Happy New Year to everyone!

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12/29/08
Having read some of the reviews on HSB, I was prepared for the changes the movie made from the book, and even ready not to like it because of them. But I've watched it twice now, and can say that I do like it.
So here are my thoughts on it:

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Whenever I read the books before, I always thought that when the children are sent back to their own world that they just pickup where they left off. The part with Peter in the fight showed me what a silly and stupid idea that was; of course you can't just be who you were before! Kings and Queens, all grown up,  honored and respected by all, then turning into a schoolkid again.
So when they come to Narnia, Peter is still resentful towards Aslan for not coming sooner, and not showing himself like he did to Lucy. Then he goes off on his own, relying on himself, and gets into a horrible mess. So even though it's not in the book, the Raid was good for teaching Peter a lesson.
And by the way, I think those centaurs who were stuck behind the gate could have lifted it if they tried, at least enough to let the other creatures get away.

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Edmund was good, though he didn't have much to do other than signaling with his torch, fighting, bringing the challenge to Miraz, and fighting again.
Lucy and Edmund were nearly as they were in the book. I haven't much to say about Lucy except she got to try to fight Nikabcik. Hopefully when they make The Horse and his Boy, they will put 'Queen Lucy among the archers.' like Corin said in that book.

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And then there's Susan the Warrioress. And though I'd rather they didn't have her fight, I didn't absolutely hate it either. Maybe she will be Susan the Gentle in The Horse and his Boy. Her flirting and kissing Caspian is just ridiculous. But since I read about it before, I wasn't very surprised about it.

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Reepicheep, my dear mouse, wasn't as good as he could have been. His voice should have been squeaky like it is in the Radio Theatre shows. And he should have been more courteous toward the Telmarine soldiers he slew. He should have killed them without having to have the last words like "Yes, I'm a mouse, get over it."

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My favorite part of the movie is the Duel, which is done very well. But then again I like to see sword fights that are good.

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Plus some other things:
Aslan barely appeared in the movie except as a minor character. It would have been great if they had shown more with him and Lucy waking the trees.
Trumpkin was a bit meaner and surly than he ought to have been I thought; but Nikabrik was perfect in his evil meanness.
Queen Prunaprismia didn't have red hair, or hate Caspian as much as she ought as in the book.
And then there's Caspian's brown hair (which isn't really a big deal), then his spanish accent, and his being around twenty years old, instead of 13-15 or so.

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So to sum it all up, I'll say that overall I liked the movie (it was ok), and await the next one.