Roses are Pink - "Things never happen the same way twice, dear one"

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

"Things never happen the same way twice, dear one"

CopyofCopyofopen_book.jpg picture by wintercreek

"Aslan, why didn't you come roaring in and save us like last time?" ..."Things never... happen the same way twice, dear one".

Aslan ,of course, was right....things never do happen the same way twice. We, like Lucy, expected Aslan to return to Narnia in the same way he did last time, setting everything right. But this is not the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this is Prince Caspian. And as Aslan reminds Lucy, "Things never happen the same way twice".

I have now seen Prince Caspian for the fourth time, and I loved every minute of it. The quality of the movie was very good, similar to the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in that respect. I'm certainly glad I saw it more than once because I missed so many things the first time!

I had been warned about Prince Caspian being a darker film then The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. After seeing it, I would have to disagree. Yes, there were more battles, not to mention half of the movie seemed to take place at night, but the storyline wasn't any more sinister than the book. Although some scenes are rather terrifying, the werewolf scene, for example. It wasn't so much that the movie was more scary, but that Narnia itself is a more dangerous place to be. Or perhaps as Trumpkin points out, "Narnia may be a more savage place than you remember."

I found the movie, in it's entirety, to be very much like the book. I just reread it, and I was once again suprised at how many of the movie lines were right out of the book.There were some different battle scenes which did not take place in the book, but I think were good in filling in the places that were cut from the movie or were to vague in the book. I thought that it was very good at capturing the plot and feeling of the book...this isn't the same Narnia we are used too.

I also liked how throughout most of the movie it followed Lucy's views and perspectives. In this way it was very similar to the book, and the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It really lead us to feel the way Lucy does, in response to her siblings, Aslan, and the narnians.

Prince Caspian was setting up for Lucy and Edmund in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Edmund was really good, completely turned around from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He was very much King Edmund, although he still teased Peter and Susan. I can't wait to see what they do with Edmund and Lucy in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, not to mention Eustace.

Before the opening night, I was concerned about the addition of a romance between Susan and Caspian. Thankfully I was suprised that it wasn't really as bad as I had expected. In the way it was done it just made Susan look bad, especially because she rather instagated the whole thing. It really seemed to be setting up for her complete denial of Narnia in the later books.

"My sister Susan," answered Peter shortly and gravely, "is no longer a friend of Narnia." "Yes," said Eustace, "and whenever you've tried to get her to come and talk about Narnia or do anything about Narnia, she says, 'What wonderful memories you have! Fancy your still thinking about all those funny games we used to play when we were children.'" "Oh Susan!" said Jill. "She's interested in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations. She always was a jolly sight too keen on being grown-up." "Grown-up, indeed," said the Lady Polly. "I wish she would grow up. SHe wasted all her school time wanting to be the age she is now, and she'll waste all the rest of her life trying to stay that age. Her whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of one's life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can"

- the Last Battle

I also liked how Lucy teased Susan, also preparing for Lucy's jealousy of her sister in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

"Then it changed and Lucy, still beautiful beyond the lot of mortals, was back in England. And Susan (who had always been the beauty of the family) came home from America. The Susan in the picture looked exactly like the real Susan only plainer and with a nasty expression. And Susan was jealous of the dazzling beauty of Lucy, but that didn't matter a bit because no one cared anything about Susan now."

-Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Upon first seeing Susan fight in the battles in Prince Caspian I thought this to be quite different than the book. Especially considering what Father Christmas tells the girls in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. "But battles are ugly when women fight.". Although Lucy fights in battles in the Horse and His boy.

"She's not like Lucy, you know, who's as good as a man, or at any rate as good as a boy. Queen Susan is more like an ordinary grown-up lady. She doesn't ride to the wars, though she is an excellent archer."

-The Horse and His Boy

Though this does seem to contradict itself, and my point about Susan. But we must remember, not only Narnia has changed. Susan is not quite the same "Queen Susan the Gentle". She is much more Susan Pevensie, and besides "The Queen's grace will do as she pleases".

I loved Aslan even more in this one than I did in the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, if that is possible. As Lucy pointed out, he seemed more wonderful. "Every year you grow, I grow". I think as the movies are proggressing we are really getting to see Aslan's character more and more. I especially liked how the points Aslan has made in the book are repeating in the movie. What he tells Lucy, "We never know how things would have happened", for example, is similar to what he tells Aravis and Shasta in The Horse and His Boy.

"Child," said the Lion, "I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own."

-The Horse and His Boy

Aslan aslo made the children, particularly Peter, have to have faith in him, for really the first time. They have never had to wait for Aslan before, once again, "things never happen the same way twice, dear one".

As for Prince Caspian the movie looking like the book felt, I think it was very good.

The casting was of course very good, Prince Caspian was excellent. I really liked how the Telmarines were very unlike any other Narnians we have seen. Out of the four Pevensies, Edmund and Lucy have really grown up, although watching the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again, so have Peter and Susan, but Ed and Lu have really .... grown in to being Kings and Queens. They are going to be so very good in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The costumes were lovely, I really liked how most of them had a different style than the costumes from the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, they looked more...Telmarine. Even the old Narnians (Trumpkin, Centaurs, and others) looked as if they had been going sort of wild for the past several hundred years.

The "extra" characters were also well played. Trumpkin was at first more sarcastic than I remembered, but upon reading the book again he really wasn't. He aslo helped demonstrate a more savage narnia. As for Reepicheep, Lucy said everything, "Oh my goodness*, He is so cute!", exactly like I had always pictured him in the book. The centaurs were very different than the ones in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, they were much fiercer, and more wild looking. All of the creatures looked as if Aslan had not been there for a long time. As if they had almost forgotten about him.

I really loved what they have done with the Chronicles of Narnia as movies thus far, and I cannot wait to see the rest of them.

"Welcome, Prince," said Aslan. "Do you feel yourself sufficient to take up the Kingship of Narnia?" "I-I don't think I do, Sir," said Caspian. "I'm only a kid." "Good," said Aslan. "If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been a proof that you were not. Therefore, under us and under the Hight King, you shall be King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands."

Rebekah Rose

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Comments

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 - Hello!

Posted by nikisnotebook

That was a very well written review, Rose dear. Of course I cannot agree or disagree yet, as I have not seen the movie. Did your chickies hatch? I hope to see you soon.
Niki