I think it will be good, although Miraz is going to not seem as great a villain as the White Witch, since he is nothing more than a human king who obtained his throne by treachery. I also question whether there will be as much room for spectacular special effects since there is not as much mass-battle stuff as the first film. Overall, I actually consider this to be the weakest of the books, partly due to sophomore slump, partly because it was originally intended as the second of a trilogy that wasn't originally even intended as a trilogy.

I say that because the first book was actually written as a stand-alone, although it leaves the door open for more, and Lewis, once he decided to do more, decided to do two more, as there are little inconsistencies between the first three books and the later ones. The third book, should it make it to the screen, is likely to be the most spectacular of all, but we shall see.

[bunnykins]

I absolutely LOVED the film!! I've been hoping they'd make a films of the books for years and I was really happy with the result!! I'm very obsessed with the Narnia chronicles and I hope they make films out of all seven. Especially The Horse and His Boy, which is my second favourite!!

[fusilier23]

Well, Claire, I think it'll be a while before they get to The Horse and His Boy, that's prolly a good 10 years from now. I hope it will happen, but the plot of that is perhaps, ah, politically incorrect? Not that I have issues with it, I will happily slug down the popcorn and cheer on the Narnians and Archenlanders as they deal the Calormenes a thumping.

King Kong's special effects are just as good, but at 3 and one-third hours, plus one hour to get off the ground, it is not as well-paced as Narnia. That bug scene (yuk! Y-U-K, yuk!) is also a little intense for some people. Plus the idea that Kong would go ice dancing with his love when a second before he was fleeing and fighting for his life is kinda ridiculous, and we all know that when the airplanes show up, the monkey is toast.

As for the rating, the violence was pretty extreme in both, whether with swords or guns, extreme enough for PG and then some, whatever the language. Eh, four snooty-sounding English kids in knee socks are not likely to talk like sailors.

I knew this was coming, but C.S. Lewis didn't fool around with the Bible in his books, he knew it too well for that. He was using some of the New Testament, it's pretty obvious who Aslan is when Santa Claus/Father Christmas arrives, but he wasn't chained to the Biblical narrative. White magc? Where? The only spells used are those used by the villainess of the piece, and they end when Edmund breaks her wand and Aslan flattens her. There are no "magic potions" used, the cordial Lucy gets is not magical in nature, it's made from "the fireflowers that grow in the valleys of the sun" (yes, I know that sounds ridiculous outside the story) mythically a source of healing. Supposedly what is written on the table are the laws of that universe, which grant blood for every treachery, and the same laws are written in other epic-sounding places, depending on the version of the book you read. The only one who comes back from the dead here is Aslan himself, and it's kind of obvious who he is paralleling when he does.

Now, in the NEXT book there are some disturbing scenes including a Bacchanalian romp where the kids would not have felt safe but for Aslan's presence and a threat by a bitter dwarf and vile creatures to attempt to bring the White Witch back through the use of spells for "whoever heard of a Witch that actually died? You can always get them back." In some ways Prince Caspian is the darkest of the books, and that's partially because Lewis' subcreation was still in flux. The White Witch's backstory is fleshed out more fully later in the series, and it isn't compatible with her being ressurectable, though I guess there is a question whether she and the Lady of the Green Kirtle, the villainess of the fourth book, are one and the same, given the line about "these Northern witches always want the same thing, but in every age they have a different plan for getting it." Still, the black sorcery element is distinctly less creepy in that book.

Oh, BTW, Lewis also has Caspian's tutor teach him the THEORY of magic only, noting that the practical part isn't proper for rulers to know, so I think he knew magic and occultism were generally bad things.

As for the scene between Aslan and Edmund, well, no one knows what passed between them, since Lewis says only that it's a conversation Edmund never forgot, though after that Edmund does apologize for his poor behavior. Given that Aslan in each book truthfully rebukes someone who has erred, I can only guess that in this conversation Aslan shows Edmund the error of his ways, but it should be obvious.

