I know, I know, I'm late. However, considering I just saw the film for the first time a week ago and saw it for the second time today, I have that excuse.
First off, I will say I'm glad I read most of the spoilers, else I would have been completely shocked at what were either big changes or I would have considered big changes. Watching glumpuddle's videos helped tons on that as well and so I went into the theatre knowing what to expect and able to enjoy the movie. (However, I did embarrass my mother, who went with me, when I attempted to throw food at the screen during the kiss)
I enjoyed PC a lot. There were parts I felt were a little 'off'. And I disliked some of the changes (especially the kiss), but overall I enjoyed it.
A couple things:
* The first time I watched it, I was incredibly confused as to why Edmund went to the castle first in the night raid and used the torch to guide Peter and the others on the griffin in. The second time I came to the conclusion that perhaps he was seeing if the bridge was up or down or something, but even then I'm not sure. I understood Edmund signalling the troops, but why didn't all the griffin people come in together?
* The best part of the Susan/Caspian flirtation was her siblings making fun of it. Lucy: "You may need to call me!?!" Susan: "Oh, shut up." Actually, have been contemplating Lucy and Edmund's exchange after the kiss "I'm sure when I'm older I'll understand" "I am older and I don't think I
want to understand." The thing is, they
have been older. So my thought is that the two are mocking Susan and her various suitors: they already know that being older doesn't help them understand their sister's relationships with the opposite sex.
* Reading previous posts, others mentioned how Peter beheading Sopespian/random Telmarine was not necessarily noted when reading the book. That actually happened to my family. My mother read Prince Caspian for the first time around the same time I was rereading it for, like, the 5th time. I never once noticed that Peter beheaded Sopespian, or at least it never made an impression on me. Yet one of the first things my mother noted when leaving the theatre was that she was surprised they kept the beheading in the movie. Her first reading and she noticed it, but I never did.
* I loved that Edmund and Lucy's characters were so well done. While I understand the changes to Peter and Susan and accept them, I am sooo glad Lucy and especially Edmund were so well portrayed. Of course, I said before I even saw the movie that as long as Edmund was portrayed right, I would be happy no matter what they changed in the movie, because Edmund is my favorite character. And Skandar did a wonderful job, stealing almost every scene he was in, and managing to radiate "Edmund" even when he had no lines and instead just acted with his eyes.
* I may have read too much into this, but when Edmund was presenting the challenge to Miraz I really saw the diplomat the I always pictured King Edmund the Just as. To me the whole "It's King Edmund, actually. Just king though. Peter's the High King. I know, it's confusing" was actually Edmund subtly mocking Miraz and his not knowing the history of Narnia. Even more of a stretch, probably, but I also thought maybe Edmund was subtly throwing in his title: he's not
just a king, he's the
Just King. Maybe it's just me though.
* One of my favorite moments was Lucy standing on the bridge and drawing her dagger. She just has this sweet little girl smile on her face, but you can also see a hint of "bring it on, if you dare". To me, that is Queen Lucy the Valiant returned. She knows she will win against the entire army, even with just her dagger, because she knows Aslan is beside her.
Overall I really enjoyed the movie and hope to see it at least one more time before it leaves theatres. Then I'm getting the DVD and making an icon of the three mice on a rock, watching the Telmarine army marching out of the forest. Because that was adorable (shhh, don't tell Reepicheep I called him adorable
).
The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1
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