Prince Caspian I have found
May. 31st, 2008 06:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rosa_cottonToday it was storming and I was reading Bleak House. “Perfect weather for a movie,” my dad said. He was going to go see Prince Caspian and both my mom and brother bowed out. My dad asked me if I wanted to come along. I didn’t feel in the movie mood, yet impulsively I decided to go. I wasn’t excited about seeing it (other turns had captured my attention lately) and I had low expectations as well as that Prince Caspian ties with the Horse and His Boyfor being my least favorite Narnia book.
Shockingly, I liked it, a lot!
More shockingly, I thought it better than the LWW!
Here are some of my unorganized, mixed thoughts.
*Very intense for a PG rating. The violence was more what I’d expect from the LOTR films. There were a number of really little kids seeing it and I wondered if they’d have nightmares.
*Not as faithful to the book as LWW, but it worked very well IMO.
*I smiled wide at “Based on the book by C. S. Lewis”; before the title, cast, and all other credits. I really appreciated that.
*I enjoyed hearing the song One Day again when the Pevensies were on the beach.
*The music in the whole movie was beautiful. I recognized a number of familiar themes from the first movie. It was all wonderful.
*I was impressed with Ben Barnes. While he was an older Caspian, there were elements of book!Caspian in him and I really liked that.
*They really changed Peter! I’m not sure how I feel about him in PC. I liked how in London the viewer grew aware of how hard it was for him and his siblings to be children again. But in Narnia…how he sort of barged in and took command and was at odds with Caspian… I don’t know. I know I didn’t like how he was more like Susan in the book. He was the one questioning Lucy about her seeing Aslan and thinking it was just her imagination.
*I was surprised how willing, almost desirous, Susan was to fight. And she fought in almost every battle I believe. A sudden change from LWW when she seemed more reluctant to fight. Other than that, I liked her better this time than in the first movie. How she seemed more of a peacemaker. I liked the short scene between her and Lucy when she asked why she couldn’t see Aslan. And when she and Peter walked with Aslan near the end was well done. Anna conveyed so much through her eyes without saying a word.
*I liked Lucy in LWW, I loved her in PC. Her interactions with all her siblings were in character and believable; I liked the glimpses of her relationships with them. I enjoyed how faithful she was, believing she had seen Aslan, and her joy when she encountered him… Her line “Don’t forget who really defeated the White Witch” was very good. She kept her eyes and thoughts turned to Aslan (unseen and silent) while the others were discouraged and felt they had to do things themselves. (A great example of the believer trusting in the invisible and sometimes silent God, faithful, waiting for His leading, instead of becoming anxious or impatient and rushing ahead and doing what he or she thinks is best.) I loved her staying at Aslan’s How while nearly everyone else went to storm the castle. The scene between her and Aslan when she went for help was one of my favorites, the whole conversation. And the expression on her face when she looked at Narnia and Aslan one final time before going through the door of air, we know she was leaving her heart behind in that land.
*Edmund was perfect. Very true to the character in the book. He’s the one who’s changed the most of the four. In LWW he was a traitor. Here in PC, I clearly saw how he had changed after being redeemed and believing in Aslan. He watched his siblings’ backs and was very supportive. I was so so happy the scene when he believed Lucy’s claim of seeing Aslan even though he himself had not was included. It was understated and I would have liked it if there had been another line or two more. But it was there and I was glad. It was a huge example of how much he’d changed. He was indeed King Edmund the Just when he brought the challenge to Miraz. Edmund came full circle when he – with Aslan’s unseen help – rescued the others from danger. I love him even more.
*The CGI I thought was much better in PC.
*I was glad Caspian/Susan mainly consisted of only long glances and a few exchanges, no real actual flirting. (They were kind of cute I confess.) It didn’t strike me as being really a romance at all. His rescuing her, thankfully, was not cheesy or anything. I could have done without the “I wish we had more time together” and the kiss – thankfully, again, not actually romantic since it was all Susan.
