You could probably guess this from my screen name, but here’s another voice saying that the Chronicles of Narnia hold up very well for adult readers. I too reread them every few years, and I’ve never found myself disappointed with the books or my memories of them. I first read them when I was around 10 years old, and I just liked them as good fantasy stories. I didn’t even notice the Christian allegory until it was pointed out to me. And Lewis was no slouch as a writer; the text itself holds up for a modern reader much better than many other older books. I certainly recommend the whole series to anyone who likes fantasy literature, whatever their religious inclinations.
The children all look a bit younger than I expected them to be, but this is going to be one seriously kick-ass movie. 
Add me to the list of kids who didn’t notice the Christian allegory.
Now, however, it reads like a brick to the skull. Every few paragraphs, I’m thinking to myself: “How the hell did I never notice THAT?” It’s very jarring, and basically ruins the whole experience for me.
I’m especially annoyed at the gender stereotypes. In fact, I remember as a young girl being really pissed at Aslan for telling the girls they couldn’t fight in the battle. He actually has a line about how boys (“Sons of Adam”) are warriors and girls (“Daughters of Eve”) are nurses who need to sit on the sidelines and watch. (They do get to fight in the Final Battle, I believe, but that’s books later.) :mad:
That said, I really, really, really want to see this movie. But I do hope the more overt Christian/anti-pagan stuff is toned down a bit.
Hell No. Hell no. That would ruin it. It’s a Christian allegory. The entire point is to present the story of Christ in a manner more consumable by modern* youth. it’s the Bible, with more monsters and cool fights an kids doing nifty things in it. Taking out the Jesus is to subvert the entire spirit of the work.
*Well, now it’s awfully old-fashioned. Your point about gender stereotyping is well-taken. There’s also some unfortunate racial stuff, esspecially in A Horse and his Boy. These don’t need to be mentioned (unlike the Christianity, it’s not the central point), but I hope they don’t go to far in the other direction and make the girls into kick-ass post feminist warrior women.
This is true in TL,TW&TW, where Aslan holds Susan and Lucy back from fighting, but I think it’s not a gender thing so much as an age thing. I think Aslan tells them not to fight because they were girls, as opposed to full grown women. In the later books we learn that Susan becomes an excellent shot with the bow (though more as a hunter than warrior, if I remember correctly), and that the grown up Queen Lucy is called “the Valiant” and takes part in battles, at least in more than a “stay out of danger” sort of way. (I think she’s in the battle in Archenland at the end of The Horse and His Boy, though how much of a participant I don’t remember.) Of course, by the Final Battle, everyone is fighting for his or her life (afterlife?) and such restrictions are no longer operative.
I think the actions of the girls in the series, from the Pevensie girls (mostly Lucy) to Jill Pole to Aravis in TH & HB and Polly in The Magician’s Nephew, are more than heroic enough to pull Lewis’s feet out of the “sexist” fire, even if they weren’t all swinging swords. Besides, if you ever saw Shadowlands you know that Lewis (certainly as portrayed in that film) was basically a Victorian gentleman, even 50 years after Victoria kicked the bucket. It’s kind of a wonder he let the girls do anything at all.
After giving Susan her bow and Lucy a dagger to go along with her elixir, Father Christmas tells them both that the weapons are solely for self defense; they are not to fight in battle. When Lucy replies that she thinks she might be brave enough, he answers…
(my emphasis) Yet battles are so pretty when men fight! :rolleyes:
As you point out, I do think he got a little better about it later on, but I’m not letting him off the hook for this one.
There’s definitely sexism in the series. And while I love the story of A Horse and His Boy, I find the racial stereotyping uncomfortable now. As a child, I didn’t see it as racial. I thought it was just exotic.
I just hope someone, someday, does a great movie of Dawn Treader. My love for that book borders on the unbalanced. Reepicheep!
They showed the trailer before The Revenge of the Siths. Man, the trailer was the highlight of that night for me. Jedi with lightsabres somehow don’t impress me anymore.
