(no subject)

[cleolinda]

I'm going to put all of the Narnia stuff behind a cut, but if you're on the fence and want something to push you over the edge into seeing the movie, this is it.

>> I had seen the pictures of the White Witch's battle outfit for months. The one with the polar bear chariot that's photoshopped to look blue and snowy in the poster art, you know--I've used it in my icons. But I'd seen it in its proper context and I still hadn't realized what I was looking at until I happened to read something on Narniaweb--I thought it was prairie grass or something (see interview snippet here). And no one I have talked to has realized what it was, either, until it was pointed out--once you know, it's obvious, but it--it's just not something you would expect.

So the battle at the end arrives, and I want my sister to fully appreciate what she's seeing, so I lean over and whisper, "You know what she's wearing, right?"

"No, what?"

"SHE'S WEARING ASLAN'S MANE."

"HOLY SHIT."

The White Witch is freakin' hardcore, y'all.

>> And then she pwns Edmund in battle.

>> And then she brings out the two swords and pwns Peter. You get the feeling that she could have totally finished him off if she weren't having so much fun fucking with him.

>> I have got to scan in the Michael Hague illustration of how Aslan finishes the Witch off, because--costume and setting aside--it is very like what actually happens. And is awesome.

>> Aslan is very obviously Liam Neeson; they didn't fiddle with his voice or lower it or anything. Fortunately, it didn't really stick out after the first couple of lines.

>> Speaking of which, the Aslan and beavers effects are awesome. Also, I just realized that I wasn't thinking of the wolves as effects as all.  

>> They skip the part where Aslan and Susan and Lucy romp around after the Stone Table, and thank God, because I can see that falling completely flat on film. It would stop the movie dead right when the battle's just gotten started, and the effects would inevitably look like first Harry Potter movie quidditch crap.

>> Lucy is the cutest little girl ever. Like, weapons-grade cute.

>> My sister is now in love with Mr. Tumnus. I'm afraid she's going to have to fight Lucy for him, though, assuming that the vice squad doesn't come down on him for hitting on a toddler first.

>> My sister says she will settle for Peter.

>> I kind of want to hug Edmund. They got such a great kid to play him--he's a surly little bastard but he misses his dad and they spend 85% of the movie making him feel like shit for what he did, and shit's like, "HEY! Don't involve me in this!" I'm not even going to spoil the Witch's line in the dungeon when she tells Tumnus what Edmund did, because it's that awesome.

>> The part in the Witch's sledge is awesome, because you can see her petting and feeding and flattering Edmund with all this sugary calculation and then she just forgets and goes "NO YOU CAN'T HAVE ANYMORE!" It's not even so much that she's faking being nice as that she's faking being human.

>> P.S. Watch for the lion that Edmund drew a mustache on at the coronation. I can't figure out if the lion doesn't know he's got a mustache and glasses drawn on, or he can't get them off, or he's just so proud that the king drew on him that he doesn't care.

>> That, and I swear to God Susan actually says "Oh, REALLY?" at one point. I think it's around when they first get to Narnia, but I'm not sure. Seriously, someone watch for that and tell me what the context is, because I was too busying choking on my own laughter. I want a Susan O RLY? icon that somehow makes sense so bad I can taste it.

I had miscellaneous issues with the movie--the music was too loud, with too much Our Lady of Soundtrack Woodling; some of the lines and/or acting needed to be a little more natural (the scene where Susan and Lucy splash around in the creek comes to mind, and then the part just after where Susan announces that She Needs to Get Some Practice); I loved that they got Michael Madsen for Maugrim, but he needed to shut the hell up and just bite Peter, for God's sake, because that "You just don't have what it TAKES" shit got old fast; Peter needed to STFU after about the eighteenth "When are you going to learn?" bit; the major points of the movie were hammered home a bit hard ("Why don't you start ACTING like a family?"), but it is a children's movie, so I keep reminding myself to cut it a little slack. All in all, two thumbs up, didn't rape my childhood, Susan's got it goin' on, fine holiday fun.

I think the Lovely Emily and I may go see it tomorrow night (her first time, my second) when she gets in from out of town, whee!


ETA: "Ok so here's the hard part, which is better Narnia or Goblet?"

Comments

[crucioveritas.livejournal.com]

Ok so here's the hard part, which is better Narnia or Goblet?

[callmesyd.livejournal.com]

I know Susan said it a bit before the big ol' fight, when she and Lucy were hanging out.

"We used to have fun together, didn't we?"
"Yes. Before you got BORING."
"O RLY"

[melpemone.livejournal.com]

Congratulations: this post has actually, finally, sparked my interest in this movie. :)

[geartemis.livejournal.com]

Ooh, sounds awesome. Can't wait to see this; might this weekend...

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heeeeeeeeeee, that sounds about right.

[onlyinlexington.livejournal.com]

...and they spend 85% of the movie making him feel like shit for what he did, and shit's like, "HEY! Don't involve me in this!"

Hahahahahahahha..I'm sorry... I was imagining Mister Hanky saying that..

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heeeee. What finally pushed you over the edge?

(Man, I have lived your icon so many times.)

[handful.livejournal.com]

Dude, the part with the mane in my group?

Person 1: Dude, why is she wearing a frilly Elizabethian collar?
Person 2: Yeah, I already get her confused with Cate anyway.
Me: ... that's Aslan's mane, dorks.
Both: ... oh, snaps.

