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oatmeal · 2005-12-09 8:48 pm

When I was little I read and re-read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe until the binding disintegrated and the pages all fell out. The others in my The Chronicles of Narnia weren't quite that bad, but my copies of Prince Caspian and Dawn Treader were rapidly approaching the same state of decrepitude. I couldn't quite recite Wardrobe for you... but almost.

I LOVED these books.

When Wardrobe finally fell apart completely I decided to put the series on the shelf for a while. Give it some time to cool off. I didn't read them again for over 20 years - last year, actually.

So when I saw that they were finally getting around to making it (yes, I know about the BBC version, I wasn't impressed) I was thrilled. It's one of my favorite stories of all timme, and I was really looking forward to this movie. At the same time, I was really afraid that they'd mess it up. It's one of those things that I couldn't ever forgive if they screwed it up.

My first impression: I've never ever seen a movie that was so true to the book it came from. Ever. They really, REALLY did it justice.

I said "finally getting around to making it" before I saw it. Now I'm saying "thank God they waited to make it until the technology was mature enough to keep up with it."

The kids. Anything less than perfect casting could have ruined this movie for me. If they had looked wrong, I would have hated it. If they had acted anything less than the way they did in the books, I would have hated it. If they hadn't been able to act, I would have hated it... and with a character as young as Lucy, it was virtually guaranteed that she wouldn't be able to act.

On the contrary, she carried the movie.

Almost the only thing they changed was the very begining: they added a scene just before the events of the book to make completely clear why the kids were leaving London. My wife, who has never read the book, turned to me and asked "are we in the right theater?" I nodded emphatically that we were. In my opinion this scene, far from detracting from the story, added to its emotion.

Bearing in mind how completely I know this story, how many times I read this as a child, how much I wanted them to get this movie right, that I can say this is absolutely unreal: it was almost perfect.
I can't wait to see it again. They couldn't have made this movie better if they had filmed my mind's eye as I read the book.

love

TheConfuzed1 · 2005-12-09 9:57 pm

Thanks for the review. I can't wait to see it. smile

MacMonkey · 2005-12-09 10:10 pm

oatmeal wrote:
I said "finally getting around to making it" before I saw it. Now I'm saying "thank God they waited to make it until the technology was mature enough to keep up with it."

Actually they didn't. This wasn't the first wardrobe move ever, but it looks like its going to be the best one so far.

Thrica · 2005-12-09 10:18 pm

I just got back from watching it maybe 10 minutes ago. I haven't read the books since I was a young child, so the storyline was still somewhat new in the minutiae at least.

The ice queen was definitely perfect for her role. My goodness, she had huge eyes though.

bratboy · 2005-12-09 10:20 pm

I didn't like the books (which I read at least one of as a child).

What are the chances I'll like the movie?

the W'rkncacnter · 2005-12-09 10:26 pm

It's good to hear that the movie doesn't blow. I've been hesitant to see it because I'm such a huge fan of the series.

Moses · 2005-12-10 1:47 am

I just noticed today that Narnia and the new Harry Potter tie back to Shindler's list. Voldermort is a nazi and the lion is Jesus. WoAH!

Marc · 2005-12-10 2:39 am

it was good.

actors were stiff in many instances.

Tallgeese · 2005-12-10 6:48 am

Lion, Witch, Wardrobe is my least favorite book in the series so I don't think I'd enjoy the movie.

arkayn · 2005-12-10 10:11 am

I will most likely go to see it in a week or so.

Leonard Nimoy · 2005-12-10 2:50 pm

Magicians Nephew was a pretty good book too, bit different. Since they started out with the second book in the series, I wonder if they are going to do this last (That is, if they are doing the entire series).

Anyway, I'm definitely going to this. I've always been a huge fan of this series.

oatmeal · 2005-12-10 3:28 pm

Leonard Nimoy wrote:
Magicians Nephew was a pretty good book too, bit different. Since they started out with the second book in the series, I wonder if they are going to do this last (That is, if they are doing the entire series).

Anyway, I'm definitely going to this. I've always been a huge fan of this series.

They didn't start with the 2nd book in the series; they started with the first.

Recent publications of the series put Magician's Nephew first because chronologically it fits in the story first. It's not supposed to be first in the series, though. It's next-to-last.

I'm actually a bit irritated that publishers changed it up like that - enough that I don't have a copy of the books at the moment (not in English, anyway). I'm glad the moviemakers started with the right one.

adndgamer · 2005-12-10 3:33 pm

Well the Lion is the most popular and IMO, the best one.