I did remark to my friends that Narnia looked like “a children’s verison of LOTR”. Not that it is bad - lately we have been seeing too many sandals and swords with characters who take themselves too seriously. A change of leading characters will be great.
I think they delibrately make the manison a terrible place to stay in, as to strike a contrast with Narnia. Also, the emphasis on battles is expected. The Two Towers and Return of the King trailers both hook people with their battle scenes. While battles are usually the climax of a movie, it has to be built up by other supporting scenes which makes the battle important. Hence, I don’t think Narnia will be all about fighting and combat.
Actually, on WETA Workshop is involved providing the weapons, costumes and miscellaneous props. WETA Digital is too busy working on King Kong at the moment. I believe I got this from www.theonelion.net
Please Please Please let them do Dawn Treader RIGHT.
My tail. “Welcome, Lord, to the least of your houses.” “Being invisible always makes me sleepy.” Dragonish thoughts. “Your dreams come true.”
That’s the point of the book. I don’t think a movie adaptation of the book has to have the same purpose.
I think they could go easy on the Christianity in TLTW&TW, just present the events as they happened and let people draw their own parallels, but if they intend to make all the books into movies, it’s going to be unavoidable. The Last Battle is blatant.
I can’t see how they could do The Last Battle convincingly. I am very excited about Dawn Treader and Prince Caspian. And the Wood Between the Worlds in Magician’s Nephew.
I saw the trailer before Revenge of the Sith last night. I made lots of high-pitched squealing noises, and at the end, my husband leaned over and said, “See, there is something to look forward to this Christmas, even without LOTR.”. It looks good. Please let it be good.
It did bother me that the Professor seemed to be portrayed as scary. He’s Digory! He’s not scary! But seeing Sir Peter Wolf’s-Bane and the lampost and mermaids made up for it.
Anti-pagan? TLTW&TW especially has been criticized for being too pagan friendly (all sorts of pagan/mythic beings are part of Aslan’s throng, including a boy Dionysius & his nymph posse- Bacchae in training?!)
I think the only thing that will really need altering in the Carlmoleans (sp?)- if one must make them swarthy, also add something more distinquishing. I know- make 'em Klingons! (THAT’s a joke!) Actually, I don’t think it would be inappropriate to make them a non-human color, just to avoid trouble.
Back to the anti-Pagan stuff, one thing that can’t be compromised in the later films- Tash. Tash isn’t just a “pagan” deity- he’s the Narnian equivalent of the OT Baal or the NT Satan. TLB makes it clear that one can be deceived into serving him & still be a virtuous person counted as a Aslan-devotee, but he in no way is to be regarded as “just another name for” Aslan.
The mermaids were unexpected and a great treat, i must say. And the New Zealand background is breathtaking.
I think this is going to be a great adaptation and I’m so happy that Adamson and all who’s involved is making it clear how faithful they want to be to Lewis’s vision. Just found the “first look” at Mr. Tumnus. What do you guys think?
Mr. Tumnus wasn’t quite how I imagined him…from the shoulders up. That’s not to mean I don’t like this one. I think he’s fantastic! I think the difference in my mind’s eye is that his hair is longer here and his face a bit fuller. Nor can I see his horns.
Poking around the site, there’s a picture of Peter there as well. Again, not as I imagined him (I always saw him with a sword and shield and his schoolboy’s outfit), but incredible nonetheless. This is how I saw myself when I imagined I was Peter.
I thought Mr. Tumnus was supposed to have a more ruddy skin tone. But he’s OK. And I visualized the White Witch with dark hair, but I don’t know if that was in the book or not.
That being said, I liked the pictures.
I always visualized the White Witch with black hair, too. I think that’s because of Pauline Baynes’ illustrations. You need something to give to weight black and white graphics, but I don’t think Lewis stipulated it. He did stipulate skin “white like paper” and very red lips, but I’m not going to get pissy over that. Looks like Tilda’s getting The Essence of Evil down very well, and that’s what counts.
After seeing Constantine I think Tila Swinson will make an excellent White Witch.
Brian
I think the children look great; just the ages I always pictured them. But why is the White Witch’s sledge being pulled by polar bears?