[Stephany]

Hi everyone,

We were talking about the upcoming Narnia movie on the chat this evening and I thought you might also want to see the trailer of 'Prince Caspian'. Click HERE to watch it. The movie was once again filmed in New Zealand so you might recognize some of the movie sets. I'm still dreaming that Hayley will sing the movie credits song. That would be fantastic

Stephany

[fusilier23]

On the plus side, this film looks like it is going to be spectacular, and will in fact have a lot more special effects than the last one. Now for the bad news, at least for purists: The film messed with the plot somewhat. In the book the Pevensies spend a big chunk of the time sitting in the ruins of Cair Paravel, while Trumpkin, a red dwarf and Caspian's lieutenant, explains Caspian and what's going on. This obviously doesn't work in the movies, since the Pevensies would be off stage for too long. So they meet Caspian here fairly early on, and join the fight almost immediately. There is NO precedent anywhere in the books for Caspian's army to raid Miraz' castle, much less fight a major set-piece battle there, and the girls are kept WELL away from the action for most of the story.

I think it's kinda silly to give Caspian a Hispanic accent, but I see the point of making the Telmarines stand out from the Narnians. The alternative, I'm led to believe, would have been a French accent. Either comes as a bit of a jolt to me, who is used to the Focus on the Family radio plays where everyone talks with a British accent. Unfortunately, any accent is open to abuse, and I hope nothing gets too stereotypical, it's just going to distract from the main point.

That said, I think the addition of the new action sequences is going to be a LOT of fun and keep the pace moving, which they are going to need. OK, on to "Dawn Treader."

[fusilier23]

I saw Andrew Adamson’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, last night, and I came away with two conclusions: First, some books just do not translate well to the screen, and, if so, rewriting them to make them fit is not always a good thing. Second, bigger is not always better.

At the outset I need to say that Prince Caspian the novel is probably the most non-linear of all the seven Chronicles, with two totally separate plotlines that come together only at the end. When you look at just the Pevensies’ plotline, it’s not that exciting: they return to Narnia, sit around a campfire listening to Trumpkin tell Caspian’s story, then hike up to meet Caspian and put things aright. Caspian’s plotline, told by Trumpkin the dwarf, is about five years condensed into a few chapters. The full storyline does not pick up till the final three chapters. Obviously this would be awkward in this medium, with the Pevensies off-screen for half the film.

It should also be noted that C.S. Lewis had not finished working through the subcreation of the world of Narnia when he wrote this, if he ever truly finished it at all, for it is known that he intended to make some revisions for continuity’s sake to the series before his death in 1963. As a result, Prince Caspian has several elements that appear nowhere else in the series, including some disturbing ones, and is darker, more sinister, and perhaps even more dangerous in tone than the other stories. In the end, however, that darkness is counterbalanced by the themes of restoration, healing, and returning to faith to still make for an overall uplifting story.

Andrew Adamson and his screenwriters seem to have all too fully understood that this book didn’t translate easily to the screen as written, but not fully digested Lewis’ main message. They also, as might be expected, saw mainly the possibilities for action. Surprisingly, they apparently decided the book did not have enough action, and so added a great deal of their own, plus some other touches that are frankly foreign to the series, a few of which don’t make sense.

The result is a dark, cynical, and at some points frightening film where the depressing elements are not quite counterbalanced by the positive ones. In other films I might applaud that combination of elements as gutsy realism, but the Chronicles were not intended as such. I’ve already established above that it is understood that filmmakers sometimes have to make changes, but I believe that they must be faithful to the vision of the author if not the written word. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was. Harry Potter has been, of course in that case the author is still very much alive. Unfortunately, I must say that I believe that this film was not totally faithful to Lewis’ vision.

You get the sense from the beginning that this is going to be all about action, as Prince Caspian is dragged from his bed literally a minute before his wicked Uncle Miraz sends crossbowmen to riddle the bolster with a dozen or more quarrels, then gallops into the woods, pursued hotly by conquistador-like horsemen. Knocked from his horse while distracted, he pulls out Queen Susan’s horn and blows it, though it’s not been explained to him what that will do for him, only that he should not use it except at greatest need.

Meanwhile, back home in the UK, the Pevensies are heading back to school. Susan is fending off a “geeky” student’s attempts to chat her up, telling him her name is Phyllis, while Peter is in a fistfight with three other students over a minor bump in the crowd and an apology he refused to give. Edmund comes to his rescue before the military police break things up, with the rather telling remark to Peter to act his age.

A moment later the horn whisks everyone to the beach in Narnia. After an all-too-short exploration of the ruins of Cair Paravel, they grab their Narnian accoutrements just in time to save a captured dwarf Trumpkin from being drowned. At this point the screenwriters threw the book out the window.

