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MiraJeff's NARNIA Review!!

Published at:  Dec 08, 2005 3:35:37 AM CST

Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...



I’ll have my own take on NARNIA up tomorrow at some point, and I’m sure Harry’s going to be weighing in as well, but for now, here’s MiraJeff, one of our most trusted reviewers, with his look at the long-awaited fantasy epic:



Greetings AICN, MiraJeff here with a look at The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It appears C.S. Lewis can rest easy. The late author is famous for once saying he’d never endorse a live-action adaptation of his best-selling fantasy novel, but if he saw the sheer wonder that is the land of Narnia, I’m fairly certain even he would have a tough time being unimpressed with this visually dynamic and faithful adaptation of his classic children’s tale. Director Andrew Adamson (Shrek 2) has made a whimsical fairy tale that’s the perfect family film for the holidays. With seven books in Lewis’ series, Disney has high hopes for the Narnia franchise, which gets off to a great start with this film largely due to the spot-on casting of the four Pevensie children, especially 10 year-old Georgie Henley as the youngest, Lucy.

The story follows our soon-to-be-heroes as they escape blitzkrieg bombing in Great Britain and eventually find their way through a magical wardrobe into the beautiful, snow-covered land of Narnia. While visiting, Lucy befriends half-goat/half-man Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy) and rebellious Edmund (Skandar Keynes) is lured into a trap by Jadis the White Witch (a delicious Tilda Swinton), an evil villainess who wants to steal control of Narnia from its revered king, Aslan the Lion (a majestic Liam Neeson).

Along the way, the foursome enlists the aid of several CGI-creatures including Mr. Beaver (Ray Winstone), Fox (Rupert Everett), and an army of arrow-slinging minotaurs. Inevitably, good and evil clash in a fierce battle that proudly showcases Harry Gregson-Wagner’s rousing score, but although Adamson delivers some spectacularly entertaining sequences, none are quite as epic as anything in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, or for that matter, King Kong.

As far as the cast goes, Anna Popplewell does what she can with Susan, but as the motherly figure of the family, she isn’t given that much to do besides worry about her more active siblings. Skandar Keynes makes the role of Turkish-delight-loving Edmund his own, though its co-star William Moseley who best captures our attention and imagination. And as I said before, Henley embodies little Lucy Pevensie, and carries herself with a maturity uncommon for her age. At the film’s press junket, she effortlessly entertained table after table of journalists. As Aslan, Neeson’s voice demands to be heard, and is a welcome substitute for Brian Cox, who initially recorded Aslan’s dialogue but had it removed when Adamson decided it didn’t sound right for the character. Swinton delivers a wicked performance, playing the White Witch with an emotional coldness that may be too scary for young children, though adults will find her evilness convincing.

While it is true that Lewis’ novel is widely regarded as a sort of Christian allegory, with Aslan standing in for Jesus Christ, the religious undertones of the book thankfully remain below the surface of the story, and in no way impact the enjoyment of the film. In fact, Narnia is the type of film that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, regardless of whether or not they’ve read the book. Of course, hardcore fans of the novel will notice several small changes in the film, including an emphasis on the importance of family, as well a more active role for the girls during the climactic battle scene. The novel kept the Pevensie girls in the background more, as Lewis didn’t think it would be proper for women to fight. Unlike a Harry Potter book, The Chronicles of Narnia was only about 200 pages, so the film’s pacing is tight and effective. Special attention should be paid to the magnificent job the special effects team did with Aslan’s golden mane, as well as the pack of menacing wolves that does the Witch’s evil bidding. While Narnia may be aimed at a younger crowd, it is an incredibly fun film that should tide you over until King Kong next week. By the way, I attended the Kong premiere with Quint on Monday night and let me tell you, it’s the best film Jackson’s ever done. I’ll be back soon with my Kong review, as well as a look at The Matador, Hoodwinked, Wolf Creek, and Grandma’s Boy.

‘Til then, that’s all folks.



Thanks, man.



"Moriarty" out.








