Why Do You Have A Problem With VODT?

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Aslan's Child_1996

Aslan's Child_1996

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Okay, everybody. I can't take this anymore. I love narnia, books and movies. When I see people bashing the films because they were different from the books, it makes me scream at the computer. Narnia is important to me and my family. I understand the movies are different than the books, but come on. Do we really enjoy sitting in front of a computer all day writing negative things about a beloved series written by a great christian man? I know I don't. Narnia is a place where anything is possible, dreams run wild, and imagination takes over. It is not a place that needs to be spoiled by bitter comments, or disappointed people. If you are upset with the movie, write a mean letter if you have to, and then burn it or something. I see the movies as a new adventure in Narnia that we never got to read about because I love Narnia so much. I also have one question for all of you who write negatively about the films: Do you think your doing the future of this film series any good by responding so negatively to it?

Here we can talk about the positive things about VODT!!!
 
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I love the movie VDT! But I recognize that it had flaws. When other people harp on them, it does get on my nerves, but honestly, if they don't like the movie, they don't like the movie. Of course it's frustrating when they're negative about it and sometimes unintentionally make us like we're inferior for liking the movie. But just because they don't like the movie doesn't mean they aren't a Narnia fan. The books are Narnia canon. If they like the movies too, yay! But if not, they're not doing anything wrong.
 
I understand what you are saying. That is almost exactly what grandma said this morning: If people don't like the movie, they can just not like it. BUt they don't have to give it a lot of bad rap, do they?
 
Aslan's Child_1996 said:
I understand what you are saying. That is almost exactly what grandma said this morning: If people don't like the movie, they can just not like it. BUt they don't have to give it a lot of bad rap, do they?
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No, but they're entitled to share their opinion. I know how you feel, and I've avoided reading or posting on the Magician's Nephew thread because I feel so angry when I read the arguments people are having there. But people who don't like the movie are still entitled to have and share their negative opinion, as long as they obey the forum rules and deal with that negative opinion in an appropriate way.
 
I like the film series, but VDT is the weakest by far. However I do believe it was due to the environment it was made in. It does nerve me when people go on a bit about it though.
 
Of course they are. I just wish everyone loved Narnia like I do. Well.... never mind, then I wouldn't get to write these cool replies about why I don't think it was a bad movie!! But, you know..
 
Perhaps the reason I like VDT so much was because of how dreadful PC was. Had Prince Caspian been as good as LWW, I would more likely have been dissapointed with VDT. As it was, I didn't like some of the changes they made to the storyline, but I cried out of sheer joy and relief because they got the scenes with Aslan right. They kept the spiritual impact in the movie. I shed a few tears when Lucy saw the albatross in the sky and called on Aslan, and practically bawled at the end when Aslan told them how he is known by another name in our world, and Reepicheep went into Aslan's country. And I hardly ever cry in movies.
 
From a Filmmaking perspective VDT was poor Compared to PC. It has too many plot holes and feels very rushed and jumbled. Why did the Pevs. get pulled back into Narnia? (I know why, but the movie never said), why did Aslan give Telmarians swords? Weren't they the enemy? Why was that lord imprisoned? Where did the Green Fog bring the people in the boats? Why did they need to sacrifice the people? What did it do but tempt?

PC may have been less true to source material but it was well put together. I hope since Disney finally has no connection to MN that things will straighten out.
 
Soldier of Aslan said:
From a Filmmaking perspective VDT was poor Compared to PC. It has too many plot holes and feels very rushed and jumbled. Why did the Pevs. get pulled back into Narnia? (I know why, but the movie never said), why did Aslan give Telmarians swords? Weren't they the enemy? Why was that lord imprisoned? Where did the Green Fog bring the people in the boats? Why did they need to sacrifice the people? What did it do but tempt?

