Voyage of the Dawn Treader

[Haids1987]

OH MY GOSH! I'm so glad to see a thread about this movie!  I saw it last night--it was by far better than Prince Caspian, and was so true to the book.  I, too, am a "sucker for CS Lewis' work," and I was completely happy with this movie.  The Chronicles of Narnia touches me on such a deep religious level, and the director of VotDT did an awesome job making this the slap-you-in-the-face Christian allegory it as intended to be.

I brought an entire box of tissues with me to the theatre and they were well utilized.  My absolute favorite line from the whole Chronicles was included (): "...in your world I go by a different name.  You must learn to know me by that name.  That is the very reason you were brought to Narnia; that by knowing me here for awhile, you may know me better there." GAH!    Such a powerful line.  Such a powerful movie!

I expect that they'll make The Silver Chair into a movie, which would be okay, but I'll be curious to see if they'll do The Last Battle.  It would be tough to translate that concept onto the big screen.

[Damar]

I think that the Narnia stories are much better as books (speaking from my experience of having read and watched TLt***W).

I just have to start by saying how hard I laughed on seeing that the board censored that because the acronym inadvertently spelled a naughty word in the middle of it.  It's like when the board censored me for mentioning the title of a certain classic novel involving a white whale...

Anyway, I haven't seen this film yet, but I'm looking forward to it.  This was always my favorite book of the series growing up.  As an adult, I'm more partial to Silver Chair, which has a darker tone, and The Last Battle, which is just epic and heartbreaking (the worlds within worlds talk at the end of the book still gives me goosebumps).  In particular I'm looking forward to seeing how they handle the nightmare land and the edge of the world.  In this book especially there could be the temptation of the movie makers to go overboard with the dragons and the sea monster.  I hope that they keep perspective and handle the deeper themes and more subtle moments of the movie and don't just settle for eye candy.

And I also hope its successful because I really want to see the rest of the movies made.  Like I said, Silver Chair is just fantastic, and I'd really be interested in seeing Magician's Nephew.  I think that would make a really interesting movie.  And of course I would love to see The Last Battle on screen.  That would be incredible.  It was such a good book and a perfect end to the series.

[waltzdancing]

I didn't like the Last Battle. I was so confused by the ending, but I do want to see The Silver Chair be made. I loved that one too.

[LadyTerra]

When I read the series, I honestly had no idea that it even had Christian allegory, though it does explain the Last Battle.  I was so confused.  Still Voyage of the Dawn Treader was fun to read, and I can't wait to see the movie.  I hope they do the Silver Chair and the Magician's Nephew too.

[dark-daventry]

When I read the series, I honestly had no idea that it even had Christian allegory, though it does explain the Last Battle.  I was so confused.  Still Voyage of the Dawn Treader was fun to read, and I can't wait to see the movie.  I hope they do the Silver Chair and the Magician's Nephew too.

As my friend and I were walking out of The Dawn Treader, she was explaining to me that the whole Chronicles of Narnia series is basically a re-telling of the bible, with the characters and settings replaced with animals and magic and such. I'll be the first to openly admit I'm not religious, and as such have not yet the bible (nor do I plan to) but the idea of a book series (a masterpiece at that) essentially boiling down to a retelling of such an influential piece of writing is certainly an intriguing concept. And I do intend to read the Chronicles of Narnia series someday, it just depends on when I can get the time and when I can obtain copies of the series. With college eating away at my life, I've got no time to do anything but homework.

[wilco64256]

I too am hoping to see the other books done as movies, though I'm not too sure about A Horse and His Boy - I don't really see that one doing as well as a movie as the other remaining three.

[Haids1987]

Agreed, Weldon. Plus, the Pevensie kids aren't in that one too much, and I could see people getting confused as to why this Shasta is important, and wondering what he has to so with the story. That's another reason why I think that The Last Battle wouldn't do too well--it mainly focuses on the animals of Narnia, and on a prince who is based waaay in the future. The Pevensies don't show up until the end.

[Damar]

Yeah Horse and His Boy was easily my least favorite of the books.  I think that Last Battle could be incorporated more easily as the kids do show up and it's got all of them.

[spoiler]Well almost all.  I don't know if the writers and producers would have the guts to actually do the movie without Susan.  Personally, I found that heartbreaking in the books that she fell away from Narnia.  Of course that was completely eclipsed by the emotion of what actually ended up happening, how they really got to Narnia, and how everything ended not only for the kids but also for Narnia.[/spoiler]

Anyway, I really do hope they end up doing all the books.  They keep getting darker.  Magician's Nephew in particular could come off as very surreal and eerie with the world between the worlds, the White Witch's dying world, and of course the creation of Narnia.  I'd love to see that one.  We'd just have to see Horse and his Boy first though...

[Haids1987]

[spoiler]Personally, I found that heartbreaking in the books that [Susan] fell away from Narnia.  Of course that was completely eclipsed by the emotion of what actually ended up happening, how they really got to Narnia, and how everything ended not only for the kids but also for Narnia.[/spoiler]

Oh my gosh, I can't talk about the ending of The Last Battle without breaking into physical, gut-wrenching sobs.  Not just because, obviously, it's sad, but because it's so good.  No joke--I cried for two weeks after finishing The Chronicles.  When I was trying to describe to my mom what happens to Susan, that's more or less when I lost it.  But did you notice that in the VotDT movie [spoiler]the director already seemed to be phasing Susan out?  In The Last Battle the Pevensies mention that she is "no longer a friend to Narnia" and go on to talk about how she only cares about "lipsticks and invitations."  When Susan writes to Lucy in the VotDT movie, she only briefly mentions Narnia, but goes on and on about how she's been invited to this party and that event.  I feel like they were setting the audience up for Susan's eventual departure from the stories, and trying to show everyone where her priorities were beginning to lie.[/spoiler]

[Damar]

I haven't seen it yet, but plan to in a day or two.