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    Readers Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 3:37:04 AM CST

    narnia shmarnia

    by flamingrunt

    there i said it

    Reply to Talkback

  • What's going on around here? Harry reviewd Flux but not Gobblet? Anyways, this looks like a good flick. I enjoyed the books when I was a tot, but don't remember all the details. Looking forward to catching up.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 3:43:39 AM CST

    Praise the Lord!

    by johnny wishbone

  • Dec 08, 2005 3:50:09 AM CST

    Meh....

    by knighteternal

    will prob go and see it

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 3:53:34 AM CST

    and an army of arrow-slinging minotaurs...

    by glaive

  • Dec 08, 2005 3:54:28 AM CST

    and an army of arrow-slinging minotaurs...

    by glaive

    ...Think you mean centaurs. The minotaurs were on the other side.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 4:18:18 AM CST

    Fuck the Wein$tein bros

    by gluecifer

    They'll bury "The promise" like a lot of other movies...

    www.twitchfilm.com

    I hope they die soon.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 4:19:23 AM CST

    The Passion of Aslan

    by knugen

    Christian? Schmistians more like it. C.S. Lewis was a born-again nutter. Tone down the crazy allegorical ramblings and you could have a slightly disturbed, albeit entertaining child's tale. Let's hope this has been done with this film.

    http://tinyurl.com/bct9o

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 4:21:00 AM CST

    Yeah, Kong, man...

    by uncle_les

    ...and also I hope Narnia's good. Peace Out.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 4:24:52 AM CST

    is that a fat joke?

    by kintar0

    Writing "I

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 4:54:39 AM CST

    Talking animals

    by dewijnboer

    Always look like they are chewing food without the food being there. I will have a very hard time suspending disbelief.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 5:28:52 AM CST

    "So is Harry going to review this, or pass like he did with Harr

    by thirteen 13

    Yeah I agree. Harry not reviewing the new Harry Potter movie was a real head scratcher for me also. I thought the review for Potter was a sure thing and that Aeon Flux would get a pass, or at least only get a minor spotlight. His DVD picks have been coming in awfully late the past couple of months also, so the best I can figure is he is pretty damn busy and needs 30 hours in a day rather than just 24.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 5:39:56 AM CST

    "a whimsical fairy tale that

    by largojr

    WATER for the PLANT PLEASE!!! In any case.. no honest review from an actual, 'normal' movie-goer is EVER going to ue the word 'whimsical', or declare it the 'perfect film for the holidays'. Sorry, but it's a fact. I'm getting tired of these reviews, they lack honesty and reflect badly on the site. It's sort of like the 'Today Show' slipping in scripped voice-over of the M&M float as it crashed during the parade rather then report on what was ACTUALLY happening. I find myself disgusted.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 5:53:19 AM CST

    his review is dead on

    by mikey mike

    i gave it a 9 and god knows i'm never wrong

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 5:54:11 AM CST

    They were Nazis dude???

    by theboyfromulster

    Sorry to pedantic but everytime they discuss this film on this site they call it the blitzkrieg of London, its not, its the blitz. Blitzkrieg, "Lightning War", is what the Frogs, Polacks, etc. suffered....fucking surrender monkeys...... Anyway, will Harry review this film, or for that matter Kong? Used to like reading his reviews of films I could actually be bothered to go to the flicks and see, e.g Harry Potter. Now we get shit like Rent and Aeon Flux????

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 5:57:24 AM CST

    The British reviews seem to suggest that this is a faithful adap

    by salvatoregravano

    If that is indeed the case, I may actually enjoy the film as much as I did enjoy the books when I first read them at 5... or XYZ years later, when, some time after I had begun learning the language, I picked the original English versions for reading. Could it truly be one of those extremely rare cases in which the terms "a faithful adaptation" and "a good film" are not oxymorons? And if it is, can the badge be carried on by the sequels...?

