Dawn Treader, the movie -- I saw it

[rthstewart]

Yep.  I saw the film, tonight, at a special screening courtesy of the lovely folks at Grace Hill Media, @supertreader on Twitter.

I'm not going to say anything really here.  We've got a few weeks and I don't want to spoil anyone, but if you have questions or wish to know more, I can respond in comments.    SPOILERS IN COMMENTS!! (If there are any)

Comments

[rthstewart]

I didn't cry. But, I did cringe and gasp at the utter stupidity of several (many) unfortunate scenes. There's one scene in particular involving Goldwater and Dragon Island that really, really bothered me a lot.

[intrikate88]

I saw there were screenings going on at the theater the other day when my brother and I went to see Red. (Which, by the way, was everything I hoped for and more.) I'm looking forward to seeing VOTD, and so I'm glad to hear that you sound pretty positive about it, at least.

I'm not a book purist either; one of the best things my film minor taught me is that books are not movies and to treat one medium as another is sort of disrespectful to both. However, while I am all up for necessary adaptations, I will say that when I finally got around to watching Prince Caspian, I had about thirty minutes of paranoia that the medications had finally killed my memory, because I had no recollection of the castle raid scene, or Peter's massive attitude. Finally andi_horton was kind enough to inform me that those were movie additions, but it was somewhat unsettling.

[intrikate88]

However, while I am all up for necessary adaptations, I will say that when I finally got around to watching Prince Caspian, I had about thirty minutes of paranoia that the medications had finally killed my memory, because I had no recollection of the castle raid scene, or Peter's massive attitude.

Minor character SPOILERS!!!!!

Yeeeah.... and I actually am pretty negative about the film for this very reason. The same liberties that were taken with PC are taken here, with Edmund now reading Peter's emo lines. It's the same characterization with the same WT? feeling of disorientation. It's worse even as Edmund stood as the critic of Peter's behavior in PC and now it's repeated here, and worse. And Lucy... oh I so wish that the speculation of the original script that had been knocking around was wrong, but it wasn't.

Gah. I'm trying to be positive. Caspian, Eustace, and Drinian were terrific and Reep was great until the very end when they completely &**&!! that up too.

[rthstewart]

woops, obviously that was me

[intrikate88]

LOL I figured.

Well, all that sounds more like the Narnia films I know and... watch once and forget about because they are not the Narnia I know, even if they are pretty and I guess not terrible movies on their own. The movies try so hard to be epic, I think, and epic is just not the Narnia I grew up imagining- my version was a little more comfortable and cozy and softer in scope.

Merrrgh, characterization. This shouldn't be as difficult as the director apparently finds it to be. It's not like the characterization arcs of each of them reflects the world itself or anything... oh wait.

Woohoo about the Embassy tea mention!

Sigh. I have been talking myself from expecting things from this movie for months because Dawn Treader was probably the longest-running favorite book for me of the series (though they've all had their turns... though HHB was limited because I thought it needed more Narnia, and LB tends to spoil my day) and so nothing will ever live up to the time I spent in that book. But still.

[be_themoon]

:DD I'm glad you enjoyed the movie - as you know, I'm pretty much fine with, uh, any changes. So long as Liliandil got some form of characterization and Lucy was awesome too. :D?

[rthstewart]

Liliandil was fine. I had no issues with her at all and in fact they beefed up her role nicely, replacing Ramandu entirely so she becomes the wise guide in his place. The the whole follow the blue star thing was lame, but that actual screen time for her was fine, in my opinion. As for Lucy, ...hmmm... well, she has plenty of Pirate Queen kick a moments. BUT.... BUT.... well, folks need to see it and decide for themselves. What little we see of Susan is also very positive.

[be_themoon]

hmm, interesting. *considers* and oooh, Susan! do you mind totally spoilering me on whatever scene(s) she and Peter have?

SPOILERS!!!

[rthstewart]

SPOILERS!!!

The scene from the trailer with Edmund, Susan and Peter is in the film -- it's a dream sort of sequence -- not the Magician's Book as was speculated. The set up is difficult to describe, but it has Susan recognizing something is wrong and demanding a fix. It's very effective. Also, at the very beginning she is writing to Lucy and Edmund in a very affectionate way and mentions Narnia -- she has NOT forgotten Narnia. She also mentions... no lie.. that she is going to a tea at the British Embassy and that there's a navy man who fancies her. (I think it was Navy - if she'd said pilot, I would have dropped dead right there).

Peter isn't in the film at all except in the dream sequence.

[autumnia]

Having read all the comments and taking the trailers into account, I don't think I'm that surprised that Edmund has become this movie's version of PC!Peter. Sigh. It's a bit disappointing that the film makers chose this route, but hopefully it won't be the make movie any less interesting to watch. Gah. I think I'm more concerned with the upcoming character assassinations that will surely flood the fanfic world once more people have seen it. Whatever happened to the wise and noble Kings of Old?

But, but.. Susan, tea and the Embassy. I think I'm going to rather enjoy watching that very brief mention. We can always pretend she said RAF instead of Navy! Or... perhaps the whole mention is Rat and Crow speak for something else entirely. :-)

And the dream sequence with the older Pevensies, I think I'll enjoy that too because at least there's a cameo for Susan and Peter both.

SPOILERS!!!

[rthstewart]

Edmund gets plenty of action sequences balanced by way too many deer in the headlights moments. Jadis is actually in the film A LOT. Her presence permeates the film and yes, the ties to TLOTGK are there too. I think it's turning more into a seduction, which is interesting, as we see a shift from Jadis to the Green Witch

Re: SPOILERS!!!

[autumnia]

Hmm. I'm now feeling wary about Edmund's role in this film. With the seduction possibility, it feels like a repeat of what's already been written in fanfic everywhere. That, AND Ed/Caspian -- ugh; I've seen plenty of those fics around as it is. No need to add to the fire... I'm beginning to think Lucian's preferable now

Re: SPOILERS!!!

[rthstewart]

As for Caspian, hmm... he shouldn't be nobler than Edmund here. The point of the entire journey (other than to find the missing lords) was for him to learn to be a better king, and Ed and Lu were supposed to teach and support him in this. At least, that's kind of what I got out of the books (and it's the same direction I've taken in my VDT AU story).

And thank gawd for fan fic, because that is PRECISELY what does not happen -- film Caspian is far nobler than anyone else he shares the screen with, except maybe Reep. Caspian ends up far more kingly, from the get go than the other two. It's no contest. Caspian is great. Flawless, really. He begins the film where he should end and maintains that level of leadership, compassion, intelligence and gravitas. As a character and an actor, he carries the film.

[cofax7]

Well, that's cool. It opens on my birthday, so I'm going to try to go that day, but keep my expectations reasonable. I was fairly cranky about PC when it opened.

[rthstewart]

it depends. I don't find that film adaptations influence me except in my desire to FIX it. And boy will there be lots of bad Edmund characterizations to fix. And THIS is the biggest problem with the film -- it ignores both book Edmund and PC Movie Edmund. And THEN introduces a whole other new weakness in addition to the teen angst. If they are going to chuck the book at the window, couldn't they have managed better character continuity with the previous films?