The Chronicles of Narnia

REVIEW: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund Pevensie (Skandar Keynes) return to Narnia with their annoying cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) reluctantly in tow. There they reunite with Caspian (Ben Barnes) aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader and join him on his quest to find seven missing Lords.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the Narnia film I’ve seen the least. In fact, I think I’ve only seen it once before this viewing and that was not long after it was released on DVD so watching it now was almost like the first time I remembered that little about it.

Having the adventure set at sea with the heroes travelling from island to island, with each island being different and having their own mystery or problem to solve, keeps the film interesting and it evolves the world of Narnia. However, this island hoping is a double-edged sword as none of the places or creatures they discover feel fully developed, and a lot of them feel like checkpoints as they travel to their final destination.

The special effects creating sea creatures and dragons are great, but it’s a shame some of the practical effects and make up used to bring creatures like minotaurs to life in previous films, is swapped out for computer wizardry. Having watched the Narnia films back to back, little things like that stand out.

Perhaps another thing that’s more obvious as I’ve watched all the Narnia films in row, is that some of the characterisation is a bit off. Edmund seems to have picked up some of his brother’s traits of feeling more entitled about being royalty – both in his own world and in Narnia – when previously he’d been more accepting of what had happened to him. This leads to conflict between Edmund and Caspian, conflict that’s exacerbated by outside forces, and neither of them talk about it again or apologise which felt weird and wrong for both their characters.

Eustace is not a nice person when he arrives in Narnia. He’s a tattletale, spoilt and complains about everything, so naturally his time in Narnia offers him a chance to grow up and become a better person. The script and Will Poulter’s performance both do a good job at actually making you care about Eustace, as he is really annoying to begin with. He goes from being a character that’s entertaining to dislike, to one that actually has some redeeming qualities and surprisingly is one you find yourself liking.

It is a shame the powers that be never continued with this film series. Well, there’s supposed to be an adaptation of The Silver Chair but who knows if that’ll ever come to fruition. While the setting of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a lot different to the previous outings in Narnia, a lot of the heart and charm is still there. 3/5.

REVIEW: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

A year after their adventure in Narnia, the Pevensie siblings return but for Narnia it’s over a thousand years and it’s a much darker place than the one they remember. Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) wishes to destroy all Narnians and take the throne from its rightful heir, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), so the Pevensie’s and Caspian must join forces to save Narnia

Unlike The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which is perhaps one of the most faithful book to film adaptations yet, Prince Caspian does it’s own thing for the most part. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing and personally I feel adding in more conflict between Peter (William Mosely) and Caspian adds more to Peter’s character.

What Prince Caspian does really well is show how difficult it was for the Pevensie’s going from grown adult Kings and Queens, to being children again. They’ve already grown up and had a life and then they’re back at the beginning again. Peter is clearly the one who struggles the most with this and puts other creatures’ lives on the line as he’s desperate to prove himself, even to his own siblings.

Ben Barnes does a good job at portraying Caspian as a young man who out of his depth and wants to do good without being self-righteous. The new Narnian characters are all a lot of fun and do well to fill the gap left by Mr Tumnus and the Beavers and help show how much has changed in Narnia since the Pevensie’s left. Peter Dinklage and Warwick Davis both play dwarfs, with Dinklage getting almost as much screen time as the Pevensie’s, while Eddie Izzard voices Reepicheap, a swashbuckling mouse.

While Prince Caspian deviates from the book, and is a much darker story than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, there’s still the air of magic and hope about it. This comes from Andrew Adamson’s direction. It’s assured even in the big battle sequences and knowing how much of a rapport he built with the young actors playing the Pevensie children, Georgie Henley especially, it’s clear how he got such good performances from his young cast.

Prince Caspian shows the darker side on Narnia but also the good there is in people. The special effects, hair and makeup and costumes are still great and overall Prince Caspian is an action-packed adventure. Also, Edmund (Skandar Keynes) is still the MVP in my book.4/5.