C.S. Lewis himself said that he thinks that since he started writing with the Lion that perhaps the published order is the best order to read them in, and not the chronological order. When he wrote each book he never intended there to be anything more, but after completing each one he kept deciding to do sequel and then after completing that he decided to do a sequel to THAT book and eventually ended up with what is the entire collection today.

Tallgeese · 2005-12-10 3:39 pm

Order of writing is the best way to read them. It sets up characters and settings the best way, and the ones that are chronologically previous are "back story" not "oops, I wish I had written this earlier."

Marc · 2005-12-10 3:41 pm

I'd be most happy to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader myself, and a Horse and His Boy, and Silver Chair, those would be the ones I want to be made.

freecat · 2005-12-10 9:24 pm

oatmeal wrote:
Recent publications of the series put Magician's Nephew first because chronologically it fits in the story first. It's not supposed to be first in the series, though. It's next-to-last.

Whoa whoa whoa. You can't buy the series anymore in the proper order? I just have crappy old paperbacks from the 70s, and haven't bothered to upgrade to nicer editions yet.

Hopefully the movie will inspire someone to put them back in order. Hey let's re-edit Pulp Fiction so the scenes are in chronological order!!!

Father of the Bar Mitzvah · 2005-12-10 9:35 pm

oatmeal wrote:
....snip... They couldn't have made this movie better if they had filmed my mind's eye as I read the book.

Ditto. Just saw it. GREAT job!! Wonderful movie!

oatmeal · 2005-12-10 9:35 pm

freecat wrote:
oatmeal wrote:
Recent publications of the series put Magician's Nephew first because chronologically it fits in the story first. It's not supposed to be first in the series, though. It's next-to-last.
Whoa whoa whoa. You can't buy the series anymore in the proper order?

Sure looks that way. If you find them in the proper order, let me know. I want 'em too.

Tallgeese · 2005-12-11 7:50 am

I blacked out the numbers on the spine and re-ordered my box set (paperback) to the proper order. big_smile

jeff-o · 2005-12-11 2:23 pm

I saw it last night. It was good, it's true. I wasn't blown away though, and I think that both HP:GoF and the LOTR movies all better it.

I hope they make more from the series, though! There's a lack of good movies right now (duh).

Tallgeese · 2005-12-11 3:44 pm

What's HP:GoF?

oatmeal · 2005-12-11 5:10 pm

Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire

While I agree that it was good - the best Harry Potter film yet - Wardrobe beat it by miles.

Marc · 2005-12-11 5:11 pm

Harry Potter. Goblet o' Fire

Robert B. · 2005-12-11 11:53 pm

Horny Pete and the Girls of Fornication

resedit · 2005-12-12 2:43 am

Tallgeese wrote:
I blacked out the numbers on the spine and re-ordered my box set (paperback) to the proper order.

Interestingly - the original order is different than the order they were written in.
Supposedly "A Horse and His Boy" was written before "The Silver Chair" but the publishing company decided to publish in the reverse order so that the Caspian stories would be finished before the time travel back to a period in King Peter's reign.

But the chronilogical order they are doing now absolutely sucks - you should NOT read magicians nephew first. Horse and his boy really could be read any time after Lion Witch and Wardrobe - but Magicians Nephew should not be read first. It should be read towards the end - where it is placed in the original publishing order.

-=-

My favorite is the Silver Chair - it's a really neat story - demonstrating the power of deception, and how easily we can be lured into believing certain things are not real, but made up extensions of what is around us - how we can be lured into believing it is more reasonable, when it really is a deceptive madness that we are believing. But even without that - it's a really neat story.

Forums | MacLife

#1 2005-12-09 8:48 pm

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#2 2005-12-09 9:57 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#3 2005-12-09 10:10 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

oatmeal wrote:

#4 2005-12-09 10:18 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#5 2005-12-09 10:20 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#6 2005-12-09 10:26 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#7 2005-12-10 1:47 am

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#8 2005-12-10 2:39 am

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#9 2005-12-10 6:48 am

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#10 2005-12-10 10:11 am

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#11 2005-12-10 2:50 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#12 2005-12-10 3:28 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Leonard Nimoy wrote:

#13 2005-12-10 3:33 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#14 2005-12-10 3:39 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#15 2005-12-10 3:41 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#16 2005-12-10 9:24 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

oatmeal wrote:

#17 2005-12-10 9:35 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

oatmeal wrote:

#18 2005-12-10 9:35 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

freecat wrote:

oatmeal wrote:

#19 2005-12-11 7:50 am

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#20 2005-12-11 2:23 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#21 2005-12-11 3:44 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#22 2005-12-11 5:10 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#23 2005-12-11 5:11 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#24 2005-12-11 11:53 pm

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

#25 2005-12-12 2:43 am

Re: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Tallgeese wrote:

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