*The script was a great improvement over LWW in my opinion. The humor didn’t feel as awkward.
*I really liked Trumpkin and Lucy being best friends in PC. It was a very nice change. Trumpkin himself I liked very much. He rescued both Lucy and Susan. I liked his reaction when he finally saw Aslan. When he and Lucy bowed to each other in farewell, I was wishing, “Please hug each other, please hug each other.” And they did, and I sighed with contentment.
*Shards of LOTR were to be found here. The trees taking part in the big battle scene were great. They were much better than the Ents. And the scene with the river god (amazing CGI) reminded me of the ford in Fellowship of the Ring – only way cooler!
*The siege at Miraz’s castle I thought was a wonderful (unintentional I’m sure) parallel/illustration to the Israelites in the Bible: if the Lord was not on their side when they went into battle they were heavily defeated. Yet when the Lord was with them they had victory (the last battle in Prince Caspian).
*At the end, when the trunk of the tree separated, forming the door, I started crying.
*I did not like it that the White Witch was actually summoned, since it never got that far in the book. Yet the whole scene was executed very very well. I was relieved that Caspian protested to his being a part of it, “This isn’t what I wanted!” He reached out to the Witch seemingly because of her magic, not of his own feel will. (Foreshadowing of The Silver Chair I tell you!!!) Even Peter wavered, tempted. In the end this is my favorite scene because of Edmund. When he shattered that ice I mentally was screaming at the top of my lungs, “Yes, YES, YES, YES!!!!” It was absolutely perfect he was the one who did it. In the LWW he had joined the White Witch, helped her. Here he demonstrated that he was not that old Edmund, this time he faced the same (or almost the same) evil again and defeated it because of Aslan. What a wonderful image seeing that ice crack and fall down to reveal the earlier concealed picture of Aslan; no evil or darkness, however strong, undefeatable, or even right it seems, can rule over the one and true Lord, great Lion. (Even death thought it had won the victory yet was crushed when Jesus rose.)
So. All in all, Prince Caspian was amazing. And I hope to see it at least one more time.
For those who have seen it, what do you think?
Shockingly, I liked it, a lot!
More shockingly, I thought it better than the LWW!
Here are some of my unorganized, mixed thoughts.
*Very intense for a PG rating. The violence was more what I’d expect from the LOTR films. There were a number of really little kids seeing it and I wondered if they’d have nightmares.
*Not as faithful to the book as LWW, but it worked very well IMO.
*I smiled wide at “Based on the book by C. S. Lewis”; before the title, cast, and all other credits. I really appreciated that.
*I enjoyed hearing the song One Day again when the Pevensies were on the beach.
*The music in the whole movie was beautiful. I recognized a number of familiar themes from the first movie. It was all wonderful.
*I was impressed with Ben Barnes. While he was an older Caspian, there were elements of book!Caspian in him and I really liked that.
*They really changed Peter! I’m not sure how I feel about him in PC. I liked how in London the viewer grew aware of how hard it was for him and his siblings to be children again. But in Narnia…how he sort of barged in and took command and was at odds with Caspian… I don’t know. I know I didn’t like how he was more like Susan in the book. He was the one questioning Lucy about her seeing Aslan and thinking it was just her imagination.
*I was surprised how willing, almost desirous, Susan was to fight. And she fought in almost every battle I believe. A sudden change from LWW when she seemed more reluctant to fight. Other than that, I liked her better this time than in the first movie. How she seemed more of a peacemaker. I liked the short scene between her and Lucy when she asked why she couldn’t see Aslan. And when she and Peter walked with Aslan near the end was well done. Anna conveyed so much through her eyes without saying a word.