REVIEW: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

The Pevensie children, Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley), travel through a wardrobe to the magical world of Narnia and discover they’re a part of a prophecy to free Narnia from the clutches of the White Witch (Tilda Swinton).

I remember going to the cinema to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but can’t quite believe that was fifteen years ago. I grew up reading The Chronicles of Narnia and really enjoyed the film adaptations, but as it’s been so long since I’ve watched them, I thought I’d revisit them as an adult an see if they still have the same magic about them.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of the most faithful book to film adaptations I’ve seen, especially for a children’s series where so often what ends up on screen is completely different to what’s on the page. Perhaps it helps that the Narnia books are certified classics and are known across the generations, or it’s just more proof of the care and heart that was put into this film by everyone involved.

There are some moments that don’t grip your attention as much as others, but overall, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a story of hope, perseverance and good triumphing over evil. It’s a universal story and one that’s told very well from the production and set design to the performances.

The four young leads are all wonderful and they do feel like real siblings. Georgie Henley as Lucy is especially brilliant as it’s with her that you encounter Narnia for the first time and her wonder and delight is infectious. For me, Edmund has always been the most interesting of the Pevensie siblings. He’s jealous of his older brother and he can be mean but over the course of the film matures as he sees the consequences of his actions and strives to help others and do good. Skandar Keynes does a good job at showing how spiteful Edmund can be, but also how sympathetic and remorseful he truly is.

Tilda Swinton is the White Witch. She is menacing and cruel and can switch from being seemingly kind and caring to vicious in a second in order to get what she wants. She’s a foreboding presence even when she’s not on screen and it’s clear to see why the creatures of Narnia fear her so.

Half the fun of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is hearing well known voices come from a variety of creatures – Ray Winstone and Dawn French as Mr and Mrs Beaver is a delight. The special effects, makeup and costumes that bring the creatures of Narnia to life are fantastic and still hold up fifteen years later. One has to wonder how the filmmakers here made a pretty photorealistic lion with Aslan, that looks and acts like a lion while still being able to emote, and the lions and creatures in The Lion King (2019) just don’t emote at all.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a film that’s still full of magic. The care and attention put into everything from the costumes and special effects to the score and the story, means that it looks just as good and is just as enjoyable all these years later. 4/5.

Mid-year Film Update 2020

Last year was the first time I did a mid-year check in on my film-related goals and I thought I’d do the same again this year – mainly because I like to see how much my most watched actors change over the course of a year.

My film-related goals are pretty chill. They are:

And I have to say, I’m on the right track with both of those so far. I have watched 28 films directed women so over half way there and I’ve watched 40 films written by women which is over three quarters of the way to 52. I’ll definitely hit 52 films for both directors and screenwriters by the end of the year, the question is what will my final total be. My favourite films made by women I’ve seen so far this year are Miss Americana, Little Women and Misbehaviour. I also rewatched Mamma Mia! which was a delight as always.

Thanks to COVID-19 and lockdown, naturally I haven’t been to the cinema since March (and I’m not sure when I’ll be going back even though they being to open here in a couple of weeks), and a lot of the big films directed by women – Black Widow, Mulan, Wonder Woman 1984 – have been pushed back. So, if it hadn’t have been for COVID, I’ll have probably seen more films directed by women by now but there we go.

Thanks to the A-Z in April Challenge this year, I have knocked 20 films off my unwatched DVD/Blu-rays list so now I have 64 left to watch. I do hope to watch more of them over the next six months, especially the Hitchcock and Clint Eastwood films.

I love my Letterboxd stats. Here’s my most watched actors of 2020 so far:

I have done a lot of rewatching of some of my favourite franchises so far this year which pretty much explains everyone here. So far in 2020 I have rewatched; the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy, The Lord of the Rings (normally a Christmas rewatch for me but I needed the extra comfort that those films bring me), and The Chronicles of Narnia films. Last month I decided to watch all of Anton Yelchin’s films that I hadn’t seen before that were available on Netflix/Prime so that’s how he made it on the list. I’m interested to see how many of the MCU actors especially manage to stay in my most watched actors list by the end of the year.

