Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Morford: Does 'Narnia' Actually Suck?
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | January 11, 2006 | Mark Morford (stay away from her wardrobe)

Posted on 01/11/2006 8:36:00 AM PST by presidio9

I was all wrong about "Narnia."

Which is to say, about six months ago in this space I was hell-bent on the white-hot idea that Hollywood and the Christian-right group/billionaire that helped produce the tepid and saccharine flick would absolutely ruin "The Chronicles of Narnia" books, ruin the deep magic and the astounding sense of wonder these books held for millions of children (including this writer) by regurgitating them as a slick, dumbed-down, poorly acted smarm-fest full of ham-fisted Jesus allusions and excessive special effects, all from the director who brought you, ahem, "Shrek 2."

Things did not, shall we say, look good.

Truly, I was of the mind that the "Narnia" books, to my dreamy, rose-colored memory, were these insanely rich and ingenious tales, dense and deeply involved anecdotes of children exploring a phenomenally magical world that was so utterly not of this grungy, terrestrial plane it might as well have been Pluto. Like many, my time-addled vision elevated the books to the status of utter genius, largely due to the feeling of unchecked awe I can still recall them providing. And I was absolutely sure Hollywood would rape that memory for all the pseudo-Christian bullcrap and Burger King tie-ins it possibly could.

I was wrong. Sort of. Hollywood didn't actually ruin "Narnia." Hollywood didn't cheapen it all that much, or reduce it down or remove much of the original majesty by injecting it with too much CGI and not enough heart. Rather, Hollywood has done something even more depressing: It's revealed "The Chronicles of Narnia" books to be what they actually are: a rather lean slice of delightfully wrought but fairly simpleminded, largely hobbled fantasy for the imagination-deprived single-digit set.

I have now seen the movie. -snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 42yearlifeexpectancy; aidsgayplague; antichristian; christianbullcrap; chronicwhat; colonclimber; cslewis; daddyissues; dudewheresmypenis; epluribussmokepot; eustacesmommy; formeranalvirgin; hedonismbot; hereandnowobsession; homosexualagenda; idiotarian; ifeelprettyosopretty; mancrushonbush; missmorford; moonbat; morford; morfordite; narnia; praytheresnogodmark; rectalherniasrock; sandinvagina; sanfrancisco; selfloathingpervert
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-105 next last
To: presidio9
In Lewis's dedication - to his god-daughter named Lucy - he notes that books do not grow as quickly as little girls and that by the time it will be available to her she'll be too old for fairy stories...but that there will come a time when she is no longer too old for fairy stories, and at that point he wants her to read it. I'm hoping that happens for Morford if he hasn't managed to kill off his own imagination by then. He's working at it as hard as he can. I make it an even bet.

"It is always the stupidest children who are the most childish, and the stupidest grown-ups who are the most grown up."

41 posted on 01/11/2006 9:02:53 AM PST by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Exactly.


42 posted on 01/11/2006 9:03:18 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: domenad

Why does reading Morford make me want to post sexy pictures of Catherine Zeta-Jones?


43 posted on 01/11/2006 9:03:40 AM PST by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: threeleftsmakearight

"Chronicles of Narnia" has made tons of $$$."

What? I thought the big hit of the Holiday season was "Brokeback Mountain".


44 posted on 01/11/2006 9:03:42 AM PST by popdonnelly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

This is one of my alltime favorite movies! My kids and I have seen it three times (first time EVER I have paid the theatre to see the same movie more than once, much less three times) and we just purchased the GBA game of Narnia (which is just as good!). I noticed not alot of Christian overtones in the movie aside of the Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve references.

This movie was definitely worth the wait! All the actors were really good and even the inexperience of the younger ones made it seem more real. I've read one review on here dogging it, but I disagreed with his opinion on it.


45 posted on 01/11/2006 9:04:12 AM PST by sandbar (when)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

This is like one of those posts that starts out, "I am a Republican, but...."


46 posted on 01/11/2006 9:06:22 AM PST by Always Right
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

BAKER'S DOZEN!
47 posted on 01/11/2006 9:07:07 AM PST by SquirrelKing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Reaganesque

Not sure Jadis' funbags would have done a lot for Morford.


48 posted on 01/11/2006 9:07:53 AM PST by presidio9 (Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: SquirrelKing
D'OH!

Kitten looter!

49 posted on 01/11/2006 9:07:55 AM PST by SquirrelKing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Who's stopping you?


50 posted on 01/11/2006 9:09:22 AM PST by presidio9 (Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

Poor Ms. Morford...she introduced her inner child to her inner cynic, and both have been bound and gagged by her inner pervert.


51 posted on 01/11/2006 9:09:37 AM PST by gogeo (Often wrong but seldom in doubt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill

Bill, Morford's entire life is one gigantic, fabulous, feather-boa-wrapped fairytale.


52 posted on 01/11/2006 9:11:15 AM PST by presidio9 (Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill
"Fairy Stories" ... I'd have thought Miss Morford would like Fairy Stories.
53 posted on 01/11/2006 9:11:50 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: joebuck

Naw, that was another guy named Dan Savage. He later claimed that he didn't really do it. (He's also the guy who wrote bluntly that if a fast food chain was responsible for as much disease as the bathhouses it would have been shut down immediately. Didn't endear himself to the gay activist crowd with that one...)


54 posted on 01/11/2006 9:13:02 AM PST by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

Gee, Mark, you mean it might have been a good idea to see the movie before declaring it "sucked"???


55 posted on 01/11/2006 9:15:07 AM PST by colorado tanker (I can't comment on things that might come before the Court, but I can tell you my Pinochle strategy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gogeo

LOL! That was really good, and really true.


56 posted on 01/11/2006 9:15:57 AM PST by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: presidio9
Interesting. I HATED the LOTR movies & loved the books. I thought TLTW&TW was very well done.

I loved them both. LOTR was not as closely done to the book as Narnia, but thought they both captured the feel of both series very well. I have to admit I was a bigger Narnia fan growing up than LOTR fan, I never got over Biblo's whining for 100 pages before he ever left his front door to go on the journey, sort of soured the rest of the series for me.

57 posted on 01/11/2006 9:16:19 AM PST by Lady Heron
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: agere_contra

Lewis was a gifted writer. His books will continue to be treasured by millions of readers long after Morford has been forgotten by the ever-fewer MSM consumers who glance over his columns on their way to the sports section and the TV guide.


58 posted on 01/11/2006 9:18:40 AM PST by Clioman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: presidio9

Like many intros, there's more intro and less substance to LWW than some of the others, such as Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair -- or the Horse and His Boy. Eustace and Shasta are perhaps the best written characters in the series.


59 posted on 01/11/2006 9:20:56 AM PST by JohnnyZ (Happy New Year! Breed like dogs!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: presidio9
It's revealed "The Chronicles of Narnia" books to be what they actually are: a rather lean slice of delightfully wrought but fairly simpleminded, largely hobbled fantasy for the imagination-deprived single-digit set.

What is the author's complaint against people who have the misfortune to possess only one finger?

60 posted on 01/11/2006 9:22:20 AM PST by Logophile
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-105 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson