Everyone that has read it knows that The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a very episode book without a real through-line. It’s more of a series of singular episodes that the characters randomly run into on the way through. SFX magazine has an interview with director Michael Apted that is coming in a future issue of the magazine, and have a preview here.
Speaking exclsuively to SFX for a feature in an upcoming issue, Apted reveals, “We were able to steal, really, from the book CS Lewis didn’t write, which is the one that would have gone between The Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair. He starts The Silver Chair with the witches building up an army underground to attack the above world, and Caspian, having married The Blue Star of [Ramandu] is an old man with a son, and he married the Blue Star of Ramandu. In other words, a lot of things had happened between the books. So there were elements that we were able to draw out of that non-existent story and inject into this story to give it a bit more sense of purpose. And the CS Lewis estate didn’t seem to mind that, because there is a big hole in the story if you’re going to be literal about it. Whereas Star Wars and Harry Potter are a bit more attentive to that flowing stream of franchise narrative, Mr Lewis wasn’t so keen on it. But it enabled us to find a stronger reason for the journey, since there is no real reason for the journey as it stands.”
Interestingly, Lewis did leave a lot of holes that can be used to fill in the missing pieces of the story. You can read the rest of the interview in an upcoming issue of SFX Magazine!
My personal thoughts: When he talks about the “witches building an army,” I have a feeling that might be a case of differing grammar in the U.K., or just a typo based on a spoken interview. Perhaps he meant “witch is building an army.” Also, there is really not much of a reason for the journey in the book… they just go. It’s a time of peace in the book, and Caspian is going to find the seven lost lords, sure, but other than that, it’s not much motivation, to me. It’s not like we, as an audience, are so endeared to the seven lost lords to be so inclined to wish for their return in the story, as the book gives no backstory to them. But that’s just my opinion. What do you think?
so they change ıt!
well ı really thınk now , ın thıs movıe BOOK IS BETTER THAN MOVIE
beacuse narnıa ıs orgınal, they trıed to do lıke harry poter but ı dont lıke h.potter ı lıke narnıa
ıı have dısapoıntet am ı rıgt? Please wrıte a reply
No sense in judging a film before you’ve seen it, regardless of what you have read about it.
^Ditto to what Paul said. But in a sense, I don’t understand where Apted is coming from because I’ve never heard of the “unwritten story.” Maybe I’m missing something….but if Lewis thought it was important enough, wouldn’t he have done like Tolkien did and write other books that explored other story ideas? Or even an appendix in the back of one of the books???
Well, Lewis and Tolkien were not the same man… so while Tolkien would have done that, Lewis wasn’t too concerned with that. I do, however, remember hearing that a publisher some time ago was planning a new Narnia series of books that would take place at different parts of the timeline of Narnia. It never came to pass, though.
that would be cool to check out-
I don’t know, because I haven’t seen the movie yet. 🙂
Some of the changes that have been revealed form various sources look that they actually enhance what Lewis was trying to convey. But the whole “seven swords” thing they used to try to tie the book together is looking worse and worse to me all the time.
they were probably just looking for a way to symbolize the reason for the journey, to make it visual for a movie.
I’m not worried, I think it’s going to be a great movie. I’m sure Micheal Apted had many talks with Doug Gresham. The CS Lewis estate sounds okay with it, then so am I.
“There is no real reason for the journey as it stands.
Personally, as I added to the article above.. finding seven lost lords that we have never met isn’t too much of an audience draw.. but saving Narnia (where we’ve been).
*sigh* That’s the sad reality of modern films. Characters who do the right thing simply because it is the right thing have become very rare. They must now be forced or tricked into doing the right thing somehow.
Nobility and responsibility are themes all throughout the books. Very sad to see them being watered down for commercial gain.
I completely agree with you, its all about faith, Caspian promised Aslan he would go back and look for the lost Lords, the through line, if you pay attention, is all about Caspian maturing into a proper king with guidance from Aslan, Edmund and Lucy. Along with Eustace growing into a good faithful person.
Exactly..You’re right. And there is a purpose for the voyage.
I Totally agree on the reason for the journey, I thought it was much stronger than “swords”. Although I do like how they added the witch, she’s a great actor and a good adition to the movies.
“hary potter and starwars”? I wish they would stop acting like narnia is HP, it’s NOTHING LIKE IT! Hope he doesn’t try to make this “like” HP, it could ruin it 🙁
This definitely does not give me much confidence in Michael Apted. “…witches building an army…” in Silver Chair? The Green Witch is somehow “witches”?
Plus, the “Blue Star of Ramandu” does not exist in the books – not even in between them!
Apted seems to be so confused by what they created that he can’t distinguish between what Lewis wrote and what they dreamed up themselves – which was NOT “suggested” by Lewis in any way, shape or form!
I think that “Blue Star of Ramandu” is just what he says when he means Ramandu’s Daughter.
Exactly. But the use of the phrase for the character *in the book* is not appropriate.
The argument that these major changes were “suggested” by Lewis is just plain nonsense.
I missed your comments on the “witches” thing, Paul. However, “witch is” does not fit the sentence: “…starts The Silver Chair with the witches building up…” I frankly don’t think he knows the books well at all.
I dunno… speech patterns are generally different than writing. Perhaps he paused somewhere, perhaps he said “which the witch is.” Perhaps the article’s author didn’t know enough about it and just wrote it that way (wouldn’t be the best journalism, but even The New York Times has errors). We know that he didn’t grow up reading the books from interviews (plus his age). I’m just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt that things might have been lost in translation. Especially until the full interview is posted. Perhaps there’s a follow-up question or other comments that will shed more light on this. We’ll see.
Someone should ask him.. if he ment “which is” or “Witches” that would clear this up easily! anyhew I would totally be (I better not say) if they made The whitches building up a huge fortress or whatever! Seems like Michael is trying too hard to make it dramatic! I don’t fully understand Movie to Book theory about how you have to add to the story line to make it better! I want to own the WHOLE narnia series someday and I hope Michael doesn’t change that!
This is a sad trend that started in the mid 80’s with Rambo -sly stallone/arnold shwrz. movies- the big mega blockbuster action movie. Everything “has ” to be dramatic-overblown- epic!! if this could have been made in the seventies, they would likely have kept it as gentle and introspective as the source material was. And PC could have been closer to the book with out having to been centered around bashing in heads. The family could have been kept close and loving whilst fighting outside forces. Now you need to make the kids snotty and rebellious to seem hip. The filmakers would be wise to realize there is a huge market for movies where people can dream about belonging to a close knit family like the on-screen one, and there are lots of character exchanges and bonding. That’s why the brady bunch is still popular after 30 years. people fantasize about it being THEIR family. All the movies are so cold hearted now- wish the narnia producers would take a chance and make an old fashioned movie again. thats why LWW was so popular, PC not so much.
Thats exactly what I was thinking… espiecally with LWW it was so light hearted and if you think about it (in todays world) almost slow… but I liked it that way it didn’t have a ton of action they changed some things around (like the hide and seek and going into the wardrobe timing) but that was fine even the battle wasn’t dark and “headbashing” although I thought most of the battles in PC were awesome… they should tone it down now!
I suspect you may be right, Paul. We can only hope.
Ya. The article seems awful choppy. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, especially with VDT. What he says makes perfect sense – C.S. Lewis left a lot of hints. VDT WILL be amazing.
I am a bit worried about the witches thing I guess, but like you said, could be an error, most likely an error, as the rest of the article is a little off-sounding…. SC is my favorite book, but it may be a little early to start worrying about it :P. Plus I’m sure they’ll do fine.
Let me make myself clear. I am not against making changes to the story. What I am against is using such illogic to try to explain what they did. To say that Lewis “suggested” any of this is just mind-boggling, to say the least.
I would rather have them take 3..4..or even 5.. years to make this movie… AS LONG AS THEY DON’T MESS IT UP! haha. but one year… wow… This movie went down 5% on IMDB today! “I can’t stand all this uncertainty!”
I wouldn’t mind if there are multiple witches, actually. The idea of there being a bunch of witches of different colors. Alone, this movie will probably seem to deviate unnecessarily, but if tied in correctly with the other stories, it could be awesome. This was not done correctly with Prince Caspian. I’m still not sold on Edmund’s movie PC Peterification, but I’m excited.
I kind of wish they gang were looking for the seven lords’ arm bands instead of swords. At least the bands are mentioned.
It sounds like he has never even read the books… “Witches?” There is only one “Witch” in the silver chair
and not one in the dawn treader!
well, I like this! 🙂
and Lewis himself said, “If you want more, write your own stories…..” so here we go! yay!
Why the story needs to be so intense? Dont we all know the simple things are the best? And why the story to “hurry to save something”, in this so rushed-time world?
I wish someday people stop and think : Why to run if I can apreciate the way?!
I made a mistake forgot to use word “need” on the sentense:
And why the story NEEDS to
Sigh. This is getting worse and worse all the time. And would someone please explain to me why Telmarines who set sail pre-PC, and who are possibly the closest thing to an embodiment of secularism in the series (so much so that it seems to be why everyone but me hated the last movie), have magic swords, let alone ones capable of saving all Narnia from some mysterious hitherto unmentioned creepiness? (Sheesh, would it have been too much for it to be the doing of Tash, at least?)
Everytime Apted opens his mouth, he makes it obvious that he knows nothing about these books. I was really looking forward to this, though they’d gotten it right from the earlier reports, now the more I hear, the more discouraged I get, and the less it sounds like the book (we weren’t going to make the mistake of deviating from the book this time as I recall, now it seems to be even less like the book than PC).
But at least it’s got that 3D thing, so it won’t be totally shlocky and make the mistake of trying to be the big season hit like P.C. did. Oh wait.
But at least it won’t be coming out within a week or two of major movies that everyone else has long been looking forward to like P.C. did. Oh wait.
All right, Lewis wasn’t perfect either: Telmarines hated and avoided the seas, and suddenly three years after PC, they had experienced seamen like Drinian. But at least those were Lewis’ mistakes. Besides, I always figured the experienced seamen of the Dawn Treader were Galmian or Archenlanders by birth.
I almost wish they WOULDN’T do Silver Chair next now, because Tilda Swinton is completely wrong for the part (the Green Lady was supposed to be charming and compelling, not T.S.’s usual overdone creepy thing that she does in every movie she’s in), and like the old BBC series, they seem determined to equate the two witches.
Have you ever heard the phrase that only God can take a bad situation and bring good from it? Such as in the story of the boy that they based the movie Letters to God on. Perhaps it is atonement for living by the sword, that they must give them up? I don’t know if that’s what it will come across as at all, just a guess, but who knows?
I’m not sure what you’re saying here. I think that the writers seem to have completely misunderstood the point of “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”, which is that during peacetime in Narnia, Caspian could keep an honor-bound pledge and set sail on a great adventure simply for the sake of that adventure (as the writers missed the point that PC was about valor, they miss the point that VDT is about the explorer’s urge), and the urge (embodied by Reep) to find Aslan’s country, the great “sehnsucht” that was the driving force of all Lewis’ writings, from Pilgrim’s Regress onward.
If you’re saying that the writers are capable of making all these changes work, then I’ll grant you that. They more succeeded than failed with their changes in both previous movies (maybe 70/30). Playing up the “faith in Aslan” element in PC worked… but it was transparently not what the book was about (having ironically cut out the only part of the book that explicitly dealt with it, as they see Aslan one by one, a major plot point for Susan’s character).
If your argument is that for some reason the writers HAVE to change everything (for legal reasons, whatever), and that they can make it work or God can bring good of it, then I refer you to the words of a very wise man: “To turn this into a general charter for afflicting humanity… is not indeed to break the divine scheme but to volunteer for the post of Satan within that scheme. If you do his work, you must be prepared for his wages.” I’ll give you a hint on who said that – it’s from “The Problem of Pain.” 🙂
Paul, are you a fan of Narnia?
Because if you are then you should be outraged! That fact that the film makers are saying that this movie has anything to do with the book is absolutely a flat out lie! I have never the trailer for a movie that less reassembled the book it was supposedly based on.
* seen the trailer for a movie
No, I built this website and have spent countless hours and thousands of dollars on something that I am not much of a fan of…
Honestly, why in the world should I be outraged? Can I not save my judgement for the final product? I will wait to post my review until I have seen it twice. First, to take it all in, second to look at what they did (or tried to do). I never, ever, review a movie based only on a trailer. That is dangerous. A trailer is meant to entice you to see a film, and leave you wanting to see how the story is resolved, or to just enjoy it. They aren’t meant to tell the whole story, and they haven’t. (I have a friend who writes trailers. He wrote one for Night at the Museum 2.)
thank you paul!!! i agree with you whole heartedly!! and i like your opening line…hehe! 😀
i think people always get WAY to upset about all the rumors, trailers, interviews, etc. before a movie comes out. maybe they’ll be right, maybe i’ll hate it, but at least i can wait to hate till after i’ve seen it! and personally i think that i will absolutely love it. hey, PC was like the worst book adaption eve,r but that movie…well i think it’s awesome.
i’m going to enjoy myself and get excited!!! yay VDT!
You tell him Paul! sorry Paul about what I’ve said on here I’ve been looking way to close into this and I’ve been freaking out and acting (almost) as not smart as strawberry! sorry again! like everyones been saying don’t judge until you see the final product! hope it ROCKS! and thanks sooooooooooo much for, “spending countless hours and thousands of dollars” on this website! as I always say… YOU ROCK!
What I said was meant to refer to only the trailer. If i have said anything that makes anyone believe that I was judging the finished project I am sorry. And about what I said to you Paul, I apologize for that. That was right after I had read the article and I was upset. Now I realize that I should not have been so harsh.
I disagree, most everything in the trailer was similar, just not the “lords” part which is switched with “swords”. I really don’t think that will change the story much at all.
There’s only one problem with the sword, a GOOD part has been taken out. Everyone who has read the book will remember the part close to the end where there at a long table and lucy see’s the sword that killed aslan in the middle of the table. I thought this part would be SO COOL in a movie, it adds to the “mystery” of narnia. But in the trailer the table has like “six” or less swords sitting there and he seems to set the last sword down to call “ramandu” the star’s daughter. So, the swords isn’t going to change the story much at all but it does take out that one sen I wanted in the movie 🙁
Well Cabel, I see no evidence, that the scene with Aslans tabel and the stone knife is not in the movie. I think it is – I even think you can see it along with the other swords in the trailer.
When the crew arrives at Ramandus Island, they will find the table with only the stone knife – just like the book. They will then place the 6 swords at the table – then they meet Lilliandil and goes to defeet the darkness. They find the last lord and Eustace (after becomingen af boy again) places the last sword with the others. But the scene with the table and the stone knife is still there 🙂
YAY, never mind, I’m glad it’s still there 😀 I’ll check the trailer 😉
P.S. It’s caleb, not cabel 😛
the stone knife is there, i saw it, you have to look closely
Sounds more like a video game that Lewis’ writings. In fact, I think it was pretty much how I won “Prince of Persia: the Warrior Within” the other day. So if we can’t find the last sword, we can’t call down Ramandu’s daughter (or rather Sir-Not-Appearing-In-This-Film’s Daughter, reprising his role from Monty Python and the Holy Grail), and we can’t get to the big boss battle with the Evil Mist and see the closing cutscene with Aslan.
You know, seriously, I assume there’s a video game tie-in. Maybe they do know what they’re doing.
Has anyone considered the fact that this could mean there planning on making “the silver chair” 😮
I have considered that, too, Caleb. It seemed odd that he would say so much about Silver Chair, when the focus is on this film.
mmm hmm.
SC next!? maybe!!! something to start getting excited about ya’ll!
Yeah, I can see it now… the NarniaWeb header changes from “Voyage of the Dawn Treader Movie News” to “The Silver Chair Movie News”… before VDT is released! I hope they make the next film REALLY soon; the gap between PC and VDT was way too long!
You mean NarniaFans. Duh. LOL
I thought they just got done announcing that their heart really wasn’t in doing “The Silver Chair” next?
Of course, there’s always the possibility that that was misinformation.
Of course, if we’re saying that, there’s always the possibility that all this bad news about the plot is misinformation. Maybe there’s hope yet.
Of course it could just be that there “leaving a place” for it if they decide to do it 😉
I think that “the magicina’s nephew” should be right before “the last battle”, like how C.S. Lewis wrote it 🙂 Sorta like the starwars series 😛
I will call it like it is. The Narnia movies don’t have the magic of the books in any way shape or form.
From the non existent animals in the first movie or lack of Aslan in the second, they strip the magic right out of the movies.
I expect nothing good from this movie because instead of trying to bring out the brilliance of Lewis, they have tried to emulate the success of HP and LOTR.
I wish the movies didn’t exist because it kills me knowing that they will never be what they should have been.
sadly I almost agree with you… they need to make these movies there own! >LWWLWWLWWhintLWWLWW<
Stop trying to make these movies so epic and crazy like PC! make it it's own! follow the book!
I agree they don’t have to be so heroic, it’s about the adventure.
The first book was VERY good at shwoing the “magic”, it’s just PC that didn’t.
Everybody CALM DOWN. Take a deep breath. Relax. 🙂
You’re carrying on and on about something you have absolutely no control over. DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. It’s like sitting in a rocking chair; you never go anywhere – just back and forth, back and forth.
The people who have made these films do care about the books, but they also want to make the best movies possible. Yes, they’re different from the books, but they aren’t books. They’re movies. And as such they carry with them different expectations, forms, and goals. Besides, the books will always be there, no matter what happens with these movies.
None of us have seen this new film, beginning to end, in its finished state. So PLEASE, let’s not pass judgment on it before then.
It really isn’t something to get upset over. Trust me. There are much bigger issues in our world today.
I agree with Katy. Let’s just wait for the film and then come to conclusions. Whatever’s happened has happened. The film is complete.
I don’t think the movie needs to be exactly like the book, I personally think that the LOTR movies are the best set of movies ever and they don’t follow the book perfectly.
That being said I feel that they have gotten away from what Narnia is. You can say all day that we shouldn’t judge a movie before we see it but I have will judge this movie before hand because of what hasn’t changed.
Mark Johnson is still the producer, Walden Media is still the studio, an overblown war breaks out in every movie and for what ever reason Tilda Swinton is still around!
I didn’t need to see star wars epidsode 3 to know that it was going to be bad, I had already seen 1 and 2.
To be completely fair, the Star Wars prequels are a matter of opinion. If you thought that 1 and 2 were bad, and therefore 3 was going to be bad, then you set yourself up to feel that way. The prequels arguably improved with each one, and many feel that 3 was as good as the originals.
“many feel that 3 was as good as the originals”
That is crazy talk.
I think the books are good enough the way C.S. Lewis rote them. And the fact tha Caspian made an oath to Aslan to find th seven lords is reasin enough for the voyage to me, I hope he dosn’t ruin it like disney did, or worse.
“Interestingly, Lewis did leave a lot of holes that can be used to fill in the missing pieces of the story.”