    But, for a spoon of salt, I notice that nobody is mentioning the score. And, considering the presence of xerocopying Zimmer hack Gregson-Williams, this may be a bad omen. Hopefully it's not another "Pirates of the Caribbean" collection of random noise.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 5:58:58 AM CST

    Want to like this film

    by boba fat

    but can't think of any other reason to see it other than the effects. Tired of child actors, LOTR did a similar thing better and a religious subtext? Who needs it? Oh, and the only screening I can get to is a mother and baby screening with my 7 month old. Add screaming babys into the mix and the whole experience is just gonna be too much pain for too little gainl.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 6:04:58 AM CST

    CNN: "Watch the AICN Talkback for the inevitable incursion of &#

    by salvatoregravano

    Those attacks never cease to amuse me, an ardent atheist and materialist since the age of 7 or so. For dessert, attack "The Godfather" for being "evil Mafia propaganda" - no less than three generations of real mobsters have tried to model themselves on its polished characters now!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 6:51:14 AM CST

    maybe I missed the joke...

    by novaman5000

    but isn't it Harry Gregson-Williams?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 6:53:44 AM CST

    Excuse me, Moriarty

    by bendersshinyass

    But I think a good deal of talkbackers here would prefer you put up your 'King Kong' review before your 'Narnia' one. Is Kong really THAT bad?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:08:22 AM CST

    flamingrunt the flaming cunt

    by llac9

    There. I said it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:17:14 AM CST

    Looking foward to this

    by amano

    Loved the books, and all the advance screenings reviews have been positive so far. I agree with some of the talkbackers who think Harry should review this and Potter should have been reviewed also. I'm not a big Potter fan, but I think it qualifies more as cool news than Rent.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:27:32 AM CST

    What's the big deal?

    by damer1

    80% of the country identify themselves as "Christian" in the broad sense of the word. Why would anyone have a problem with Christian Allegory.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:29:31 AM CST

    call me a cunt?

    by flamingrunt

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:29:31 AM CST

    call me a cunt?

    by flamingrunt

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:30:11 AM CST

    ha ha

    by flamingrunt

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:42:48 AM CST

    At least he didn't yell, " FIRST"!!!!!!!!

    by lezbo milk

    so he's got that going for him.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:44:38 AM CST

    Damer1

    by dewijnboer

    No big deal, if we weren't hammered with the message by the downright scary christian right winger nazi's so often. Anyhting that smacks of Christian nowadays makes me think of them and that is not a good thing. I have nothing against people following any type of religion (being an agnostic myself - which is a belief in its own right), but they should all stop and wonder why they would want to convince other people, or else condemn them.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:51:07 AM CST

    Can't wait for this, wish they did a wednesday release.

    by minderbinder

    I know this is more kid oriented, but isn't it risky to release it so close to Kong?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:52:37 AM CST

    shinyass...Are you really that desperate that you have to bring

    by minderbinder

    Keep it on topic, asshole. Are you really that thick? He's reviewing Narnia first because IT COMES OUT FIRST. Fucking moron.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 8:05:08 AM CST

    This movie better be everything evreyone wants it to be...

    by billyshakes

    or we'll be hearing that oh-so-wonderful phrase "Slavishly following the book without any directorial vision" instead of "faithful". We've heard it before, we'll hear it again.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 8:35:13 AM CST

    'None are quite as epic as anything in Peter Jackson

    by lone fox

    Now all we need is some Lucas bashing and the circle is complete. Enough with the incessant dick sucking. You like Jackson's work. We GET it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 8:40:13 AM CST

    Lone Fox

    by occams_razor

    I don't think it's about fellating Peter Jackson, I think the reviewer is just saying that the battles in the LOTR series were more epic and engaging than they are in Chronicles which would make a lot of sense considering the source materials for both. No, if you want Peter Jackson fellating just click over to any Kong thread.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 8:43:37 AM CST

    Knugen

    by zacdilone

    Thanks for the link to an article REPLETE with factual innacuracies and rhetoric more hateful than the worst the Christian right can muster. Lewis was no "born again nutter," he was a student of philosophy who followed his quest for truth with honesty and integrity. The fact that he concluded the truth was Christianity poses no threat to you, nor does the Christian subtext pose a threat to filmgoers. I am amazed at how threatened Brits are by Christianity, yet turn a blind eye to faiths that preach far more hate. I'm no right wing nut, but I do believe that tolerance GOES BOTH WAYS. Too bad you don't. As for Narnia, the center of the tale is MYTH, not FAITH. Lewis incorporated elements of myth that strike a common cord to people of all faiths (such as the "myth of the dying god"), but you have to read his other works to understand how he saw those mythological elements working in a Christian context. Anyone who is threatened by the tales of Narnia has some very real issues to work out.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 8:47:21 AM CST

    Ummm I can understand the LOTR comparison

    by dannyocean01

    But why Kong?

