After much thought, I have come to the conclusion that this review cannot follow the style of review that I normally use. This is because the typical viewer will already know the plot from having read the book and readers of my review are looking to learn how closely the movie is following the original story.
My real dilemma is how much of the actual movie do I expose in sharing how closely it does or does not follow the book without spoiling the adventure of watching it in person.
Sadly, I simply have not had time to return to the theater to watch it a second time despite my promise to do so I do not have a really fresh impression of the movie and typically I am reviewing a movie in DVD with the ability to re-watch scenes that are pertinent to my review. Obviously this is not an option.
One of the questions most prevalent in my mind that a reader wanted to know was how much was Aslan in the movie compared to the book. My initial reaction while watching the movie was that Aslan was in the movie about the same as in the book. However in re-reading the book I realized that there are two scenes late in the book involving Aslan that have not been included. These are rather fun and involve some characters that as Lucy says “I wouldn’t have felt safe with Bacchus and all his wild girls if we’d met them without Aslan.” Apparently Bacchus, his wild girls and Silenus are individuals that MR Tumnus told the girls about ever so long ago. Another scene with Aslan and the girls that is dropped is that of the three of them flying through the countryside. I think it would have been a fun addition to the movie. In particular I think this could have been a very funny scene that would have really appealed to the younger member of the family.
Here is a small segment of it:
Aslan and the girls come across a school filled with children especially a group of boys who “looked very like pigs” The teacher is a tired looking young girl who attempting to teach arithmetic to her inattentive pupils. When she catches a glimpse of Aslan “a stab of joy went through her heart.” Ultimately the teacher joins the group of revelers that Aslan, Lucy and Suasn have been gathering over the past few pages. And the little boys “ it was said afterward (whether truly or not) that those particular little boys were never seen again, but that there were a lot of very fine little pigs in that part of the country which had never been there before.”
There is one change that I did not care for and that is the relationship between Prince Caspian and the high King Peter. I will say no more so as not to spoil the plot line for future viewers. Once you see it - you will understand my disappointment.
While there are many deviations from the book, including the addition of a battle not in the book I would have to say, in conclusion, that one can really enjoy the movie especially if you attend with the intention of simply taking pleasure from watching what is a great family/action movie that is both clean and gripping. In this respect, the fact that I had not re-read the book before attending the movie probably enhanced my experience. Instead of constantly comparing the two, I simply sat back and enjoyed the movie as well as watching my two young ones and their reactions to it. I hope those of you who do attend the movie enjoy it as much as we did.
(Please also note that while we brought Emma, 5, and Nathaniel, 7, to the movie and they had no problem with the battle scenes, please keep in mind that these scenes are intensive. Also remember that Nathaniel and Emma, being the younger children in a family of a great mix of ages, have been far more exposed to movies with battle scenes than my older children had been at their tender age. The scenes are not gory but are intensive, and parents might wish to view the movie first before determining what age range in
their family is appropriate to view the movie in the big screen which is very different experience from viewing at home on the tv screen. )
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