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PostPosted: May 22nd, 2008, 5:10 pm
by Shadowland Dweller

PostPosted: May 22nd, 2008, 5:13 pm
by Shadowland Dweller

PostPosted: May 22nd, 2008, 5:16 pm
by Shadowland Dweller

PostPosted: May 22nd, 2008, 10:42 pm
by Ben2747
I just returned from taking my 7 and 9-year old daughters to see Prince Caspian. Bad, bad move. I had not read the reviews, in advance. I probably should have. My 9-year old summed it up pretty nicely - "Papa, that didn't seem like the people in the book. And when I read the book, in my head, I didn't see people getting hurt like that."

As a parent, I'm disappointed. I feel this was more of a PG-13 version of Prince Caspian. Susan lies about her name in the beginning of the movie. The whole overblown alpha-male thing between Caspian and Peter. The romantic thread, ending with a kiss. And the agonizing attention to the battle scenes, with some extra battles thrown in for good measure. You can actually see the characters being penetrated by blades and arrows - fine, there is no squirting gore, but it's much more than I (or my children) expected to see. I also agree with previous comments - all of the missing elements that made the book so enjoyable. The "liberation" of Beruna. Silas and his donkey. Really any sort of plot and character development - how do we know that Caspian has been longing to find Old Narnia and meet Aslan? The first scene is his escape in the night. And is it just me, or does Aslan seem like some sort of prop just thrown into the movie? What about the expectation? What about the real questions of courage and faith? Bam - there he is to come to the rescue, but that seemed pretty shallow.

And I'm sorry - this is the defensive Catholic in me. So what's with the Spanish-esque accents, dark complection, and armor clearly modeled after the Spanish Conquistadors? Aslan's How looked like some sort of Mayan ruin - was there a deliberate attempt to evoke images of Cortez and the Aztecs? And there's a character to the right of Miraz during the coronation scene - is it just me, or does he actually look like a Dominican friar? I agree with Dave's comment - "NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!" Give me a break - have the English and Hollywood Anglophiles just not indulged in enough Spanish baiting, lately, and had to get their fix?

On a positive note, I thought the CGI graphics had really improved.

In short, I agree - you can only view this as loosely based on the book. I know that this is the risk any producer would run with books that have such an avid following, but I think this is more than the typical "let-down" for fans who can't let go and can't be satisfied. While the first movie might have had some quality and acting issues, the second one just left orbit. I bought the DVD so the kids could watch the first movie, after we saw it in the theater - I will probably not be buying the Caspian DVD when it is released. And I would suggest that parents really consider whether this movie is age-appropriate for children under 13. If they're 13 or older, fine - it's a good Hollywood show. Not much more. If they're under, it might be a bit much, especially for those of you who are selective about media in your home.

I'm actually a little surprised that Mr. Gresham did not play a more active role in controlling the direction of the movie. Sure, the Chronicles treat children as if they're able to confront some substantive issues, which they are. But they also maintain a certain innocence. This innocence might be too "costly" from the perspective of box-office draw. We all know that romance and explosions sell tickets - but I really don't need to have my kids assaulted in this way.

PostPosted: May 22nd, 2008, 10:58 pm
by repectabiggle

PostPosted: May 22nd, 2008, 11:41 pm
by Pete

PostPosted: May 22nd, 2008, 11:56 pm
by repectabiggle

PostPosted: May 23rd, 2008, 1:16 am
by Messenger_of_Eden

PostPosted: May 23rd, 2008, 8:17 am
by glumPuddle

PostPosted: May 23rd, 2008, 1:11 pm
by Ben2747

PostPosted: May 23rd, 2008, 2:49 pm
by Dan65802

PostPosted: May 23rd, 2008, 4:28 pm
by Stanley Anderson

PostPosted: May 23rd, 2008, 4:35 pm
by Dan65802

PostPosted: May 23rd, 2008, 5:18 pm
by Stanley Anderson

PostPosted: May 23rd, 2008, 5:24 pm
by Shadowland Dweller