    Do we have to fucking compare every fucking fantasy film to Jackson's output? LOTR is not the be all and end all of cinema. It's an amazing accomplishment that I, a mere mortal, could only dream of coming close to, but christ, you zealots don't help the image of Jackson by constantly making these comparisons.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 9:20:10 AM CST

    Where is the Goblet of Fire Review?

    by saluki

    Yeah! Where IS his Goblet of Fire review? Those were some AICN reviews I liked, since Harry never had read the books. That was always an interesting perspective. The movie has been seen by nearly everyone now, throw us a bone here Harry!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 9:22:01 AM CST

    And I'm passing on Narnia...

    by saluki

    ... Mostly because of the goofy talking beavers & wolves. Not a very good job there. The book was... So-so... I'll be first in line when A Horse & His Boy is made though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 9:30:12 AM CST

    Zac re: Brit sensitivity to Christian extremism

    by fluffyunbound

    They had this little incident over there where cavaliers and roundheads butchered each other over religion. Probably makes em a little gunshy. Imagine what the US would be like if the Civil War had been fought over religion, and not over slavery. We'd be much worse than the Brits are. You wouldn't be able to fucking say "God Bless You" when someone sneezed without starting a riot.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 9:33:41 AM CST

    Oh, and I'm going to be the anti-Ringbearer and say: The CGI

    by fluffyunbound

    Where's the dirt? Where's the sweat? Where's the tooth plaque? The difference between what I've seen in the previews for this film, and LOTR, is that in LOTR they made an effort to make it possible to take the existence of the milieu seriously. Narnia looks like a moving illustrated children's book. I suppose that was what they were going for, but to me it's cheesy and fake looking.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 9:42:40 AM CST

    Too Bright

    by saluki

    The word I was getting from asking people about the effects was that they 'we're too bright, too sunny'. Looks like a good day to play football, not to go to war. To each his own.

    Reply to Talkback

  • everything else is just "seen it before"

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 10:25:19 AM CST

    Well, Mori said that Neeson's performance was a waste of tim

    by performingmonkey

    Maybe the one thing they needed to get 100% right in this movie was Aslan (the lion, for those who don't know) and it just feels like a generic 'mentor' voiceover from Neeson.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 10:31:32 AM CST

    Minderbinder. I outta track you down and smack you over the head

    by bendersshinyass

    you rude RUDE bastard

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 10:47:34 AM CST

    I thought I could leave it, but I'm fucking outraged

    by bendersshinyass

    Minderbinder, Mori said he has seen kong and he's going to post his review soon. Then he says he'll have the narnia review up tomorrow. So forgive me for coming onto your talkback and asking for the Kong review first. I thought the antisipation was more leaning towards that film. And I was keeping on topic Doodle fungus, I was asking a question, following Mori's words. Here's what you wrote to me:......"Keep it on topic, asshole. Are you really that thick? .... Fucking moron." WHAT. A. FUCKSTONE. I'm giving my computer screen the finger, at you. I hope you loose your connection and your Boss or wife or mother finds your kiddy porn stash. Man, you really pissed me off.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 10:48:16 AM CST

    Shiny ass: go fuck yourself.

    by minderbinder

    And again, this is a narnia review. Stay on topic, asshole.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 10:58:26 AM CST

    Hey Minder,

    by bendersshinyass

    looks to me like fluffy is diserving of your venom

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 10:58:37 AM CST

    Sorry to be the voice of reason, but I think Potter and Narnia a

    by minderbinder

    For different reasons. Narnia has a great storybook timeless feel, some original, creative stuff. It also has parts that are completely predictable, parts that don't make any real sense, and bits that veer into blatant racism and xenophobia. Potter has great characters and setting, interesting and complex subplots/backstory, and a number of genuine surprises. It also gets formulaic and at times falls into Scooby Doo with wands. If the narnia movies are anything close to the last couple HP movies, I'll be very happy.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 11:19:47 AM CST

    Appologies to the rest of the talkback

    by bendersshinyass

    and this is the first time I've ever had a bitch fight, especially on two talkbacks, But MinderBinder.... I'm just trying to figure you out? I mean, seriously..... Are you that fucking pathetic?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 11:24:18 AM CST

    Do all battles have to grim and at night?

    by dannyocean01

    I mean, I'm pretty sure if you go back through the annals of history you could find a battle that took place on a beautiful day with bright blue skies. I mean isn't that the point- that war can destroy perfect environments?

