Shiny Things

Disney Done Good

Saw "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" last night. Done by Disney - which I didn't realise until the film was starting. I'd been looking forward to seeing it since I saw the trailers 'cos The Chronicles of Narnia series is one of my all time favourites. Also the trailer looked good.

I was beginning to get concerned when I saw the Disney logo but it turned out OK.

I know the story so well it was impossible to watch it impartially as a film. I was looking out for 'this is what should happen now' and 'this is what they are going to say next'. So I'm surprised and very pleased to say that there were very few occasions when I was left unsatisfied. Most of the time the thing that was supposed to be said was said. The thing that was supposed to happen happened.

There were some changes from the book but I'm prepared to accept these in order to translate it to a film successfully.

There was some excellent graphic work to make the mythical beasts, goblinry and talking animals. A good battle scene and beautiful clothing - all the way it is in the book.

But, it wasn't all good.

There were scenes I thought shouldn't have been in because they were just too far from the story. For example - walking over a frozen river whilst it's thawing out and being washed away on a piece of ice because the dam is breaking. Sinking into the water and being drenched to the skin in freezing water - and not getting hypothermia! Please. Even though it was very pretty it was just daft.

3 of the children are meant to feel something different to the other at the mention of Aslan's name but this didn't come across at all. They don't know that Aslan is a Lion and have to be told but they weren't.

I forgive them.

But not for the music.

It was over the top, gushing and sentimental.

It's incredible how much seeing the story played out visually shows how religious it is. I've been reading these books for years, over and over. I've been caught up in the people in them and the scenes in them because they are beautiful and although the religiousness is clear in this part of the series it's not quite as present to me in the book as it was in the film.

Incredibly clear - even in the imagery - look at the almost halo around Aslan:

























































Added to the experience I went to see the film with The Colleague at Star City in Birmingham. We went to the gold class screen. They have reclining black leather seats, loads of space, a table for drinks and snacks and you're escorted to your seats. You get free popcorn too. Well, it's not really free cos the tickets aren't cheap. But it isn't extra. Luckily for the poor girl who managed, somehow, to tip her box of it everywhere as she approached the table next to ours in the bar! Very funny for us - but mortifying for her as we discovered she and the guy she was with were out on a 1st date! He thought it was funny too though.

It was a really mermerising journey back; thick fog interspersed with bright, clear patches of midnight blue sky and piercing bright stars, graduating back into fog banks so close you could just see the dispersed outlines of rearlights.

The moon even had a pulsating halo at one point.

Once we got into Milton Keynes it was so foggy you couldn't see the edge of the road. Putting on full beams made 2 blue streaks of fog light up and absolutely nothing else.

I was quite hypnotised by the time we got back. Plus it was 1.30am so I was also half asleep!

posted by bugexplorer @ 11:53 PM