I agree that it’s VERY interesting that he did that. … Which is why I wish the filmmakers weren’t undoing that and filling them. 🙁
What I sort of meant by that, is the fact that in The Silver Chair there is this entire underground world that came to be, as well as a capture that had to have happened that can be told a bit more than in the books. I think Lewis left a lot unsaid because he was writing for children and wanted to keep the book succinct. A creative writer augmenting the story to fill those gaps has been done before: the Radio Drama does it. The entire beginning of the Dawn Treader radio drama is about Miraz sending the seven lords away. That is something that Lewis hinted at, but was done very well and added a bit to the story.
I think he meant to say “witch is” with either a misunderstood “with/which” or just a change in train of thought.
What it seems is that they are trying to give the Green Lady a reason for trying to take over Narnia even though Nobody seemed to care why Jadis or the Telmarines took over Narnia. Also, most of the time, nobody cares why. Since he brought up Star Wars and Harry Potter, we don’t know how or why Leia took control of the rebellion nor do we care. We don’t know anything about Hermione’s family or neighborhood nor do we care.
Any speculation is intended for the realm of fan-fic and fan-fic should never make it to the big screen.
I always thought of fan fiction as creating your own stories using the world and characters from a book that you loved, and creating your own adventures for them that are apart from the book. With adaptations for the big screen, I see it as augmentation of the story, not fan fiction, but rather interpretation or re-interpretation so that the written word can be best translated to the big screen.
As for Leia and the rebellion, it’s kind of explained. She was the adopted daughter of one of the founding members of the rebellion, therefore she took up the task when she was old enough.
The last Superman movie has been called “the most expensive fan-fiction ever made.” It was not well-received for this very reason – too many liberties with the legend.
By whom? Every ten-twenty years, in comics, they re-tell the origin stories of many superheroes. Who says which one is the most accurate version? When Superman was created, he couldn’t fly even though he wore a cape.
Oh dear, so much drama! I’m excited for the movie. I understand there are going to be some differences. So do you all–you’ve seen the trailers!
Has anything that Michael Apted said really been that much of a shocker to you? We already knew about the plot changes–again from the trailers and previous interviews.
I think everybody just needs to take a chill pill and relax. Enjoy the movie when it comes out. Enjoy any messages that are in it. Mourn for those that are left out. Find the magic of Narnia in it–I know I’ve seen that magic in the trailers I’ve seen so far.
And…calm…down…
Lewis may have intentionally left this volume episodic and seemingly without meaning. The meaning to be discovered in the next book through patience and faith…much like life itself. Lewis had already personally experienced this. So, it is not beyond possibility. Audiences, however, must be captured and kept. An episodic, seemingly meaningless story would flop at the box office. So, we have reality intruding on fantasy. Can’t wait to see the movie!
I just heard a rumor that Tilda Swinton will be in all 7 movies!
WHAT??? WHY??? Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. And what’s this with her being the Green Witch??? She doesn’t fit that role. And besides, the Green Witch IS NOT the White Witch, so why use the same actress?
Two problems I see with this article: In the book, things did not happen “randomly.” They have a purpose and each event built up to the next one culminating with meeting Aslan.
Also in the book there is no mention of any “Blue Star.” This is purely a movie thing. She was simple called Ramandu’s daughter, and nowhere does it says that it glows blue as if warning about Orcs nearby.
Two other things: If CS Lewis didn’t write the book. How does he know what it was intended. This all in his head. Second, The Lewis Estate is not the same as Lewis himself, so just because the “Estate” approved, it doesn’t mean Lewis would have.
He knows what is intended because the book alludes to things. The simple fact that the green witch is there, as well as the army, means that she indeed must have been building an army. There’s no question that she had to have been. Just like how there was a tree protecting Narnia from Jadis, but sometime between Magician’s Nephew and LWW, it wasn’t the case anymore. We know something happened, we don’t know what, and Lewis never says what.
