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FleaBagger (33.65)

A completely off-topic rant about Prince Caspian

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May 19, 2008 – Comments (7)

I believe I have already mentioned that C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia are my favorite works of fiction, and they have inspired me to become a novelist. The feeling that I get from reading them and remembering the first time I read them is something that I cannot describe to anyone who does not feel the same way, but it is powerful.

So it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to this past Friday's release of the cinematic adaptation of Prince Caspian, the 2nd chronicle of Narnia (to have been written), and sequel to the surprisingly faithfully adapted The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was flabbergasted how frivolous the treatment was. I tried not to set my expectations too high, but the whole plot and all the most important characters were completely distorted.

So, to help make the next sequel, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the best movie it can be and therefore popular with all true fans of Narnia, I am offering these helpful tips to the producers: 

1. That sweet, lovable child you cast as Eustace must be replaced by someone not so charming.

2. Caspian pining over his apocryphal love for Susan should be cut from the script entirely, as it will just remind true Narnia fans of their fury at your betrayal in Prince Caspian. 

3. Reepicheep should be in the movie. He is, in fact, a central character. Please rewrite the script accordingly.

3b. Reepicheep might have learned manners since his turn as a bratty American rat in PC, and should now be the chivalrous mouse that Lewis wrote about.

4. Please cut the part in the script where Caspian does a daring midnight raid to free the Lone Isles from the grip of Sopespian's brother. It's okay for the corrupt governor not to be related to the bad guys from PC, and furthermore it is just fine to use Lewis' brilliant device instead of a clichéd Hollywood device. 

5. Please cut the dragon-slaying part. Again, what Lewis wrote is just fine; what you are writing is clichéd. 

6. Please cut the grand naval battle with the Calormenes.

7. Please don't treat the silliness of the duffers so timidly as I know you're going to. Embrace the silliness.

8. Please have more reading of the spellbook.

9. Please have more respect for Ramandu's daughter.

10. Please don't skimp on the Last Sea. It is just too cool to rush through, the way you did with Aslan's healing of Beruna. 

7 Comments – Post Your Own

#1) On May 19, 2008 at 7:14 AM, zygnoda (27.32) wrote:

It doesn't sound like you are asking for all that much.  ;)  haa

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#2) On May 19, 2008 at 8:49 AM, LordZ wrote:

WOW...

Please make the battles more gorey...

Its too bad that WIlliam Shakespeare cant be resurrected to put a shakespearean angle to the work.

Never read it...

 

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#3) On May 19, 2008 at 9:19 AM, Gemini846 (89.12) wrote:

The fact is that the movies don't catch the depth of the books the way the words can.

Tolkien' grand conversion to the screen worked well because his "story" was primarily that. It had alraedy been converted in cartoon form years earlier. There are themes drawn from Louis (they were friends) but no overarching parallel to our world like Louis' books have.

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#4) On May 19, 2008 at 1:05 PM, FleaBagger (33.65) wrote:

Gemini -

I agree that there are things that don't - and can't - make the conversion from page to screen, and that movies will always be missing something because of it. However, there were many gratuitous infidelities in this most recent treatment of Prince Caspian. I don't remember ever seeing the PBS version of PC, but if their version of The Silver Chair is any indication, their PC was probably much more faithful (and therefore more enjoyable for fans of the books, even with a lower budget, and even [gulp] worse acting, if need be. (And really, it needn't be.)

Does anyone else remember seeing SC more than PC from the PBS series? Was that just a fluke in my personal experience?

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#5) On May 19, 2008 at 2:58 PM, madcowmonkey (< 20) wrote:

I can't believe I didn't buy into GHM when I looked at it getting ready to make the turn. I kick myself so hard for that one:)

Just getting off topic. 

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#6) On May 19, 2008 at 6:21 PM, FleaBagger (33.65) wrote:

This is a Prince Caspian discussion thread, madcow: try not to get off topic with such things as, say, investing.

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#7) On May 22, 2008 at 7:00 AM, madcowmonkey (< 20) wrote:

ah. GHM got smacked yesterday:) Princess Caspian discussion?  Where?

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