PC may have been less true to source material but it was well put together. I hope since Disney finally has no connection to MN that things will straighten out.
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That's an excellent point. But Peter's brattiness and Susan's fighting and stupid romance get on my nerves more. Like I said, VDT DOES have flaws, and I don't like the plot-holes, but I can enjoy the movie nonetheless. When a few of the CHARACTERS themselves are intolerable, it's a whole lot harder to still like the movie.
 
People explain pretty clearly in other threads WHY they have a problem with VODT. Is it really necessary to have a thread asking people this question? It seems like you already know the answer. Did you create this thread in the hopes that people would change their opinion or just because you really love VODT?
 
Aslan's Child, I agree with you!!! :D

While I agree that everyone has the right to their own opinion, and to express it, but it gets really annoying when all people have to sat is the negative stuff.
1) its only a movie! It's not as if it's that important compared to the Bible or something.. I mean, if somebody made a movie on the bible, a d changed any single sentence of it, I would be protesting on the streets. ;)
2) like Aslans Child said, do you who say all this negative junk about the movies think that you can change the movie or anything about the series by complaining?
3) maybe y'all can try to see where the moviemakers did not mess up, such as the spiritual themes in VDT. At least you could try to look at the good stuff about the movie, and you can not deny that there was some good stuff in that movie.
4) be glad that it is not a junky pg13 rated movie. I had someone tell me that they thought the VDT was too childish. My response? It is supposed to be for kids. Yes, the last battle is a tad darker then the others, but they are all childrens books, and should be made into childrens movies, not junky movies with loads of worldly themes in it. It is supposed to be childish. It is supposed to be that kind of movie. If you think that it was to childish then you should stop watching junky, pg13 movies and watch a ton of kids movies or something, then tell me about it. :)

Well, I feel as if I had another point, but can't recall it, and need to get in the shower, so I shall post later.
 
I definitely agree with point 4. How thankful I am that the movies have kept negative content to a minimum! The Narnia movies might not be just like the books, but they're good movies compared to others. Some people want the moviemakers to stop making Narnia movies, and this upsets me. They don't have to like the movies, but unless there are serious moral issues, they shouldn't want them not to make them. Seriously, the Narnia movies are some of the most family-friendly movies being made nowadays!
 
tirian_son_of_erlian said:
People explain pretty clearly in other threads WHY they have a problem with VODT. Is it really necessary to have a thread asking people this question? It seems like you already know the answer. Did you create this thread in the hopes that people would change their opinion or just because you really love VODT?
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I am not entirely sure. I love narnia so much. I just fet like expressing my thoughts on all this negativity!
 
MissReepicheep said:
I definitely agree with point 4. How thankful I am that the movies have kept negative content to a minimum! The Narnia movies might not be just like the books, but they're good movies compared to others. Some people want the moviemakers to stop making Narnia movies, and this upsets me. They don't have to like the movies, but unless there are serious moral issues, they shouldn't want them not to make them. Seriously, the Narnia movies are some of the most family-friendly movies being made nowadays!
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Same here!other than Soul Surfer, and Tangled I haven't seen a movie other than Narnia in theaters since last summer!
Aslan's Child_1996 said:
I am not entirely sure. I love narnia so much. I just fet like expressing my thoughts on all this negativity!
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Perhaps you should rephrase your first post, on making this thread the positive aspects of VDT. Right now it does sound a bit like " Why ya'll all being haters!?"
 
I can't believe I dare to post in this thread, but I have to explain myself...

QueenLucyTheValient said:
3) maybe y'all can try to see where the moviemakers did not mess up, such as the spiritual themes in VDT. At least you could try to look at the good stuff about the movie, and you can not deny that there was some good stuff in that movie.
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I can't deny it at all, you're right. In fact I thought the entire film was good, up to the Lone Islands. Then everything came crashing down. Also, I thought the spiritual themes were really the worst part. The theme of temptation is not in the book at all, yet it's the main theme of VDT (we're blatantly told so by Coriakin). I wouldn't mind this, except I never really understood how this film explains fighting temptation.