I always assumed that the winter spell was specifically intended to “kill” the tree, that is, deaden it for winter, enabling her to conquer Narnia and chop it down.
You see how easy it is to come up with a logical story to fill in things that Lewis left out?
The problem with this theory is that the tree protected Narnia. If the tree protected Narnia from Jadis, than how is she able to cast a spell on it (Narnia)?
I have PLENTY else to say… but I’ll just say that for now. As people reply, I’ll reply back with more.
I assumed that the tree protected Narnia, but wasn’t prepared to function fully during an overlong dormancy, an artificially extended winter.
I’ll have to check my chronicles. Did they say that the Witch ruled for 100 years, or only that the winter was 100 years? After 50 years of winter, the tree might be weak enough that the witch could conquer and rule for the last 50.
It might even partially explain how Mr. Tumnus could remember “happy times” (if snowy ones) even though he aged so quickly during the Pevensies’ reign.
In any case, cutting out large portions of a beloved book to make room for writers’ speculations is typical Hollywood scoundrelry (if that’s a word).
I didn’t fully address that point. My understanding is that the tree only kept the witch away (because she could no longer bear to be within a certain radius of it). She could theoretically cast the winter spell from afar by way of spearheading her conquest.
I still don’t understand how the Witch could have cast a spell over Narnia, because the tree was protecting it, but that would make sense with Tumnus… I never could quite figure out how he remembered the “happy times”. But, anyway… I guess that isn’t really the real point here. I agree totally with what you’ve said about what they’ve done to the actual film.
This is the same “Lewis estate” that swears Orual wasn’t really ugly; she just thought she was. (Without even getting into that Dark Tower business, which I personally think is genuine.)
The point I was getting at is that there’s already so much material in the book to make a great movie out of it. I think movie makers just go out of their way to try to outdo the writer. There is no reason to try “explain” things that are not in the story just because they want to include them in the movie (thus changing the story altogether).
I could also easily come up with a lot of explanations for things that aren’t there, but I would not be so conceited to say that that is what Lewis intended.
Indeed. Last I knew, it was reported here that the movie has a comparatively short run-time, compared to the last two. There’s so much in the book that can be done, and the writers delight in gutting it to make room for their own material.
I remember the Extended Version of the Return of the King, and how disappointing it was. No time for the Watchers, but time for fart jokes and obviously ad libbed nonsense in the drinking contest. The Narnia movies haven’t been anywhere near as bad as Peter Jackson in this regard, but the trend seems to be each movie having less and less to do with the original Narnia book.
By the time of “The Last Battle”…? The mind reels. If you take out “all that religious stuff”, what’s left?
Personally, I consider Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings to be of equal caliber to the books by Tolkien. While, yes, I would have liked to have the watchers and also a favorite part of mine, the Scouring of the Shire, I understood the reasoning for not doing that. I can still enjoy those things in the book any time that I want, while also enjoying the Extended Editions of the films when I want to watch the short-form.
I didn’t much like the drinking contest, but I got over it with the overall quality of the film.
As for the Narnia films, my mind is reeling about how much people are pre-judging the new film and closing their minds to the possibilities. When you say “less and less,” the first is likely referring to Prince Caspian, and the second – VDT. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again and again until December 10th: don’t pre-judge the religious content of a film that you have not seen. You’re going to have to trust me on this point. I just don’t understand the way people pre-judge things.
Definately. I totally agree
*I was replying to BK
…eh, reading everyone’s comments is bringing my excitment down…which it should NOT be! *sigh* Well, I am excited for VDT and hoping it’ll bring back some of the Narnian magic of LWW. But if doesn’t and it’s like PC, then i’ll still enjoy it because i love watching Prince Caspian, though it is different from the book.
For me, watching the movie and reading the book are in two different places. I don’t know if that is a good or bad thing but it’s just me.
And that’s my opinion….anyway: 45 days until December 10!!!