[melpemone.livejournal.com]

Right at the beginning there, with the White Witch wearing Aslan's mane. I was all: "Wow, she's right, that is hardcore!" and now I've decided I'll see it for that bit alone. And I'll probably be cheering her on, too. *g*

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

You know, it's hard to say, because on one hand, Goblet has a group of child actors who have now worked out many of the kinks in their acting, and the whole cast has a very lived-in, comfortable chemistry now. I think the Narnia kids are better now than the Potter kids were in the first movie, but then, the older Pevensie kids are in their late teens. And I think Adamson is a better director, in terms of getting decent performances, than Columbus was. I think Cuaron pulled better performances from all the kids, and Newell pulled a fantastic performance from Radcliffe in this last one--both of those directors focused on more "natural" acting. So Adamson and the Narnia kids are kind of in the middle range.

Goblet's also an "older" movie, in terms of the target audience, so it's a lot more harrowing (a good thing). On the other hand, they're trying to cram this huge book into less than three hours, and while they make some great adaptation calls, towards the end, the who/what/where/how starts to fall apart, like when Dumbledore's like, "They're going to find they're missing a prisoner." NO KIDDING, MAN. Narnia's the opposite--they've *expanded* a relatively brief book, so all the plot points you need to understand what's going on are there.

I've seen Goblet three times now and Narnia only once, so it's hard to judge--I'd have to see Narnia at least once more, because I can only think of it in terms of "Oh, I really loved that one moment" or "I wish they hadn't done that right there," rather than the movie as a whole right now.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

yeah, i totally noticed the mane thing and was suitably impressed. so cool! the great thing about thoroughly realising these imaginary worlds on screen, like here and in lotr, is when they come up with details like that that aren't in the book but fit with supreme coolness. i can't wait to see this movie.

[gglass.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to see it...unfortunately, my semester doesn't end until next Wednesday. Booo. Booo.

Tell your sister to watch Sci-Fi Channel's Children of Dune (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287839/) miniseries from a few years ago. Mr. Tumnus (fka James McAvoy) is very shirtless in it. Sexy Shirtless Scot aside, it's also a pretty decent adaptation of the book.

She might also want to check out Rory O'Shea Was Here (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417791/). It's a great movie, and Mr. Tumnus gets to show off his acting chops (as well as a slightly ridiculous haircut).

[silvermoon13.livejournal.com]

i caught the part where the white witch was wearing aslan's mane and had about the same reaction... but what in the hell was on her shoulder at the stone table?! is this mentioned in the book and i've just forgotten about it?

regardless, she was COMPLETELY bad ass - and lucy was the cutest little girl in the world.

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

All in all, two thumbs up, didn't rape my childhood, Susan's got it goin' on, fine holiday fun.

I'm really glad to see you say this because the Narnia books, for me, occupy the same place the LotR books do for other people. I'm so glad everyone I know who's seen this movie is giving it great reviews, because it makes me feel better about seeing it tonight.

[khaman.livejournal.com]

The only thing that makes me wibbly (or, in english, hesitant) to see this movie is no fault of the movie itself. The non-stop theologic/political drum-beating that's going on for it is just making me nuts.

There have been emails going out to church-goers equating this movie to the Passion of the Christ and that they MUST go see it opening weekend to push it. Which is a bit scary, but okay, but it's then the whole tone of sticking it to the non-Christians which bugs me.

I take comfort in the fact that it drove Tolkien batshit, too.

But I want to see the Witch in action so. freaking. bad.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hee. Seriously, my sister actually said, "HOLY SHIT." I don't know who made that call--writer, director, costumer, Swinton--but it's inspired. That, and any scene with her and Edmund is just gold. "Are your sisters... deaf? Is your brother... unintelligent?" "Well, actually..." "THEN WHY DID YOU NOT BRING THEM????"

[eldritch-flame.livejournal.com]

I just saw it earlier today, and I so did not realize that she was wearing Aslan's mane. I just though she had really bad fashion sense (although not based solely on that outfit). Well, that's certainly one way to demoralize your enemies.

[ambiguousreason.livejournal.com]

My sister is now in love with Mr. Tumnus. I'm afraid she's going to have to fight Lucy for him, though, assuming that the vice squad doesn't come down on him for hitting on a toddler first.

*seriously cannot stop laughing*

My sister says she will settle for Peter.

Ummm, your sister pwns. *runs away*

[thunderphoenix.livejournal.com]

I really like that the movie didn't shy away from all the talking animals. I would have been really disappointed without them.

[sophia-helix.livejournal.com]

I just have to say -- Michael Hague! I had his Secret Garden growing up and then I lost it, and not even the Tasha Tudor version could console me. Then I found it in a used bookstore for $20 last summer and snapped it up right away.

So I should check out his Narnia too. :)

(And the mane!! I feel like such a dork. I saw a bunch of clips from the film a few months back and couldn't figure out what she was wearing. *g*)

[faded-lilac.livejournal.com]

How did I miss that she was wearing Aslan's mane? That is hardcore.

[deliciouspear.livejournal.com]

Jadis rocked ass across the board.

I love it how in most fantasy it would have been "We broke her wand - all her minions die and every enchanted person somes back to life!"

In this it's like "You broke my wand! Die Brat! Now I'll take your sword and go fuck up your brother."

[deliciouspear.livejournal.com]

I think people just aren't looking for that kind of bad-assitude in a "kid's movie."

[deliciouspear.livejournal.com]

Tell your sister watch "Children of Dune."

James McAvoy at his hottest! (see Icon)

[deliciouspear.livejournal.com]

I feel the way you do about the Narnia books and I thought it was stunning. I bawled all the way through it.