We're told that we must "defeat the darkness inside ourself" to defeat the darkness out there. All that means is that we have to look to ourselves in order to defeat temptations (I thought that the characters should look to Aslan, not themselves. Yet they never do).

In the end, the film seemed to be about how the kids can take care of themselves. Lucy (not Aslan) stops Caspian and Edmund from killing each other. Lucy reads a magic spell, and nothing really happens. She dreams, and then Aslan tells her she's special, she should be proud of who she is, and not be like anybody else. Nice message, but different from the book - and I feel like I hear this in a lot of films. Eustace turns into a dragon, but oh! everything is okay. That just means he's extraordinary. Finally, in the end, the scary mist is destroyed, and Lucy says "We did it. I knew we could" (emphasis added). Then Edmund says "I don't think it was just us." But is he talking about Aslan? No, he means Eustace!
Please forgive the sarcasm in the last paragraph. It's a problem I have.
In the book, Aslan carries them through the story, saves the day for them. Yet in the film, even the long-awaited albatross did nothing but fly over them. I felt gypped! I don't really think the filmmakers purposely did all that. I just think that they don't understand the story very well.

4) be glad that it is not a junky pg13 rated movie. I had someone tell me that they thought the VDT was too childish. My response? It is supposed to be for kids. Yes, the last battle is a tad darker then the others, but they are all childrens books, and should be made into childrens movies, not junky movies with loads of worldly themes in it. It is supposed to be childish. It is supposed to be that kind of movie. If you think that it was to childish then you should stop watching junky, pg13 movies and watch a ton of kids movies or something, then tell me about it. :)
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The rude way you talk about PG-13 films makes me think repeatedly of The Lord of the Rings, which deserves none of this generic (though often true) criticism.

I'm homeschooled. The only R-rated film I've seen is The Passion of the Chirst. All I watch these days are chick-flicks, because that's what Mom wants to watch. The action movies I get to enjoy are rated PG. So I think I basically fall under your "watch a ton of kids movies" category.

Here's what I thought: LWW was good because it appeals to children (the target audience of the books) and still has something for the adults, not to laugh at, but to actually enjoy. PC had less appeal to children and more to adults, but VDT? VDT was, for the most part, rather "childish". What I mean is that the film appeals to children, but much less to adults, because the story was less mature (I mean mature in a good way). We can't just say "it's a children's film" about Narnia, because that's not what the Chronicles really are. They were written for children, but adults still enjoy reading them. Tell me, do adults often read "The Boxcar Children" stories? No? That's because they're less mature material than the Chronicles of Narnia.

Now, let me say once more: I really don't hate VDT. I dislike a great deal of it, and I've explained why. If you disagree with my opinion, please feel free to explain, but if you want to attack something, attack my points, not me. That happens enough in the news article comments.
Please note, this is the first time in over a month that I've posted criticism in this forum. I'm not a Narnia-hater. I love the books (and the first two films) with all my heart.



Again, I really fear pushing submit... please don't flame me.
 
No, I'm not going to flame you for posting that. In fact, I gave you rep for it! :p

I agree with most everything that you said. And the part about the boxcar children series made me crack up. I'm embarrassed for loving those books so much when I was younger!

All of your points about the spirituality in the film are valid, and I agree. But compared to run-of-the-mill films, they're still significantly better in regards to faith, even if it does fall short at times. If anything, the places where it fell short just inspired me to think deeper and more analytically about what I believe.
 
MissReepicheep said:
No, I'm not going to flame you for posting that. In fact, I gave you rep for it! :p

I agree with most everything that you said. And the part about the boxcar children series made me crack up. I'm embarrassed for loving those books so much when I was younger!

