Posted on 12/09/2005 2:58:02 PM PST by ikka
Narnia came out this Friday. Why not post a review or mini-review after you have seen it?
My 7 year old daughter snuggled up close and loved the whole movie. The emotionally wrenching part was the parting at the railway station in the beginning of the movie.
We went to see Narnia last night. The theater had a 7:00, 7:20 and 7:40 showing. We got to the theater at 7:00 and managed to get ahold of the last four tickets remaining for the 7:40 show. All shows sold out completely. I don't think management thought Narnia would be a big deal because the concession stand ran out of popcorn.
We all loved the movie. My 8 year old got lost a few times but he said he enjoyed it. Battle scenes were a not a problem for him. My 12 year old has not stopped talking about how much she loved it. She thought it was better than Harry Potter. I particularly thought the movie was beautiful to look at. The cinamatography, costuming and sets were fantastic. I was amazed at the filming of Aslan. The lion was so real I actually thought they must have interwoven film of a real lion with that of a computer generated one.
We all want to go back in a few weeks when the crowds die down to see it again.
It was good, but no LOTR. It just didn't seem to have the same "depth". Maybe because the book it's from is simpler and more for children. My 4-year old liked it, though, especially the brief unicorn sighting at the end.
Disney loves to portray kids without parents. I enjoyed the show, but thought the battle scenes would be a bit much for little kids. A lot of sword fights, but no blood. The graphics and special effects were good. However I thought Aslam was the least realistic special effect. When you go, don't run out of the theatre early. There's a little post clip after the credits start.
Saw the movie yesterday at 2:15 pm. We had been very excited to see it, couldn't wait. I agree that visually the film was first rate. Some of the scenes were like fine art in coloring, lighting, composition, expression. Beautiful.
We loved the movie, although I left with a nagging feeling that it didn't live up to my expectations. Perhaps Lewis is so great a writer (as in greatest literature of Western Civ great, not, Man, how great was that great) that for a lesser mortal to try to translate him is too much to ask. Something of the longing I remember when I was child reading this series was missing.
But the movie was wonderful, I am going again next week ...
I think you missed part of the story. The White Witch didn't outlaw Christmas; her magic was preventing it from coming. The breaking of her magic was that Christmas was coming. And as C. S. Lewis would have pointed out, who came at Christmas? To take Father Christmas out of the story would be the same as taking John the Baptist out of the Bible. They are both heralds. One of the things I didn't like about the movie was the way Father Christmas looked. Lewis described him fatter and jollier than the ones you see in our world. This guy looked like a grump just off the fat farm. There should have been more joy on the face of Asland's herald.
> I feel like packing the suitcase right now!
We'd love to see ya. It's just sliding into summertime, now...
And everything you've ever dreamed about the South Pacific is true!
I wonder if it was necessary, because in the original it was Mrs. Mac with a roomful of trippers . . . but that might have been harder to explain in a movie. In the book, Lewis notes that the children later couldn't explain their panic and thought that some magic in the house might have been chasing them into Narnia.
There IS a mention of Aslan as the son of the Emperor-over-Sea. Don't remember exactly where but it occurs fairly early on . . . maybe in the conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Beaver?
> Yeah this is a shameless gloat, and an open invite. Our wee Nation
I have only been to the South Island, but I loved it. Wish I could go back and drive the from Christchurch to Dunedin again. Next time I'd spend longer at Mount Cook and of course would keep going not stop at Dunedin. And I would not waste much time watching the wizard, if he's still around ...
I agree that viewing Father Christmas as Father Yule makes it work better. But just thinking out loud here (so to speak), and this doesn't really pertain to the movie which had to follow Lewis' lead here, but i wonder if having had him (the Narnia version of Santa) associated with Spring instead of Winter would have worked better still. I mean, what with spring viewed as a time of rebirth and with him only able to return once the spell on winter was broken (which, incidentally, also led to the return of Azlan and thereby further signified a time of renewed life and hope) i just wonder if having him as the Father of Springtime and having him dressed, say, in green rather than red might have fit into the story a bit better. Also that way instead of talk in Narnia of Christmas, which raises all sorts of questions, they could have spoken reminiscently about Springfest or something similar.