My most watched directors of 2020 so far:

Again, my director list isn’t that surprising based on the franchises I’ve rewatched so far this year. The Russo’s, James Gunn, Peyton Reed, Joss Whedon, Jon Watts and Jon Favreau all directed multiple films in the MCU, while Steven Soderbergh, Gore Verbinski and Peter Jackson directed the Ocean’s trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, and Lord of the Rings trilogy respectively. It’d be nice if I could have a more diverse range of filmmakers in this list by the end of the year (at least Bong Joon-ho is there!) but we’ll see how that goes. While I often at least watch 52 films directed by women each year for example, they are often from 52 different women so female directors don’t often make this list.

In the first half of 2020 I have seen 144 different films with 13 being at the cinema, and as I said while I miss spending a Saturday watching three films in the cinema back to back, I’m not sure when I’ll be doing that again.

What are some of your favourite films you’ve watched so far in 2020? Are you missing the cinema at all? Besides the ones I’ve already mentioned, some of my favourite films have been Dark Waters, Da 5 Bloods and Love, Antosha. Each month on Twitter I share my Top 5 First Views if you ever want to see my monthly film highlights.

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY: Characters You Are Most Like

Top 5 Wednesday is a feature created by GingerReadsLainey and hosted by ThoughtsonTomes. To find out more about Top 5 Wednesday and the upcoming topics, check out its Goodreads page. This week it’s all about the characters you are most like, whether it’s just one element of their personality that’s similar to your own or all of it.

clintClint Barton/Hawkeye – Marvel
I have a lot of personality traits similar to Clint Barton, I’m often underestimated and have a weird sense of humour. But the main is, like Clint Barton, I often don’t make it obvious that I’m smart. While other people would be showing off I, like Clint, am happy to get on with things and if I surprise people with how much I know on a certain subject then OK.

 

Hermione_Granger_OOTP_promo_f_1Hermione Granger – Harry Potter
Just like Hermione, I love to read. Whether it’s huge non-fiction books about something completely different to what I’d normally read, or some fun chick-lit or a comic book, I love discovering new books.

 

 

Skandar_Keynes_as_Edmund_Pevensie_(2008)Edmund Pevensie – The Chronicles of Narnia
Edmund is a bit of a black sheep in his family and he doesn’t always feel like he fits in. I know that feeling, though mine is more when it comes to friends and groups of people than my family, and I guess we all do sometimes.

 

 

princessdiaries1aMia Thermopolis – The Princess Diaries
The only way Mia can really explain how she feels or what’s going on in her head is in writing, that’s very much like me. I always find it easier to get my feelings down in writing rather than saying them to someone’s face.

 

 

elizabeth bennet2Elizabeth Bennet – Pride & Prejudice
Elizabeth is fiercely independent and likes to speak her mind. While I might not always feel confident to speak my mind all the time, I do sometimes and I definitely am an independent person.

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY: Fictional Items I Want

Top 5 Wednesday is a great feature created by GingerReadsLainey. To find out more about Top 5 Wednesday and the upcoming topics, check out its Goodreads page. When you read books, especially fantasy ones, there’s always cool stuff that you wish were real so without further ado, here are five fictional items I’d love to have.

Time Turner – Harry Potter series
Who wouldn’t want a Time Turner?! It would be great if you’re so busy that you can use it to have those extra hours in the day or if you spent the day being ridiculously lazy and procrastinating all your responsibilities, you can use it to go back in time and actually be productive with your time.

Lucy’s Cordial – The Chronicles of Narnia
Lucy’s Cordial can cure any illness and malady and that would be so useful. I could use it to get rid of an annoying cold or even something much worse if a friend or family member was seriously ill. That being said, you’d have to use it sparingly and there’d certainly be a lot of responsibility having something like that.

