Metaphorical Movie Magic!
With the Lord of the Rings finished and Harry Potter more than halfway done, a new fantasy series rises up to try and capture the magic. Can C.S. Lewis join J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien in the ranks of fantasy movie legends? Do any of these people have names that aren't initials? W.T.F.?
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe
Let's get one thing out of the way quickly. A lot of people have raised the issue of Christian allegory in the books, and how Aslan is like Jesus, dead and resurrected, and all that. Whether that's truth or fiction is, ultimately, irrelevant. The issue at hand is more "is it a good movie?" rather than "Oh No Someone Snuck Christian Allegory Into The Film WOE!" Get over it, folks. If someone like me can sit through this film and not burn in holy righteous fire, then you'll probably be ok too. I didn't get smitten for watching Schindler's List despite my Germanic genetics, and I've seen enough movies with stronger allegory than this without batting an eyelid. Allegory does not a bad movie make; turn off the anger and turn on the movie appreciation part of the brain.
Once you do that, you'll actually find a fun movie.
That being said, there remains the question of whether all seven (I think) of the Chronicles of Narnia will be transformed into film. I read them ages ago (and should re-read them, as I've forgotten a lot), but I recall thinking some of them were not very exciting, and might not make good movies. And, unlike Harry Potter or LOTR, they aren't quite one single story stretched out, but more of a series of stories in the same world. That's tough to foresee. But we'll worry about that when those movies actually start showing up.
The plot: Four hobbits children travel through Middle Earth Narnia on a quest to defeat Sauron The White Witch while being helped by a powerful wizard lion.
The pros: This is a very visual movie. From the scenery of Middle Earth New Zealand to the clothing and armor of the armies to the wardrobe itself to the White Witch's many outfits, everything is beautifully rendered and presented. You can feel the chill of the snow-covered forest and the White Witch's ice palace at Minas Morgul. The armies of good are bright and colorful; the armies of evil are dark and grim. You can feel the emotions of the children as they're confronted with a land that goes against their logic- wonderment, self-indulgence, safety, responsibility. The score helps accent the scenes, lending force where needed and staying in the background when supporting. Most of the acting is strong, and the special effects, including WETA's famous battle simulator, blend in quite well.
The cons: Liam Neeson? Good actor, bad choice for a lion. You need a voice with a bit more oomph. Let's face it, James Earl Jones once again wins the pick. And, much as this book isn't really a clone of Lord Of The Rings, it was painfully easy to make LOTR parallel cracks throughout the movie. And I'm bad that way. "Look, the White Witch is raising an army with fire and steel! It looks like Isengard!" And it does. As a minor nitpick, which isn't really much of an issue, Susan gets a magical bow that has great accuracy. Does she use it in the battle? Nah. Does she use it ever? Once. Take that, Deep Roy. Lo Pan would have sent her to the Hell Of Annoying Whiny Older Sisters.
The verdict: I really enjoyed this movie, a lot. Straightforward fun and excitement and adventure. And polar bears.
Disclaimer: I apologize to my movie-watching companions for the "Don't touch the hair" moment. And the Isengard thing. And a few other choice tidbits. My bad.
Disclaimer: Turkish delights are nasty things. If I was gonna betray my siblings, there'd better be a shitload of Cadbury's chocolate involved.
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe
Let's get one thing out of the way quickly. A lot of people have raised the issue of Christian allegory in the books, and how Aslan is like Jesus, dead and resurrected, and all that. Whether that's truth or fiction is, ultimately, irrelevant. The issue at hand is more "is it a good movie?" rather than "Oh No Someone Snuck Christian Allegory Into The Film WOE!" Get over it, folks. If someone like me can sit through this film and not burn in holy righteous fire, then you'll probably be ok too. I didn't get smitten for watching Schindler's List despite my Germanic genetics, and I've seen enough movies with stronger allegory than this without batting an eyelid. Allegory does not a bad movie make; turn off the anger and turn on the movie appreciation part of the brain.
Once you do that, you'll actually find a fun movie.
That being said, there remains the question of whether all seven (I think) of the Chronicles of Narnia will be transformed into film. I read them ages ago (and should re-read them, as I've forgotten a lot), but I recall thinking some of them were not very exciting, and might not make good movies. And, unlike Harry Potter or LOTR, they aren't quite one single story stretched out, but more of a series of stories in the same world. That's tough to foresee. But we'll worry about that when those movies actually start showing up.
The plot: Four hobbits children travel through Middle Earth Narnia on a quest to defeat Sauron The White Witch while being helped by a powerful wizard lion.
The pros: This is a very visual movie. From the scenery of Middle Earth New Zealand to the clothing and armor of the armies to the wardrobe itself to the White Witch's many outfits, everything is beautifully rendered and presented. You can feel the chill of the snow-covered forest and the White Witch's ice palace at Minas Morgul. The armies of good are bright and colorful; the armies of evil are dark and grim. You can feel the emotions of the children as they're confronted with a land that goes against their logic- wonderment, self-indulgence, safety, responsibility. The score helps accent the scenes, lending force where needed and staying in the background when supporting. Most of the acting is strong, and the special effects, including WETA's famous battle simulator, blend in quite well.
The cons: Liam Neeson? Good actor, bad choice for a lion. You need a voice with a bit more oomph. Let's face it, James Earl Jones once again wins the pick. And, much as this book isn't really a clone of Lord Of The Rings, it was painfully easy to make LOTR parallel cracks throughout the movie. And I'm bad that way. "Look, the White Witch is raising an army with fire and steel! It looks like Isengard!" And it does. As a minor nitpick, which isn't really much of an issue, Susan gets a magical bow that has great accuracy. Does she use it in the battle? Nah. Does she use it ever? Once. Take that, Deep Roy. Lo Pan would have sent her to the Hell Of Annoying Whiny Older Sisters.
The verdict: I really enjoyed this movie, a lot. Straightforward fun and excitement and adventure. And polar bears.
Disclaimer: I apologize to my movie-watching companions for the "Don't touch the hair" moment. And the Isengard thing. And a few other choice tidbits. My bad.
Disclaimer: Turkish delights are nasty things. If I was gonna betray my siblings, there'd better be a shitload of Cadbury's chocolate involved.