Anyway...
The dialog didn't bother me. Perhaps in part because i found it charming once again to have a Disney movie filled with British accents. And perhaps too because i have developed, for some strange reason, a somewhat low expectation in recent years when it comes to dialog in movies. Also, while the children were indeed smart-alecky with one another, they were at least respectful towards adults and always remembered (as far as i can remember) to say Please and Thank You. Something which is getting more and more rare now a days.
By the way, at the end of the movie...what were the Kings and Queens of Narnia doing? Were they hunting? I was thinking that they were hunting a stag. Or at least that's what i seem to recall from the book (at that point in the movie i guess my attention sort of drifted for a moment because i didn't catch on to what they were up to). But that can't be right, can it? I mean not with all the animals of Narnia being sentient as far as i can tell. So i'm hoping some one can clear that up for me.
I see what you're saying but i guess what bothered me is that if Lewis symbolized a lion for Christ, then why not symbolize Father Christmas too? It just strikes me as a bit unbalanced in that regard.
LOL, no, i would not have wanted to face Mrs. McCready either. But on the other hand they had to face her sooner or later about it since they were the only kids around to have created such an accident. More than that though, i could see the two younger children running away but not the older ones. Especially Peter who was big on "doing as you are told" and acting like a responsible adult - and basically trying to be the man of the family while his father while he was away fighting in the war. I think he and Susan (who i believe i mistakenly referred to as Emily in an earlier post) would have reluctantly stood there ground, taken responsibility for what happened, and accepted whatever punishment was due to them.
There are Talking Animals and non-talking animals in Narnia. That's the slight boo-boo in the movie, Edmund shouldn't have been riding a talking horse at the end of the picture, unless he was in a dire situation.
I believe the climatic battle counts as such a situation, but stag hunting probably wouldn't ;)
I see your point, but I wouldn't dwell on it too much. But if you need an answer, I'll offer this: what sort of other character or creature _that you should find believable_ would be on hand when the protagonists need them and provide the gifts they need to face the challenges ahead? Father Christmas/Santa is the only character that fits the bill. There are no "allegorical" Pevensies or street lamp (introduced in another Narnia volume) in Narnia, so an out is provided for Father Christmas to be there as well, I'm guessing.
I'm Jewish. I feel that the Gospel is something I should know about, simply because it's part of our culture and our literature and it helps me understand Christians, and I can sympathize with parents wanting good entertainment for their kids that also teaches a lesson.
Interesting idea -- in talking to his Granddad and Great-Uncles about World War II, my 19 year old marveled, "Can you imagine lying about your age to get INTO a war?" and I merely commented, "Makes you wonder what happened to your generation, doesn't it?" The startled look that came before the eye-rolling was instructive.
If they made Peter a modern wabbler, they made a mistake. And I have never believed that wars are uglier when "girls" (which is what the old patriarchal view of us really means) fight. War is an ugly business when anybody fights, but so what? My own view on the matter is encapsulated in the action of Harry Potter's mother -- and the idea that the selfless sacrifice of a mother for her child -- throwing herself between him and certain death for both of them -- provides that child with a protection in the pure distilled transforming power of selfless love. Nothing ugly about that at all.
I have received Y'shua (Jesus) as my Jewish Messiah. I am not Jewish, but the Son of David is, and He is my Savior. I believe you are feeling this need to know about the Gospel because He is your Messiah; the Gospel is the Message of Him. He is the fulfillment of Isaiah's Prophecy. The full Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached through that Prophet, as it is through Moses, and all the Law, all the Wisdom books, and every one of the Prophets. It was through the testimony of Moses and the Gospel of John that I came to faith in Y'shua.
The Lord be gracious unto thee.
Thank you for discussing these things with me.
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.