    And I can't really remember the book, but isn't Narnia a stunning place before the Ice Queen's Winter? And....oh yeah, it's fucking fantasy.

    And if we're going to talk about shit CGI, what was with the terrors in the Kong trailers? I hope Jackson's cleaned up the Bronto charge and that first clash with the T-Rex, because that looked..oh yes..shiny and crap. So BOO YAA to the Jackson sycophants.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 11:34:27 AM CST

    DannyOcean01 is right

    by zacdilone

    And what's more...if Adamson had gone the "dark and dirty" route with the battle scenes, what would be the themes in Talkback? You guessed it: "LOTR Ripoff!" "Couldn't they have done something original in the battle scenes...HACKS!!!" TB'ers are so predictable.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 11:48:44 AM CST

    "fun film that should tide you over until King Kong next week"

    by gobofraggleuk

    Now that's what I call an enduring legacy

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 12:28:45 PM CST

    "...Harry

    by negative man

    Man... That

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 12:47:05 PM CST

    Acting

    by the cine-eater

    Saw this last night and sorry the 2 older kids cannot act whatsoever the film looks very pretty but it has no depth at all,Aslam looks great and thats it, his voice is all wrong doesn't sound regal at all and the White Witch is not scary or menacing at all.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 12:53:04 PM CST

    "None are quite as epic as anything in Peter Jackson

    by kai_mah'gra

    ..........yeeesh. Enough with the King Kong knob polishing, already. AICN loves Peter Jackson; we get it. Thanks for the 411. Now if you guys can just leave your monkey out of other movies' reviews, there might actually be somthing worth reading here. Good grief! Next thing they'll be doing is comparing King Kong to Peter Jackson's other movies, and calling it the best ever - in an unrelated talkback, no less; oh wait.........

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 1:23:22 PM CST

    but LEWIS was an ATHIEST!

    by fleshmachine

    i dont get it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 1:41:15 PM CST

    At Least He Didn't Photograph Prepubescent Girls Naked

    by skoobyx

    But hey you could trust Mr. Carroll with your kids...he was A MINISTER after all.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 2:18:06 PM CST

    i have seen narnia too and it would be virtually impossible not

    by slappy jones

    it really is LOTR lite....there is one scene which is directly taken from rings. directly! you will know it when you see it but come on if there is any film that LOTR could be brought up fairly when discussing it is this. Based on a classic piece of fantasy literature...directed in New Zealand by a New Zealand director...big battle scene where monsters and trolls etc charge at each other....but i will say this. it is enjoyable. it isn't boring but i don't think it will go down as one of the greats.and they don't hammer you with the religious stuff either..it is there but it is very slight. all in all it is o.k. They have played it very safe but kids will lap it up...i just think it might be a little to kiddie to be embraced by adults as well. the two older kids are not very good. oh and there is a scene at the end which had the audience cracking up but i don't think they are meant too.....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 2:31:18 PM CST

    The only reason why this review was marginally better than Mori&

    by mistrmindqed

    No spelling and grammer mistakes.
    Wow. Somebody took the time to spell and grammer check. I know what I'm getting Mori for Christmas.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 2:41:18 PM CST

    If you're going to whine about spelling and "grammer", shoul

    by minderbinder

    It amazes me how often I see that particular misspelling in that particular complaint.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 2:47:53 PM CST

    grammer

    by mistrmindqed

    I was only making Mori feel at home. :P

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 2:55:42 PM CST

    I think the Neverdending Story was a great fantasy film

    by doc_strange

    Aside from the wooden acting, it was a visual feast and no CG either!! How come no one uses that movie for comparison? The sequel doesn't count.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 4:09:23 PM CST