All of your points about the spirituality in the film are valid, and I agree. But compared to run-of-the-mill films, they're still significantly better in regards to faith, even if it does fall short at times. If anything, the places where it fell short just inspired me to think deeper and more analytically about what I believe.
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You've got a good point there. I think that no matter how theologically unsound VDT might be, it's still better than a lot of the - ahem - garbage out there. Nice to have a film that at least tries to have Christian roots. BTW, I loved those Boxcar Children books when I was little too, so don't be embarrassed. (In fact that was all I read until I discovered Narnia! :eek:)
 
Aslan's Child_1996 said:
Okay, everybody. I can't take this anymore. I love narnia, books and movies. When I see people bashing the films because they were different from the books, it makes me scream at the computer. Narnia is important to me and my family. I understand the movies are different than the books, but come on. Do we really enjoy sitting in front of a computer all day writing negative things about a beloved series written by a great christian man? I know I don't. Narnia is a place where anything is possible, dreams run wild, and imagination takes over. It is not a place that needs to be spoiled by bitter comments, or disappointed people. If you are upset with the movie, write a mean letter if you have to, and then burn it or something. I see the movies as a new adventure in Narnia that we never got to read about because I love Narnia so much. I also have one question for all of you who write negatively about the films: Do you think your doing the future of this film series any good by responding so negatively to it?

Here we can talk about the positive things about VODT!!!
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First of all, I get rather annoyed when people say, "Oh, stop bashing the movies! Just get over it!" and then create a thread for positive things about VODT. I hate to tell you, but that implies that you don't really want to hear why people dislike the movie, and frankly, if you were paying attention to any other discussion thread in this subforum, you wouldn't have needed to create this kind of thread.

I personally am not going to respond to this question because you know what? I AM TIRED of being told that I am in the wrong for hating the movie. I am TIRED of being told that I can't have my opinion, and I am TIRED of seeing threads where people can't seem to understand a simple concept of how some people feel. I'm going to tell you like I've told others: PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM ARE FREE TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS, AND YOU DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO TELL THEM TO DO OTHERWISE. And to be perfectly honest, there are so many discussion threads about VODT that the mods may need to come in and clean up after members who aren't careful about creating new threads. :rolleyes:

I'm beginning to feel like I'm not tolerated because I voice my opinion on something....and that's not the way a forum operates. I believe i'll be taking this concern to the moderators, because it's getting worse with members telling other members to shut up about this topic, and when they're basically snubbing people because they dont' share the same opinion. If you dont' like dissenting opinions, don't be active on a forum. That's what forums are for: differing discussions and differing opinions.
 
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I'm sorry that you're so upset and angry. It's not fair for anyone to say that you're not allowed to dislike a movie just because it's based on the books we all love. If I like apples and you don't that doesn't mean you're foolish or don't have good taste. We're just different, that's all.

I'm sorry for being so critical of you in the past.
 
Discussing what you like...and what you dislike...is a matter of intellectual freedom. I think I can sense some of the concerns that are being expressed, and I'll try to sum them up here:

1. Cool it, guys. The filmmakers monitor these forums and you're going to screw it up for those of us who really WANT more movies by claiming you speak for us and that the fandom hates the films!

2. It isn't enough that you hate it, you're trying to convert those of us who may be ambivalent that it is really stupid.

I think I can speak for the silent majority who want more movies that there should be more movies for us to see. Nobody should try to strip us of our right to have such movies. Well I don't see anyone trying to do that, actually.

Hollywood may be stubborn and even misguided, but it is not STUPID and they know that EVERY MOVIE EVER MADE has its detractors and even haters. Including Gone With the Wind. All the people out there ready to crucify Harry Potter upside down did not prevent the movies from being made or stop the kids from seeing them. Aravis Kenobi is not Madeline O'Hair and she's not lobbying Congress to have Narnia taken out of movie houses. She just doesn't like the movies. I just don't like "The Breakfast Club" or "High School Musical." EVERYONE doesn't like SOMETHING.

My point is don't rally to defend your side in this thread to sway the producers. Winning your arguement here will not make or break Horse and His Boy, nor will it cancel Silver Chair.
 
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