Our group, on whole, was left with somewhat of a sense of lacking... Then again, most of us had just read the book.
They changed a ton and added that cheesy romance thing... There was much to like, but they also changed Peter just enough for it to be unpleasantly noticeable and they completely changed Prince Caspian (the character) which really bothered me, and, you know, how they added-- some of that other stuff about him being all vengeful and whatnot... Other plot adjustments were also disagreeable. I thought that it was pretty corny when all of the Talmarin (sp??) soldiers chased Caspian into the river ford... it was just too reminiscent of that one shot of all the black riders racing into the river. I thought they did a pretty good job with Lucy and Edmond, though, and I loved the part with the trees!! And Reepacheep (sp??)!! We all LOVED him. Trumpkin was pretty good too and the badger. Ugg, but they took so much out!! (and added so much other stuff too... some pretty good, some absolutely not good). The ending was also satisfying! (the part AFTER that awful part between Susan and Caspian...) Let's see... at the moment, I can't remember the other parts I particularly licked, but there were several. Most of Susan's dresses were really pretty and Lucy's too. There were some pretty good lines, too (which I can not remember either). I don't mind that they took Baccus (sp?) and Selinas (sp?) out, though, they kinda freaked me out in the book...
I haven't read the books in many years so I didn't know how close they stuck to it and I wasn't aware of the details you mention. Ignorance can be bliss sometimes!
Yeah... I didn't remember anything fro the book, really... All that I remembered were a couple of vague things from the old Wonderworks's version of PC. Our library had the whole series done by Wonderworks, so Ana and I would watch it all the time when we were little. So, I decided that I really had to refresh my mind... it's an easy read - just over 100 pgs - and it's also a good story. But yes, besides those details, I thought it was pretty good as far as movies are concerned... though I think that, even if I hadn't read it, Caspian would have still bothered me.
I liked the way Caspian was portrayed and didn't mind he and Susan noticing each other's devastating beauty and courage. He also had a little Hamlet in him over the death of his father and the usurper brother which I didn't mind transfering to this story since I don't remember his character in the book very much.
Anna, James and John had read the books more recently too and in their discussions with our kids, all decided that the unfaithfulness to the story wasn't NEARLY so bad as the transgressions with the Eragon movie. But I liked the Eragon movie because I am not familiar with that story at all and had such low expectations going in since everyone was so disappointed.
No, compared to the Eragon movie (which we chaps fondly [ahem, or not so fondly] refer to as "The Atrocity" or "The Boy Who Rode the Dragon"), Prince Caspian was done very well. That came into our conversation of the movie also.
As one who has never read the book at all (to the best of my recollection), I rated the movie as "pretty good", with very good effects. I'd give it a B, maybe a B+. I found it to be a little better than the first Narnia movie, because some of the creatures in the first one creeped me out.
Best individual effect - the tree root pulling the trebuchet into the ground. Most disappointing scene - the river one, same reasons as listed in prior comments. Worst overall effect - the popcorn made me a little nauseous for several hours after the movie. This may have tainted my overall opinion. Best overall effect - the leftover sushi that Andrea brought home after she had dinner with Carol after the movie... I can still remember how good it was, and it made my nausea go away.
Prince Caspian always hesitated way too long in dangerous situations, like watching the bad guys make a pincushion out of his bed, and staring at the professor a long time instead of running away when the bad guys were right behind him. Luckily he got a better sense of urgency as the movie progressed.
I liked the movie very much. The hint at almost-a-romance between Susan and Caspian didn't bother me. It didn't detract from the story. However, the Hamlet-like vengence and the scene of attempting to take the castle and loosing so many because of judgement error - well, that was not part of Caspian's character and not part of the original story. I did not like that part. The trees and roots were awesome! Reepacheep was great! I liked both Lucy and Edmund's growing up but still honest characters. The river was WAY too LOTR. What were they thinking? All in all, I liked it very much. The things changed were, IMHO, unnecessarily done. But, still, the excellent special effects and the overall story were great. It was well worth the investment of time and $$$ to see it on the big screen! Glad you all enjoyed it as well.
I don't remember the book as well as I would have liked as its been a few years since I last read it. Nevertheless, I'm beginning to accept more and more movies' alterations from their books, as I realize the dynamics and flow necessary to create a movie (please don't don't don't think that though Eragon was nothing like the book I still liked it; "Eragon" as the movie so dubs itself, was a tragedy of movie-making: non-, non- non-, non- heinous).
