Movie: Prince Caspian

[amedia]

There were things I liked, and things I didn't like.

I thought they made a good decision to show events in chronological order, instead of having the big flashback like the book has.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dr. Cornelius' office.

I somehow had totally missed hearing that Tilda Swinton was back as the White Witch. That was an awesome surprise, and I can forgive them expanding her role from zero to teeny (IIRC the plan to resurrect her is only *mentioned* in the book) because she is so awesome.

I liked most of the casting, especially Trumpkin and Reepicheep.

The expansion of Sopespian's role from the get-go so that his final betrayal of Miraz isn't a surprise was a really good idea.

******

I ABSOLUTELY HATED LOATHED AND DESPISED the whole idiotic dick-waving contest between Peter and Caspian. Neither of them showed a hint of nobility or leadership for a big chunk of the movie. Really nasty character assassination for no apparent reason - it's not like the movie would have been too short without it (it was way too long).

I disliked the raid on Miraz's castle, not as an idea - it's mentioned in the book, and actually it seems like a clever strategy - but because Peter, Susan, and Caspian ruin it and get a lot of sympathetic characters killed with bad leadership. And who trusts a flashlight WITH NO SPARE BATTERIES as a crucial military signal?

Not nearly enough Aslan.

Susan/Caspian. Meh.

Finally, I've gotten resigned to the fact that most television dramas cop out on the actual scriptwriting and substitute some vaguely-relevant whiny earnest emo indie ballad over the last few minutes instead. I will NOT put up with it in a movie, damn it! Grrrr.

Comments

[whswhs.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I disliked the sexual tension between Susan and Caspian, and the strong hint that that was why the older Pevenseys had to stop coming to Narnia. I don't think it has the slightest warrant in the source material.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Agreed! In fact, Lewis says somewhere - I forget exactly where - that stories featuring romances between children are a personal squick for him. (I think Caspian and Susan are supposed to be somewhere around 12-14, although the actor playing Caspian was 26, for crying out loud.)

[moony-blues.livejournal.com]

I absolutely loathed this movie. And the biggest reason why I loathed it is because of Caspian's age. In the book, he was about 10-12 years old. (I can't remember the exact age.) The reason for this was to show that the innocence of childhood can sometimes better be trusted than the supposed experience of an adult. It was also to show that innocence is something to be cherished. However, that innocence showed as weakness when translated to an older character. It horribly mangled the message of the entire story.

And the horrible mangling of both Susan and Peter was appalling. Yech. I will never buy this movie, and I probably won't watch any further movies in the series. If they muck this one up so much, I shudder to think what they'll do with Voyage of the Dawn Treader or The Silver Chair.

ETA: Aha! I knew I blogged about this one when I saw the movie...

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Excellent point about the innocence of childhood and that whole message being horribly mangled!

I shudder to think what they'll do with Voyage of the Dawn Treader or The Silver Chair.

Me, too, and I especially ADORED the book of Dawn Treader.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Dawn Treader and Silver Chair are my absolute favorites. I'm a little worried about them, too.

[chorale.livejournal.com]

…and I especially Adored the book of Dawn Treader.

Oh, me too. It is my favorite in the series. If the filmmakers make Reepacheep cute I'll go beserkergang or something.

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

I hated the raid on Miraz's castle. It was not necessary for Peter to do that. You said it: no nobility. In the book he is noble.

On the Susan/Caspian front: that man is just so pretty SOMEbody had to kiss him. The lucky girl just happened to be there.

I wanted there to be more of book-Caspian's humbleness in the face of meeting all these creatures he's always wanted to meet. Book-Caspian was honored that they took him in and honored that they wanted him for their king. Movie-Caspian just started making promises and giving orders.

The battle was pretty cool, though.

There's never enough Aslan, even in the books. I think that's kind of the point. :)

[moonys-autumn.livejournal.com]

I liked it a lot, but I haven't read the books. o.o;

I took out of it a message about keeping faith in times are hardship, which, for me, was a lot more personally important and relatable than the sort of Jesus story in the first one.

[bulleteyes.livejournal.com]

I had not read that book when I saw the film with a friend. It was puzzling to me that Caspian and Peter were such dinks. (Yes, I meant to use that word.) Once she explained to me what had been altered from the book I was very put off.

*Ewwwww*