    'Grammer'...

    by greatwhitenoise

    is an actor (last I saw, covered in dashing blue fur). 'Grammar' is what you're after. And I'm pleased to hear (from this reviewer, anyway) that Adamson resisted the urge to Shrek this movie up.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 4:23:36 PM CST

    You Have To Figure Disney Was At Least THINKING LOTR Right?

    by skoobyx

    Quality, artistic expression and the relative merits of the books aside they had to be thinking it was an untapped well. Fanboys + Classic Books + Huge CGI-Laden Adaptation = Money. When studios copy films a lot of times its the formula more than the content they're interested in. It's the reason most 'Blockbusters' all seem to have something in common. Could be wrong.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 4:46:06 PM CST

    I'm sure LOTR was an influence, but don't forget about H

    by minderbinder

    Since the HP books have been so huge, there's also been a halo effect on other children's books, fantasy in particular.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 5:13:05 PM CST

    "the religious undertones of the book thankfully remain below th

    by purple toupee

    And yet, you believe that C.S. Lewis would be OK with this? If you don't want religious allegory, people, then don't read (or see) the Chronicles of Narnia. Stay away from C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy as well, for that matter. Wah! Babies.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:36:01 PM CST

    If Were dising the Poles

    by borelli

  • Dec 08, 2005 7:38:47 PM CST

    Ahem try again

    by borelli

    They were Nazis dude???
    by TheBoyFromUlster December 8th, 2005
    05:54:11 AM CST
    Sorry to pedantic but everytime they discuss this film on this site they call it the blitzkrieg of London, its not, its the blitz. Blitzkrieg, "Lightning War", is what the Frogs, Polacks, etc. suffered....fucking surrender monkeys...... Anyway, will Harry review this film, or for that matter Kong? Used to like reading his reviews of films I could actually be bothered to go to the flicks and see, e.g Harry Potter. Now we get shit like Rent and Aeon Flux????

    if we are dissing the Poles they were the TOP fighter squad in the battle of Britain !!!!!

    And um its a film go see it, make a judgement

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 9:30:39 PM CST

    I Can't Wait...

    by buster00

    to see how they do the bit where the Lion mauls and devours Jesus Christ. When I was a kid, that was my fave scene from the book.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 08, 2005 10:19:43 PM CST

    I really liked it.

    by rowanm

    And so did my inner child. I could feel a slight sense of adult cynicism creep up on me every once in while but I generally ignored it as I was reminded of a story that I last saw as a child. I sort of forgot the story played out so I was happy about the suprises. Tilda Swinton stole the show. Her fighting scenes were very impressive. The creature designs were very impressive too, particularly General Otmin the Minotaur. The armour was well designed too. The design of Peter's visor was fucking cool. I'm into all that armour sort of stuff. All in all I had a good time. Good escapist stuff.

    Reply to Talkback

  • I'm guessing the Minotaur General standing on the rock and giving his battle cry in front of his army. I immediately thought Helm's Deep when I saw that. Do I get a prize? I think my cynicism surfaced every time I could see flaws in the CG but they were pretty slight. I enjoyed the battle. I'll agree with some criticism of the older children's acting. Particularly the girl. I think my other complaint would be how the two boys learned to fight so quickly. I know, I know. It's a childrens story. Kids are invincible and can take on the world yaddah yaddah. It still bugged me though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 09, 2005 12:42:44 AM CST

    Why?

    by pallando

    Would it be so terrible if the religious allegory was as apparant as in the book? Do we need everything so sterilized? Seems like Disney thinks so, but that doesn't surpris me about them.
    You atheists need to lighten up.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Dec 09, 2005 1:48:24 AM CST

    Potter 4 was the fuckin bomb ...

    by lamerz

    ... no need for Harry's review. That says it all. Great movie. Nuff said. -------------- Not sure bout Narnia. The trailer sucked bad, like Disney's LOTR wannabe a couple years too late. But who knows, the story is supposed to be great.