*I liked Lucy in LWW, I loved her in PC. Her interactions with all her siblings were in character and believable; I liked the glimpses of her relationships with them. I enjoyed how faithful she was, believing she had seen Aslan, and her joy when she encountered him… Her line “Don’t forget who really defeated the White Witch” was very good. She kept her eyes and thoughts turned to Aslan (unseen and silent) while the others were discouraged and felt they had to do things themselves. (A great example of the believer trusting in the invisible and sometimes silent God, faithful, waiting for His leading, instead of becoming anxious or impatient and rushing ahead and doing what he or she thinks is best.) I loved her staying at Aslan’s How while nearly everyone else went to storm the castle. The scene between her and Aslan when she went for help was one of my favorites, the whole conversation. And the expression on her face when she looked at Narnia and Aslan one final time before going through the door of air, we know she was leaving her heart behind in that land.
*Edmund was perfect. Very true to the character in the book. He’s the one who’s changed the most of the four. In LWW he was a traitor. Here in PC, I clearly saw how he had changed after being redeemed and believing in Aslan. He watched his siblings’ backs and was very supportive. I was so so happy the scene when he believed Lucy’s claim of seeing Aslan even though he himself had not was included. It was understated and I would have liked it if there had been another line or two more. But it was there and I was glad. It was a huge example of how much he’d changed. He was indeed King Edmund the Just when he brought the challenge to Miraz. Edmund came full circle when he – with Aslan’s unseen help – rescued the others from danger. I love him even more.
*The CGI I thought was much better in PC.
*I was glad Caspian/Susan mainly consisted of only long glances and a few exchanges, no real actual flirting. (They were kind of cute I confess.) It didn’t strike me as being really a romance at all. His rescuing her, thankfully, was not cheesy or anything. I could have done without the “I wish we had more time together” and the kiss – thankfully, again, not actually romantic since it was all Susan.
*The script was a great improvement over LWW in my opinion. The humor didn’t feel as awkward.
*I really liked Trumpkin and Lucy being best friends in PC. It was a very nice change. Trumpkin himself I liked very much. He rescued both Lucy and Susan. I liked his reaction when he finally saw Aslan. When he and Lucy bowed to each other in farewell, I was wishing, “Please hug each other, please hug each other.” And they did, and I sighed with contentment.
*Shards of LOTR were to be found here. The trees taking part in the big battle scene were great. They were much better than the Ents. And the scene with the river god (amazing CGI) reminded me of the ford in Fellowship of the Ring – only way cooler!
*The siege at Miraz’s castle I thought was a wonderful (unintentional I’m sure) parallel/illustration to the Israelites in the Bible: if the Lord was not on their side when they went into battle they were heavily defeated. Yet when the Lord was with them they had victory (the last battle in Prince Caspian).
*At the end, when the trunk of the tree separated, forming the door, I started crying.
*I did not like it that the White Witch was actually summoned, since it never got that far in the book. Yet the whole scene was executed very very well. I was relieved that Caspian protested to his being a part of it, “This isn’t what I wanted!” He reached out to the Witch seemingly because of her magic, not of his own feel will. (Foreshadowing of The Silver Chair I tell you!!!) Even Peter wavered, tempted. In the end this is my favorite scene because of Edmund. When he shattered that ice I mentally was screaming at the top of my lungs, “Yes, YES, YES, YES!!!!” It was absolutely perfect he was the one who did it. In the LWW he had joined the White Witch, helped her. Here he demonstrated that he was not that old Edmund, this time he faced the same (or almost the same) evil again and defeated it because of Aslan. What a wonderful image seeing that ice crack and fall down to reveal the earlier concealed picture of Aslan; no evil or darkness, however strong, undefeatable, or even right it seems, can rule over the one and true Lord, great Lion. (Even death thought it had won the victory yet was crushed when Jesus rose.)
So. All in all, Prince Caspian was amazing. And I hope to see it at least one more time.
For those who have seen it, what do you think?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-06-01 07:01 pm (UTC)I'm a Lucy/Caspian girl at heart but Georgie's Lucy is too young and sweet to be romantically shipped really, so I guess I can deal with Susan/Caspian subtext.
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Date: 2008-06-03 04:30 pm (UTC)