Kaz’s cane – Six of Crows
This is kind of just because I think a cane with a crows head looks really cool but also because it can also double of a weapon so you can be protected without anyone really realising till it’s too late.

The Rampion – The Lunar Chronicles
Yes the Rampion is an old battered cargo ship but it’s also pretty cool. It can be controlled by artificial intelligence and it’s managed to best mightier ships. I just want to go into space with my own crew OK?

The Light of Eärendil – Lord of the Rings
This would be so handy! When you can’t find your house keys in your bag and your phones died so you can’t use that to search by, you can use this instead! Sure it’s a pretty mundane thing to use it for when it’s said that it can be a light “in dark places, when all other lights go out” but I don’t care – it’s a source of light that’ll never die.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Ten Fictional Families I’d like to Celebrate Thanksgiving with

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature run by BrokeAndBookish each week – I’m thinking I might not take part every week but just see if a week takes my fancy. In honour of Thanksgiving (which I know nothing about really because I’m a Brit) this week I’m going to list the ten fictional families I‘d like to celebrate with, these families are going to be from books, films and TV shows and my favourite trope of “Families of Choice” will almost certainly be making an appearance.

The Pevensies – The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Sure the Pevensies don’t always get along but they always come together and sharing a special dinner with them, and maybe some other characters like Mr Tumnus and the Beavers, would be nice.

The O’Connell-Carnahan’s – The Mummy and The Mummy Returns
This family is #familygoals. Rick may be the only American in the family so he might have to persuade his wife, son and brother-in-law to take part in Thanksgiving but I’m sure they would and then Ardeth Bay could join in too.

The Baggins’ – The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
Whether it would be a small dinner with just Bilbo and Frodo, or if Pippin, Merry and Sam were there too, it would be a great meal because Hobbit’s know their food and how to party. (more…)

Summertime Madness TAG

I was tagged ages ago by Chelsea at BFTReviews to do the Summertime Madness book tag and now that summer is coming to an end (even though we’ve had more sun these last few days than in the whole of August!) I thought I really should get this tag done quickly!

1. Show a book with a summery cover!

Waking Dream ElenaSquareEyesIt’s been forever since I’ve read this book but I remember it being one of teenage-me’s favourites.

2. Pick one fictional place that would be the perfect destination for a summer vacation!
Narnia, though obviously when the White Queen has been defeated and it’s sunny and all the animals and creatures are happy. (more…)

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Top Ten Favourite Heroines

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature run by BrokeAndBookish each week – I’m thinking I might not take part every week but just see if a week takes my fancy. This week is all about favourite heroines – most of mine are bookish ones but there’s a couple from films and TV shows too.

alana-01Alana from the Saga series by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Alana is a Landfallian who fell in love and had a baby with a solider from Wreath – they’ve got a Romeo & Juliet kind of deal going on but they are far better at communicating so neither of them have died yet. Alana will do anything to protect her daughter but at the same time she is also impulsive and sometimes jealous. She’s also a former solider so she can handle just about anything that comes her way.

Lucy Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Lucy is so young and full of belief and wonder at the world around her. I love her faith in Narnia and in her family and how she grows to become quite courageous over the course of her adventures. (more…)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Places Books Have Made Me Want To Visit

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature run by BrokeAndBookish each week – I’m thinking I might not take part every week but just see if a week takes my fancy. Books can take you to many different wonderful places – both fictional and real. Here are ten places that I’ve wanted to visit due to reading.

Narnia from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
I’d like to visit Narnia in any part of its history, when there’s snow everywhere thanks to the White Witch or when everything’s happier during Prince Caspian’s reign.

Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Who isn’t intrigued by Hogwarts?! I’d love to explore where all the stair cases lead and to hang out by the lake and Hagrid’s hut.

New York City thanks to the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
I like how New York is just a back drop to Mia’s problems when dealing with being a princess. That being said I was always interested in New York and two years ago I did go visit the city and absolutely fell in love with the place – but I really want to go again! (more…)