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The Film of the Week

The WORD of the Week

Matthew 3:7-10

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Stupid Fact of the Week

There was only one civilian casualty during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg

11 December, 2005

Graphic Language

THIS IS YOUR ONE AND ONLY WARNING: I DO NOT RECOMMEND YOU READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN "THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE."

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

It is breathtaking to be sure. However, almost equally breathtakingly excellent, it was also breathtakingly mediocre.

Insisting on close ups of the very emotive Mr. Tumnus seemed to be an excellent choice. However, the conflicting emotions pouring forth were often missed due to the disturbingly poor job done by the make up and prosthetics departments on his Faun nose.

As far as computer generation, some of the character work was brilliantly layered and composited. However, it seemed that the budget was busted on that, as some of the scenes that attempted to be made much more grand than any on-location set could provide, flopped miserably due to green screen editing so course it was almost laughable.

Costumes. On the whole, a good design. Very time-appropriate, though common, for the non-Narnia attire, with some dazzling, and others distracting, within the mystical forest. Aslan's costume was the best.

Music. Nice. Occasionally a bit overdramatic. But well-done, none the less.

Acting. Nothing special. A lot of choices I've seen before. Not necessarily bad, just familiar. I did not like the casting of Aslan.

Screenplay. Great adaptation. Pretty good pacing throughout, with little deviation from the original text, and even less deviation from the original intent.

Overall. I enjoyed the opportunity to relive the story, however I probably will not see it again on the big screen, nor will I purchase the dvd.

C.S. Lewis was a brilliant author. But Narnia is a fantasy series. A fantasy series that wonderfully engages the mind, encouraging the reader to fall back into the fertility of a child-like imagination. The land of Narnia, in many ways, represents such a fertile imagination, so very different from the stuffy mansion and the war-torn world from which the children came. As incredibly funny and realistic as some of the creatures were, seeing 4 young actors carry out dialogue with a realistic looking beaver (talking though he may be) somehow rings of something too realistic that is more distracting when viewed on the screen rather than in the mind.

If you did not heed my warning at the beginning of this post and are now apprehensive to see this film, please understand that the film is very well made and quite enjoyable (I even laughed aloud in several places), and I only now possess these opinions because I saw it myself. I would not wish to deprive anyone the same opportunity.

posted by Rockel @ 11:29 AM

4 Comments:

At 11/12/05 1:52 PM, Anonymous said…

believe it or not, I didn't actually care much for the casting of Aslan myself.
At 11/12/05 2:45 PM, Rockel said…

I don't believe you
At 11/12/05 4:47 PM, Anonymous said…

well, you don't have to, but it's true. I thought his voice should have been deeper, more commanding and more majestic when I first heard it.
At 12/12/05 3:40 PM, Anonymous said…

oops, i read this and have yet to see the movie. but don't worry, i still plan to see it (some day...). a couple weeks ago, i saw something in the paper about the movie and how c. s. lewis never wanted movies made out of the narnia stories. i mean, he really, really didn't want them to be movies. the director's response to this was that if lewis saw our modern-day screen technology stuff he would have had a different opinion.

really?

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Lyrics of the Week

ON THE NICKEL
by Tom Waits

("I'd like to do a new song here. This is eh, it's about downtown Los Angeles on 5th Street. And eh all the winos affectionately refer to it as The Nickel. So this is kind of a hobo's lullaby.")

sticks and stones will break my bones,
but i always will be true, and when
your mama is dead and gone,
i'll sing this lullabye just for you,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never comb their hair,
well they're lined up all around the block,
on the nickel over there.

so you better bring a bucket,
there is a hole in the pail,
and if you don't get my letter,
then you'll know that i'm in jail,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never say their prayers,
well they're sleepin' like a baby,
on the nickel over there.

and if you chew tobacco, and wish upon a star,
well you'll find out where the scarecrows sit,
just like punchlines between the cars,
and i know a place where a royal flush,
can never beat a pair, and even thomas jefferson,
is on the nickel over there.

so ring around the rosie, you're sleepin' in the rain,
and you're always late for supper,
and man you let me down again,
i thought i heard a mockingbird, roosevelt knows where,
you can skip the light, with grady tuck,
on the nickel over there.

so what becomes of all the little boys,
who run away from home,
well the world just keeps gettin' bigger,
once you get out on your own,
so here's to all the little boys,
the sandman takes you where,
you'll be sleepin' with a pillowman,
on the nickel over there.

so let's climb up through that button hole,
and we'll fall right up the stairs,
and i'll show you where the short dogs grow,
on the nickel over there.