I’m not going to repeat the whole plot here, you can go to wikipedia for that. However, I should point out the very significant departures from the book here.

- The scene at Dancing Lawn where Caspian meets the Old Narnians is one of fear, not joy or wonder, as the centaurs, fauns, dwarves, and talking animals glower at him. Caspian has to do some fast talking to convince them he is not an enemy and he can help them. The Old Narnians include a Minotaur among their number, saying that this situation makes allies of foes. This is a direct reversal from the book, where Caspian specifically declines to be introduced to ogres, hags, and other evil creatures, and is told Aslan would not be on his side if he brought them in.
- Peter dislikes Caspian from the moment they meet, and Caspian returns the dislike, as is evident from a snide remark when he hands Peter back his sword.
- Miraz is still Lord Protector at the beginning, and only becomes king as the war progresses.
- There is a brief reference among the other lords to not wanting to wait till every throne in the council chamber is empty, implying that something has been happening to them, but not what it is. I have a feeling there was more that was cut, but this is a very significant omission, since it leaves out the story of how Miraz persuaded the seven greatest lords to sail away in search of new lands, which is the setup for the next movie’s premise.
- Peter forces the idea of a raid on Miraz’ castle, despite Caspian’s advice to the contrary, with a flip dismissal and almost an abrogation of faith, “I think we’ve waited long enough for Aslan.” Of course the raid goes terribly wrong due to Peter’s flawed belief the castle is poorly defended and Caspian’s failure to stick to the plan because he has just been told Miraz killed his father and he wants revenge. Casualties are extremely heavy.
- In the aftermath Caspian accuses Peter of abandoning Narnia while Peter makes derogatory remarks about Caspian and his family and race. The two almost come to blows.
- Shortly thereafter, Nikabrik suggests the calling up of the White Witch through the use of her wand/knife from the first film (with no explanation as to why it is no longer broken). This is odd because it interferes with some of the premise of the next movie, where that very item is found at the world’s end and has cast three of the lords into an enchanted sleep.
- In a shocking addition Nikabrik and the hag and werewolf cut Caspian’s hand and attempt a blood sacrifice to complete the resurrection! Peter attempts to stop the spell but is himself bewitched. The ritual is only interrupted when Edmund hurls his sword to shatter the ice wall in which the witch is forming, with a sarcastic reminder to his brother this is the second time he’s had to come to his aid. Lucy is also brutalized during this scene.
- Susan has not just an increased part, but a HUGE part in almost all the action sequences, at one point fighting off four Telmarine horsemen with her bow.
- Lucy is sent into the woods to attempt to contact Aslan while Peter and Miraz fight a duel.
- There is no romp with Bacchus and his retinue.
- The duel is longer than in the book and more brutal, with Peter suffering a dislocated shoulder and Miraz a significant leg wound, which Peter later punches to cause him pain. Caspian is given the opportunity to finish Mira off, but does not do so. Sopespian, rather than Glozelle, stabs Miraz to death with one of Susan’s arrows from earlier in the movie, in an attempt to provoke a battle.
- The final battle is much longer than in the book and involves the use of catapults, trenches, and other elaborate tactics. The addition of the walking trees turns the tide, but in violent fashion rather than strictly by their presence. The Telmarines are only fully defeated when the river-god smashes their bridge and them, in a fairly obvious rip-off of the ford scene in the Fellowship of the Ring.
- It is only after this final battle that Peter, Edmund, and Susan see Aslan. Most tellingly, there are no comforting words for either of them, nor do they confess themselves.
- Glozelle and Miraz’ wife and child return to earth when Aslan opens the door there.
- Aslan publicly says that Peter and Susan are told that they have learned all that Narnia can teach them and must live in their own world now, rather than the fact that this is their last trip there being revealed in a private conversation with Lucy, and it being implied there were more things Aslan told them (though that is implied by seeing Peter and Susan walking with Aslan).
- Susan apparently falls for Caspian, although it consists mostly of longing glances and quips (I have a feeling other stuff was cut). At the end he says he wishes they had more time together, but she quips that it would never have worked because she’s 1300 years old. A moment later, though, they share a passionate farewell hug and kiss.