It took me a while to notice the tension they were going for in the movie between the Pevensies and Caspian, probably because there was not so much tension in the book. (that I remember. . .) In the movie, Peter's manner grated on me at first until I realized that his character development would be his need to let go of his possessive hold on his title as king- to "get off his high horse" as it were and allow there to be another king of Narnia. Hence his doubting of Lucy, his castle assault which was more for himself than for the Narnians, and his eventual self-sacrifice in the form of his dual with Midas, and his acceptance of Caspian as king. The dynamic between Caspian and Susan also caught me off guard, probably because I had always inferred from the book (I'm not sure if rightly so) that Caspian was more Edmund's age, or at least younger than he was portrayed in the movie. But because of their relative ages in the movie and the situation they were in, I can understand that they wouldn't leave out that dynamic.
Definitely some major LOTR relations going on; both the water and the trees. That was annoying. Nevertheless, the same water and trees had some of the coolest effects (the trebuchet as previously mentioned, and the water creature I think had some of the most realistic water effects I've seen for a while).
I was also a little bugged by the white witch scene; perhaps their desperation could have been portrayed via another route; then again maybe not- as odd as that scene was, it really poignantly portrayed their desperation and Peter's straying from his faith in Aslan.
Overall, I did enjoy the movie, and thought it was well done, though it certainly didn't adhere to the book as the previous movie did. I can't wait to see how the Dawn Treader turns out!
Yes, I gave it about a three star rating (on a five star scale). And I LOVED the trees (and their roots)!! I think they did a better job on the talking animals in this one than in the first.
I too liked the movie. Having never read the book, I am in no position to comment about how closely the two matched. However, during the rapids scene, I could not help leaning over and whispering to James and John, who were sitting to my right, "If you want him, come and claim him!" Mr. Neptune was cool, though.
Unfortunately, I have a thing for unfinished romances. They really bother me somehow. Not as in annoy, but as deeply move me in the wrong direction. I don't know why. But they do. Nevertheless, I think that if it had to be done, I can't see it working any other way. So there.
FYI, in the book, it does say Capian is "about Peter's age."
At first, the whole thing about Peter needing to get over himself caught me off guard (it's not in the book that way) and I was disappointed that they brought that aspect into the story. And also, how the whole time, everyone kept on questioning Caspian's right to be King. In the book, there was just a brief questioning before the two dwarfs and badger really knew who he was.
I didn't think the trees were too much like LotR. That's just how it was in the book. Actually, when I read the bring, I found myself musing about how that was a lot like the LotR's, so I suppose that's why I didn't really notice it in the movie.
While I was watching, I did try to think of what changes may have been necessary for making the book into a movie, and the story more followable/enjoyable as such. As a movie, disregarding several afore mentioned aspects, I thought it was pretty well done. I can't wait for the Dawn Treader, either. It used to be my favorite book in the series!
Actually, now I want to watch Prince Caspian again because after all of this critical analysis, I'm starting to wonder how things would be now that I've thought about it/seen it already... Joanna actually got to see it again on Saturday with another friend and said she didn't notice much more than she got from the original viewing...
Yes, throughout the WHOLE thing, Joanna, Holly, and I - who, of course were all sitting as beside each other as three people can sit in a theatre - and who were also the greatest critics and most enthusiastic fans in the whole theatre - kept a going conversation - well, sort of - more like commented very often to each other on whatever was happening. I actually felt kinda sorry for anyone else around us. If I were someone else, I would have probably been annoyed if these three girls were whispering (we were being as quiet as humanly possible, though, honest!! ...well, except for the occasional giggle that couldn't be kept in)throughout the ENTIRE thing.
Comments
Our group, on whole, was left with somewhat of a sense of lacking... Then again, most of us had just read the book.
They changed a ton and added that cheesy romance thing... There was much to like, but they also changed Peter just enough for it to be unpleasantly noticeable and they completely changed Prince Caspian (the character) which really bothered me, and, you know, how they added-- some of that other stuff about him being all vengeful and whatnot... Other plot adjustments were also disagreeable. I thought that it was pretty corny when all of the Talmarin (sp??) soldiers chased Caspian into the river ford... it was just too reminiscent of that one shot of all the black riders racing into the river.
