I liked the book. It was a quick, fun read. I'll give it an "A".
...now, compared to the movie...it's not as bad as some adaptations to the big screen, but I wonder...how does a studio writers/producers/directors meeting go...
dreamy music
Producer: "Hey, that LotR was a hit, so was Harry Potter. Quick! We need a fantasy movie to make me some money."
Intern, meekly, "I liked the Narnia stories as a kid..."
Director: "Great, we'll have the good guys storm the castle!"
Intern, "...but that didn't..."
Producer, "And don't forget the love intrest, that'll bring the girls into the theaters!"
Writer: "Oh, and have a girl in the big battle just like that girl Legolass from LotR! Girl power!!"
Intern "but that's not the point of the book...it's a Christian allegory"
Producer, "Boy, that's pronounced "Christ-one-hell-of-a-story. Make sure we get the big name actress that plays the villian to come back in every movie!"
Intern, "but the White Witch is only talked about in Prince Caspian"
Writer: "Look kid, I'm a Hollywood writer, I know a lot more about what makes a good story than some stupid C.S. Lewis, heck, he wasn't even smart enough to spell his first name."
Directory: "Yeah, we'll make sure that the fight scenes take up most of the movie, and all subtle references to religion are taken out."
...END dream sequence.
I'm sure that's how it happens.
Well...CS did good. Most of the fight scenes are short, let the reader fill that in if they wish. The long duel between the kings, the text focuses mostly on the reaction of the spectators, as opposed to the play-by-play of sword blows.
One interesting thing that the movie added, there was a fight in train station, and after, in his defense, one of the kids said, "we used to be kings." What would it be like, to go back to your normal life after saving Narnia?
In the movie The castle attack, they wanted to show that the Narnian forces losing, in the book, there is a paragraph that says they keep losing battles in the woods daily, and then dwells on the low moral amongst the Narnians. I do suppose that a castle battle is more visually exciting.
I probably would've missed the X-ian allegory thing. I don't really pick up on this. I also fall completely, and am shocked & amazed at Every M.Night Shamalon movie.
I liked the description of the trees feasting, how they would savor different types of dirt. (I wonder if that section made a certain Moonbeam want to go out and try the dirt in her backyard?)
I'm always troubled by the concept of children in war. A problem I had with Gibson's "the Patriot". And considering it is a real problem in the world, I hope in the future, Hollywood will go away from glamorizing it. Hmmm....am I against CS...allegedly in first book, the kids were turned into adults. I should read that book. I dunno how I feel.
I think Lucy was my favorite. I liked when she was doubted, she replied, "don't talk to me like an adult."
Lucy is faulted by Aslan for not believing enough to go alone and leave the others. A key to faith, being able to leave your loved ones behind. (Yeah, Hollywood left out that part.)
Lucy wonders, when they encounter the bear that went wild, "What if men go wild?" Interesting, and I think it happens, where men become wild and forget who they are, and what they are to do, and cravenly destroy.
"What will happen? There is only one way of finding out."
Posted by joncim at July 5, 2008 11:44 AM