Stranger changes include the use of Spanish accents for the Telmarines, which may come as a jolt to those raised on earlier productions where everyone spoke with English ones. It does make a clear distinction between the two groups, but begs the question of why, after generations of not speaking Spanish, they would still have the accent. Further, the Telmarines, a land-based people who in the books fear the sea, are loaded to the gills with sea-oriented symbols: ship’s-wheel cloak pins, compass symbols on shields shaped like sails, polearms based on boat hooks and harpoons, piratical cutlasses, and helms that are one-third conquistador, one-third samurai, and one-third fish, mostly in black and silver that makes them look like re-tooled Gondorians from LOTR. I don’t know whether to blame Lewis’s somewhat clumsy explanation for the Telmarines’ origin or misplaced speculation on the part of the prop artists.

The action scenes do deliver the goods, however, there is a feeling of having been there and done that before, and on a higher level, since the native Narnians are much cruder and wilder in appearance here than in the last movie, and the sheer variety of colorful mythical creatures is less. It should be noted that a lot of the “fun” characters from the book, like the Bulgy Bears, are reduced or absent altogether, and Trumpkin’s joviality is not there, making the Narnians a grim, determined group all the way around save Reepicheep the mouse.

Since the Pevensies never separate and the romp with Aslan and Bacchus is eliminated, you do not see the mass renewal of Old Narnia that goes with it. Since the feast at the end is also eliminated, replaced by a very brief, slow-motion scene of Caspian and the Pevensies processing into the castle, there is very little time for them, or the viewers, to enjoy the victory or the renewal. Barely five minutes of screen time later, Aslan (who gets far too little screen time here) ships everyone home and the elder Pevensies are told “no more Narnia for you.” Although we are told it is because Peter and Susan have learned all they can from Narnia and they haven’t done anything wrong, somehow it rings hollow, and it’s actually kind of depressing when Peter hands his sword over to Caspian, Caspian tells him he will look after it till he returns, and Peter has to say he will not be returning. More depressing still is their being dumped back on the platform, and Susan immediately being hounded by the same geek she brushed off at the beginning of the movie.

Overall, my impression of the movie was that it was badly adapted, with too many of the joyful elements of the book left out and too many cynical or cruel ones added, as well as badly paced, resulting in a somewhat downbeat film from what I was anticipating.

The fact is that the screenwriters had enough to work with that they didn’t need to delve into questions that Lewis didn’t delve into, like maladjustment or guilt. There was already enough action to not need to add a downbeat battle that left the former High King looking like an arrogant fool and the primary hero like a bloodthirsty would-be-murderer. The elimination of the pointless raid would have left enough room for some of the eliminated scenes to offset this dreariness and allow for some respite between breakneck battles.

Perhaps the extended DVD will add some material that will counterbalance some of this, but C.S. Lewis was writing a story for enjoyment and the reaffirmation of faith, not a cynical war tale with unlikable characters. In that respect I’m afraid that Andrew Adamson did not keep to Lewis’ vision. It is my hope that the next film, directed by Michael Apted, which is more adventure than action story, will be a better-balanced one.

[Richard]

Thanks for the review, Steven!

There's another DVD I won't waste my money on!

Richard

[dazza]

Hi fusilier23,

Thanks for your very in depth review of Prince Caspian. I haven't read it all, just had a quick browse through for now as I don't want to read too many spoilers but I got the gist of what you were saying. I will reserve judgement until I have seen it myself, it is not due out until late next month here so I still have some waiting yet.

I'm a huge fan of fantasy movies and books, I do prefer reading books because for me nothing beats your own imagination. Movies are fantastic but things do get left out which people miss if they haven't read the books.

I love fantasy movies, from watching The Neverending Story as a child, to Lord of the Rings, to Harry Potter, though my favourite fantasy movie is Pan's Labrynth which despite being subtitled, is one of the most enjoyable cinematic experiences I have had.

The Narnia books, especially The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is one of the first books that I remember reading as a kid and I have read them so many times growing up. I was very excited when the first Narnia movie came out.

I know that things have to be left out and that it is hard to have a movie which is exactly the same as the book, but as far as book to movie adaptations go, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is probably one of the best I have seen. For that reason alone, I was really looking forward to Prince Caspian, with hopefully further Narnia movies following on from that.

Dazza