The Chronicles of Narnia mini review (Minimal spoliers)

[Jasper]

First off anyone who says this film is a religious movie has been swigging a few to many sips of the old sacred wine. Its pure fantasy from the second they enter the wardrobe at the begining untill the exit it at the end.

The cinematography is superb. While not as grand as Lord of the rings it gives that movie a run for its money.

The creatures were a DnD fan boy's wet dream. Beautifuly done in full costume with only those too dificult to do with a human being computer generated. Just about every creature not found in lord of the rings found its way into the movie including Fauns, minotaurs, ratmen, half-bat creatures, cyclopse-kin, goblins, hipogryphs and a pheonix.
And for once we get to see a proper representation of....
*Drum roll*
A Gnome!!!!!!
A big nosed, greedy, hairy gnome!!!!!

The acting was very well done with the young actress playing Lucy stealing the scene several times. Anna Popplewell who plays Susan is quite lovely and I forsee several countdown clock websites poping up in her honor.

The only thing I found that urked me was a few pet peeves.
1st is the fact that for a good chunk of the movie the kids wear fur and the takling animals, even one that might have relitives in those coats say nothing
2nd is that we never realy learn much about Narnia. I know these are six other books but for the viewer who has never read any of the books the movie leaves many questions.
3rd The sword. He stabs several monsters with it and it never gets dirty. Not even a spot of dirt.


Final say- Go see it. Go now and stay after the first credits roll for a final scene (my theater turned on the lights and everyone was leaving before we noticed it wasn't over.)

[Kel-nage]

3rd The sword. He stabs several monsters with it and it never gets dirty. Not even a spot of dirt.

How do you think it maintained a PG-rating (well, it did in the UK)?

I thought it was pretty enjoyable. Strangely enough, I disliked Lucy. I also thought the film lacked a decent soundtrack, which may become it's major weakness.

I must admit, I wasn't aware of a final scene. I guess I better go see it again...

[Jasper]

Spoiler---
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The last scene is just the professor and Lucy talking about how Lucy can get back to Narnia and he says it only opens when your need it the most.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Did they keep Father Christmas in it?

[Jasper]

Yep but they never once call him by any name.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

How did they manage that psycho-PC feat?

They don't mind a messianic lion, but they object to the God of Consumerism? This looks like religious discrimination to me.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

1st is the fact that for a good chunk of the movie the kids wear fur and the takling animals, even one that might have relitives in those coats say nothing

IIRC, the talking animals in Narnia books drew a pretty clear line between themselves and the dumb (in both senses of the word) versions of their species. Characters were always doing things like hunting non-talking deer, without rousing any objections ... after all, if ALL the animals there had been sentient, what the heck were the good-guy carnivores (like the cheetahs and dogs) supposed to eat? :-/

[Gemathustra]

IIRC, the talking animals in Narnia books drew a pretty clear line between themselves and the dumb (in both senses of the word) versions of their species. Characters were always doing things like hunting non-talking deer, without rousing any objections ... after all, if ALL the animals there had been sentient, what the heck were the good-guy carnivores (like the cheetahs and dogs) supposed to eat? :-/

Magic hotdogs?

[ScS of the Fraternity]

after all, if ALL the animals there had been sentient, what the heck were the good-guy carnivores (like the cheetahs and dogs) supposed to eat? :-/

[Deer:] Don't eat me! I just have Laryngitis.

[wolf 1:] Did it just say something?
[wolf 2:] I didn't here nothing. Let's eat!

[Undead Cabbage]

*Drum roll*
A Gnome!!!!!!
A big nosed, greedy, hairy gnome!!!!!

It's about time!

First off anyone who says this film is a religious movie has been swigging a few to many sips of the old sacred wine. Its pure fantasy from the second they enter the wardrobe at the begining untill the exit it at the end.

I'm sorry but, what? People think its....oh bloody idiots..

It's the same morons that tried to argue that LOTR was an allegory of WW2. Yes, Tolkien understands war, as I guess C.S. Lewis would as well since I seem to recall C.S. Lewis and Tolkien being friends in life. But that doesn't mean that what ever they write is automatically a direct allegory of the wars they fought in life.

I haven't read the books, but from what I've heard they sound a lot more tied to mythology and irish fairy tales than modern religion. Although C.S. Lewis may have converted to Christianity by the time he wrote the novels, I doubt that the story is meant to be a pious one.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Hazy memories going back to my teacher training, but I seem to recall that the Chronicles of Narnia are a way to explain the concepts of Good and Evil to children, and that C.S. Lewis was actually a reverend.

[Kel-nage]

The death of Aslan was a metaphor for the death of Jesus. The sacrifice, the humiliation, the breaking of the tablet (the rolling away of the stone), the resurrection. C. S. Lewis was most certainly a Christian and wrote many books on the subject of Christianity (which he is most famous for, outside of the Narnia books).

[Undead Cabbage]

It's the same morons that tried to argue that LOTR was an allegory of WW2. Yes, Tolkien understands war, as I guess C.S. Lewis would as well since I seem to recall C.S. Lewis and Tolkien being friends in life. But that doesn't mean that what ever they write is automatically a direct allegory of the wars they fought in life.

I haven't read the books, but from what I've heard they sound a lot more tied to mythology and irish fairy tales than modern religion. Although C.S. Lewis may have converted to Christianity by the time he wrote the novels, I doubt that the story is meant to be a pious one.

Hey everyone,

I'd just like to apologize for this. I did some further research last night, including the letters from C.S. Lewis to certain children where he flat out states that the Lion is meant to be an allegory of Jesus.

Part of the reason why I jumped at this was because I've had to defend the fact that LOTR is not an allegory perhaps a few too many times, and so naturally that old habit came up again. Sorry if I hurt anyone's brain...

[Rotipher of the FoS]

The death of Aslan was a metaphor for the death of Jesus. The sacrifice, the humiliation, the breaking of the tablet (the rolling away of the stone), the resurrection.

FWIW, the Narnia/Christianity metaphors get even thicker in the end-of-Narnia story "The Last Battle", which is virtually all straight out of the Book of Revelation. And it beats me how the moviemakers are going to handle "A Horse And His Boy", if the film-series continues, because that whole book is one long Islam/Arab-bashfest.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

That'll go over great in the States - both über christinan AND anti-islam. Now, if only they could somehow replace the DawnTreader with an SUV....