[spoiler]That definitely sounds like they're alluding to phasing Susan out, though.  I have to give the writer credit for doing that.  It's not something you would normally see in a movie series.  A character dying or sacrificing themselves is one thing, but a character who just falls away and decides that they'd rather live a shallow, superficial life is something completely different.  What happened to Susan was absolutely heartbreaking, but also fairly realistic, and yet another allegory regarding religion, though in this case instead of theology, it's the belief in religion versus surrender to the world.[/spoiler]

And yeah, the ending of the Last Battle is so good.  It's not just emotional, but so well written and it has a perfect symmetry to it referring to the beginnings and endings.  And just the total surrealism with the stable versus Aslan's country.  The whole book is absolutely epic and easily the best of the series.  I desperately want to see it as a movie.  Plus, it has all the makings of a summer blockbuster.  Anti-christ?  Check!  Demons?  Check!  Massive battles?  Check!  Apocalyptic plot?  Check!  Heartbreaking ending?  Check!  Talking donkey?  Check!  It has everything!

[Haids1987]

Damar, the fact that you know your Narnia makes me love you!    You know the series!  I think I might be falling for you...

And just the total surrealism with the stable versus Aslan's country.

You're going to make me cry again!   The ending (beginning?) of the series is absoutely the most powerful, moving thing I have ever ecountered in a novel.  The quote that Lucy makes about the stable ("Yes," said Queen Lucy. "In our world too, a Stable once held something inside it that was bigger than the whole world.") is just such a pure, innocent statement that truly magnifies the symbolism behind the stable ("The Shadowlands") versus The True Narnia.

Do see the movie!   It's pretty true to the book, and Liam Neeson's voice as The Lion just gives me chills.

[Enchantermon]

Regarding Susan, I think that if The Last Battle is made, they will mention what happened to her. As I said before, Douglas Gresham is heavily involved in these movies making sure that they stay true to C. S. Lewis' themes, and that's one of the more important ones, theologically speaking. I hated it also, and it still saddens me whenever I think about it, but it needs to be there, and I bet Gresham would agree.

In other news, I may be seeing Voyage tonight!

[Haids1987]

As I said before, Douglas Gresham is heavily involved in these movies making sure that they stay true to C. S. Lewis' themes

Thank Aslan for that!

In other news, I may be seeing Voyage tonight!

[Enchantermon]

In other news, I may be seeing Voyage tonight!

Sad day...the friend who invited me had to move it to Wednesday because he wanted his wife to go too, and Wednesday was the only possible day for her. Unfortunately, I have praise team practice during showtime on Wednesday, so I can't go.
I may go on my own at some point this week, though; I dunno.

[Haids1987]

Awww, too bad. The waiting will make it all the better, though!

[kindofdoon]

praise team

What is that?

[Damar]

Damar, the fact that you know your Narnia makes me love you!    You know the series!  I think I might be falling for you...

Aw, you're gonna make me blush!

[Enchantermon]

praise team

What is that?

The praise team in my church. We lead the musical worship every Sunday.

Awww, too bad. The waiting will make it all the better, though!

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping.

[drunkenmonkey]

I saw it today. There were times during the movie when I forgot it was a 3D movie, even with the glasses on. There wasn't anything that I recall jumping out of the screen to remind you. It just seemed 3D for 3Ds sake as if just setting a standard. In the end I wasn't completely satisfied, seemed like golden compass all over again, but the ending did leave me wanting a sequel, hopefully it will be announced soon.

[Damar]

Just saw the movie.  It was good but I wasn't a fan of the stuff they added.  Voyage the book was all about the journey, and I get that the writers of the movie want to create an antagonist, but it just didn't work for me.  The whole mist thing just didn't make sense.  And the swords just seemed like a convenient way of fixing everything.  It all seemed tagged on.  But the part that bugged me was that in trying to create an evil antagonist, the writers simply created a vague, unexplained evil.  What was the mist?  Why was it evil?  Why did it pull a Ghostbusters moment at the end (seriously the sea serpent was the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man)?  Why couldn't the movie just be about the journey?

I found it interesting that the movie shied away from Eustace's transformation back, but I guess as it was written in the book would have been too graphic for kids?  Then again the BBC version had all the clawing and scraping, so I just don't know.  And I don't know why they didn't have the old dragon!  That was a fairly important point that the lord turned into the dragon too!  The way they left it in the film was just a human wearing the bracelet.  Why didn't he transform in the movie?  It just seemed like an odd choice not to have that.

I also wanted more with the stars.  Ah well.

All that said though, the movie was enjoyable.  Eustace was really annoying, but that was the point.  We got to see Reepacheep's little canoe at the end, which I loved.  And I just beamed a smile when I heard Jill Pole mentioned at the end.  Yeah, Eustace shouldn't know her until he goes off to school, but who cares?  It's Jill freakin' Pole!  Now go make Silver Chair!

So yeah, I enjoyed it, but at the same time there was stuff that I just didn't feel worked.  Then again, Voyage of the Dawn Treader would be difficult to make into a movie because it's a central plot, but lots of little points of interest that makes it more like a series of vignettes.  So I appreciate that they were trying to centralize the plot more.  It just didn't work, unfortunately.  Still, over all, enjoyable movie.  Now they need to get working on Silver Chair because God knows we need to get some Puddleglum up in here!