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  • Dec 09, 2005 1:49:49 AM CST

    YAY, no first post in this thread!

    by lamerz

    Have the morons been defeated?

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  • Dec 09, 2005 4:56:52 AM CST

    Potter 4 was a fuckin bomb ...

    by krangelus

    hated it, bad directing bad story all over the place. plus ron said piss off. i do not approve.

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  • Dec 09, 2005 6:49:09 AM CST

    "Would it be so terrible if the religious allegory was as appara

    by minderbinder

    Would it be so terrible if the religious allegory was more apparant than in the book? Would it be so terrible if the religious allegory was less apparant than in the book? Allegory of any sort can be well done or it can be heavy handed (anvilicious). I'm curious to see for myself.

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  • Dec 09, 2005 9:30:49 AM CST

    Religious comparisons in book/movie.....

    by bootskin

    I'm sorry, but there are more movies/books out there with just as much religious allegory (if not more)as this work.
    The last hour of Braveheart anyone (otherwise known as Passion: the Prequel)?
    The only real religious allegory I see is the
    **SPOILER**SPOILER**SPOILER**SPOILER**SPOILER**SPOILER**SPOILER**

    death and resurrection of Aslan. Other than that, what is there?I know the Christian overtones get more heavy handed (supposedly) later on in the series, but come on. This is small potatoes. Phoenix died and came back to life. Voldemort died and came back to life.
    Just bout every comic book character died and came back to life at one time or another (except Bucky and Uncle Ben). Happens on Soap operas once or twice a week. When does something stop existing as a plot point, and become"religious allegory"?
    The reason I bring this up, is that my fiancee and I were siting in a diner the other day.
    I looked out the window, and there was a newspaper veinding machine on the front steps. On the front page of USA Today, is a HUGE blurb, and picture of Aslan: Is the Lion King of Kings?
    I mean, were in the middle of a war (for it or against it beside the point) people are dying every day, and USA Today has nothing better to do with their front page than print somehting bound to start religious soccer moms with nothing to do protesting at the theatres?
    When did something so harmless as a Movie about a CHILDREN's BOOK become a newspaper's front page material? Oh yeah, when the religious right started freaking out about Harry Potter. I forgot.
    Seriously, lets chill about the religious aspects of the book/film, and appreciate it for what it is. The death ressurection of gods/messiah figures didnt start with Christianity (look up mesopotamian religions or some babylonian myths..., and it definately won't end there either.

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  • Dec 09, 2005 11:22:12 AM CST

    Bootskin

    by spiketbb

    Bootskin, just as a side note, the Captain America comics are currently running a story line about the return of Bucky, no joke. I guess it is only a matter of time before RoboUncleBen or ZombieUncleBen.
    Did you know C.S. Lewis and Tolkien were good friends and drinking buddies? They were both members of a writers club called The Inklings. They would get together and read each other their works in progress and ask for opinions. I wonder how much of an influence they were on each other.
    C.S. Lewis was an atheist for a large portion of his life. Then he set out to study Christianity in order to disprove it with academia scrutiny and ended up a convert.
    He said he finally accepted and got on his knees resentful and begrudgingly but unable to deny the truth as he saw it. He said it only occurred to him later how magnanimous it was for Jesus to accept him on those terms.
    I guess the point I am trying to make is he does not seem to be one of the fanatics. The books presented his truth as he saw it, and the allegory did become more pervasive. But I never felt like I was being beaten over the head or bullied or guilt tripped.
    The irony is I once met some people who tried to use the Lewis books for that purpose, but it was not the fault of Lewis. I just stay away from those people.
    Hopefully the approach of

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  • Dec 10, 2005 1:14:54 PM CST

    The Big Deal

    by jeff dee

    Damer1 wrote: "80% of the country identify themselves as 'Christian' in the broad sense of the word. Why would anyone have a problem with Christian Allegory?" I'll explain. The Christian religion's god sentences all non-Christians to 'suffer' after death. And Christians actually *worship* this monster! If, as you say, 80% of Americans are Christians, then 80% of Americans AGREE that the other 20% deserve to suffer. They don't even recognize that they're being hateful; they call it "love". This is not healthy, nor (by extension) is any allegory that promotes it.

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