I thought they did a pretty good job with Lucy and Edmond, though, and I loved the part with the trees!! And Reepacheep (sp??)!! We all LOVED him. Trumpkin was pretty good too and the badger. Ugg, but they took so much out!! (and added so much other stuff too... some pretty good, some absolutely not good). The ending was also satisfying! (the part AFTER that awful part between Susan and Caspian...)
Let's see... at the moment, I can't remember the other parts I particularly licked, but there were several. Most of Susan's dresses were really pretty and Lucy's too. There were some pretty good lines, too (which I can not remember either). I don't mind that they took Baccus (sp?) and Selinas (sp?) out, though, they kinda freaked me out in the book...
But yes, besides those details, I thought it was pretty good as far as movies are concerned... though I think that, even if I hadn't read it, Caspian would have still bothered me.
Anna, James and John had read the books more recently too and in their discussions with our kids, all decided that the unfaithfulness to the story wasn't NEARLY so bad as the transgressions with the Eragon movie. But I liked the Eragon movie because I am not familiar with that story at all and had such low expectations going in since everyone was so disappointed.
Best individual effect - the tree root pulling the trebuchet into the ground.
Most disappointing scene - the river one, same reasons as listed in prior comments.
Worst overall effect - the popcorn made me a little nauseous for several hours after the movie. This may have tainted my overall opinion.
Best overall effect - the leftover sushi that Andrea brought home after she had dinner with Carol after the movie... I can still remember how good it was, and it made my nausea go away.
Prince Caspian always hesitated way too long in dangerous situations, like watching the bad guys make a pincushion out of his bed, and staring at the professor a long time instead of running away when the bad guys were right behind him. Luckily he got a better sense of urgency as the movie progressed.
It took me a while to notice the tension they were going for in the movie between the Pevensies and Caspian, probably because there was not so much tension in the book. (that I remember. . .)
In the movie, Peter's manner grated on me at first until I realized that his character development would be his need to let go of his possessive hold on his title as king- to "get off his high horse" as it were and allow there to be another king of Narnia. Hence his doubting of Lucy, his castle assault which was more for himself than for the Narnians, and his eventual self-sacrifice in the form of his dual with Midas, and his acceptance of Caspian as king.
The dynamic between Caspian and Susan also caught me off guard, probably because I had always inferred from the book (I'm not sure if rightly so) that Caspian was more Edmund's age, or at least younger than he was portrayed in the movie. But because of their relative ages in the movie and the situation they were in, I can understand that they wouldn't leave out that dynamic.
Definitely some major LOTR relations going on; both the water and the trees. That was annoying. Nevertheless, the same water and trees had some of the coolest effects (the trebuchet as previously mentioned, and the water creature I think had some of the most realistic water effects I've seen for a while).
I was also a little bugged by the white witch scene; perhaps their desperation could have been portrayed via another route; then again maybe not- as odd as that scene was, it really poignantly portrayed their desperation and Peter's straying from his faith in Aslan.
Overall, I did enjoy the movie, and thought it was well done, though it certainly didn't adhere to the book as the previous movie did. I can't wait to see how the Dawn Treader turns out!
Unfortunately, I have a thing for unfinished romances. They really bother me somehow. Not as in annoy, but as deeply move me in the wrong direction. I don't know why. But they do. Nevertheless, I think that if it had to be done, I can't see it working any other way. So there.
Popcorn, Dad?
At first, the whole thing about Peter needing to get over himself caught me off guard (it's not in the book that way) and I was disappointed that they brought that aspect into the story. And also, how the whole time, everyone kept on questioning Caspian's right to be King. In the book, there was just a brief questioning before the two dwarfs and badger really knew who he was.
I didn't think the trees were too much like LotR. That's just how it was in the book. Actually, when I read the bring, I found myself musing about how that was a lot like the LotR's, so I suppose that's why I didn't really notice it in the movie.
While I was watching, I did try to think of what changes may have been necessary for making the book into a movie, and the story more followable/enjoyable as such. As a movie, disregarding several afore mentioned aspects, I thought it was pretty well done. I can't wait for the Dawn Treader, either. It used to be my favorite book in the series!
Actually, now I want to watch Prince Caspian again because after all of this critical analysis, I'm starting to wonder how things would be now that I've thought about it/seen it already... Joanna actually got to see it again on Saturday with another friend and said she didn't notice much more than she got from the original viewing...