Narnia

I watched Voyage of the Dawn Treader last night.  I own all three of the movies thus far.  I read the novels as a kid (well, I won't say 'novel' because they're short) and I liked them.  There's a lot to pick apart in those allegories.  I won't discuss the entire series, and I'll really only talk about the movies in this post.

I'll start with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.  I really really liked the movie.  I liked the final battle scene even though it wasn't as violent as it could have been since it was a kids' movie.  The same people who worked on Lord of the Rings helped with this one.  It was good to visualize Aslan being killed.  When he comes back, I get moved.  When he roars over the final battle it's chillingly awesome as well.  Liam Neeson as Aslan's voice is superb.  The music was really good too.  I read the book in less than an hour before I saw the movie, so it was good to see more 'meat' put into it while still keeping the main point the main point.

As for Prince Caspian, I really liked the movie.  I read some scathing reviews though.  I agree that there wasn't any competition between Peter and Caspian.  Also, Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund didn't really show up until closer to the end of the book whereas in the movie they show up at the beginning.  I can see that they're the stars of the franchise, so they need to be in there.  There's a lot of backstory to Caspian's upbringing that they left out of the movie.  Still, it did seem more real.  I mean, how would I feel if I had been a king most of my life only to be thrust back into war-torn England as the same boy I left as.  How could I go from king to nobody?  Granted, the point of the story is to battle against pride and serve Aslan simply because he's Aslan.  Another point of contention was Caspian kissing Susan.  That definitely wasn't in the book, but I could see a romance there.  It really didn't bother me.  In fact, given the circumstances, why not make a move?  (LoL).  Another point, that I actually did have a problem with, was the night attack on Miraz's castle.  That didn't happen in the book, and they'd have no real reason to do so.  It was just an added action scene that lost the Narnians most of their army.  If there's anything about the movie I didn't like, it was that.  Though, Reepicheep tying up the cat was hilarious.  I loved how the Telmarines were pretty much Spaniards.  Their armor was awesome.  It was interesting to see Warwick Davis as the bad Nikabrik.  He's usually a good guy like Willow or Wicket.  Peter Dinklage as Trumpkin was well-struck.  I love Peter Dinklage, and he's an amazing Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones.  He was also funny in Elf.  Aslan was supposed to pick Trumpkin up in his mouth at the end of the story rather than just roar at him, but oh well.  The guy they got to play Caspian was good, even though his accent was kind of hard to listen to.  Reepicheep was very well done!  The final fight scene was really good.  Once again, I was glad that they added some meat to the battle since C.S. Lewis didn't really write about battles.  The Last Battle wasn't an actual battle, but more of a skirmish.  The battle was more of a spiritual one.  Truth vs. Lies, etc.  The duel between Peter and Miraz was excellent.  I could have used more of the Bulgy Bear, but oh well.  It was cool to see that fight, and it was laid out in the book.

Now to Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  With the success of Pirates, everyone loves a good ship adventure.  This movie was a failure, in my opinion, even though I liked it.  20th Century Fox took over and the difference was noticeable.  The CGI was lacking, at best.  Caspian switched from a Spanish accent to a more regal English accent.  Amazing how an accent can disappear that quickly.  Lucy was obsessed with being beautiful, and I don't remember if she actually felt that way in the book.  Still, I'm okay with that because it makes sense.  They *had* to put Peter and Susan in there, apparently, because if they weren't in there then we wouldn't see the movie.  They also *had* to put Tilda Swinton in there.  Seriously, the characters seldom last more than one or two books, so why do you feel that you have to tie them in?  The Silver Chair will be Eustace and Jill, and no Pevensies.  Now, a high mark for the movie was the casting of Eustace.  That actor did a very good job, and I look forward to seeing him in the Silver Chair movie.  Another high point was Reepicheep, despite the change in voice actors.  My favorite scene came at the end at the beach of Aslan's Country where Reepicheep very quickly laid down his sword saying, "well I won't be needing this" as he paddled to Aslan's Country.  More on that in the next paragraph.  It was cool to see Lucy fight with a sword and bow rather than just sit there with a butter knife.  Still, Lucy was an awesome character because she fully relied on Aslan.  Anybody can feel strong w/ a massive lion beside you, right!  Where Aslan was a central character in the first two movies, he kind of just showed up at the end of this one.  Though, he made some good points.  I didn't really have any major problems with Dawn Treader the movie, but it was my least favorite of the three.

Silver Chair will translate into an interesting movie, and I believe The Horse and His Boy will as well.  However, Magician's Nephew is more story-based than actor-based and Last Battle doesn't have much action either.  As I said, the last battle is more of a skirmish.  I don't know what they'll do, but I do hope they do a Silver Chair movie.  They set up for it with the Dawn Treader movie.

Now, Narnia is supposed to be an allegory about Jesus.  Aslan = Jesus.  In The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe Aslan sacrifices himself to free Edmund from the White Witch.  The White Witch = Satan.  Funny how they went with a woman when Satan is seen to be masculine, but oh well.  I like that C.S. Lewis went with a lion representation (Aslan means 'lion' in Turkish).  Jesus is referred to as the Lion of Judah.  However, Satan is also likened to a lion seeking whom he may devour.  So, lions are running wild here.  In any case, Aslan = Jesus in these stories.  The kids are brought to Narnia to reign as kings and queens, but they are still subject to Aslan.  That shows that Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  Even the highest rulers in our land are held accountable to God, whether they think they are or not.  Romans 13 says that all authority is granted by God, and even if we disagree with our authority, we should obey them.  So, I am a citizen-soldier of Heaven, but I allow myself to be governed by American laws to the extent they don't compromise my allegiance to God.  Aslan blessed the Pevensies as God blesses us.  By His Spirit we are allowed to be called His children and become His heirs.  We're even supposed to get crowns in Heaven.  Honestly, I doubt a crown will have as much value there as it does here, but God was just trying to give us a glimpse and a perception of "awesome" in Heaven (LoL).  There is a quote in Prince Caspian where Lucy asks Aslan "why didn't you come roaring in and save us?".  Aslan replies "things never happen the same way twice, dear one."  That line has been etched on my heart for two years.  God does not act the same way twice.  I'd love to call down fire from Heaven to consume an offering and say "boo ya!" to unbelievers, but that won't happen.  Honestly, I don't need a miraculous sign because I believe with my life that God is real.  I want to go back to the happiness I felt in 2008, but God doesn't work that way.  If He takes something away, you get something better.  Aslan did end up saving the day in Prince Caspian, but not in the same way he did in Wardrobe.  Sometimes God takes us on a journey to test us, as in Dawn Treader.  There may not be any real, tangible enemy or life/death situation.  It may just be a test of our faith.  And the end of the journey is Aslan's Country (Heaven).  I love the way Dawn Treader portrayed it.  You could see the mountain tops past the wall of water, so you know there was a land beyond the edge of the world.  I love how King Caspian realized he still had a job to do and was willing to stay on "earth" to do it rather than go to "Heaven".  Christians realize that we have a job to do.  Our lives no longer belong to us, so we have no right to end them early.  Lucy, Eustace and Edmund knew they were going back to England and not to Aslan's Country because they still had jobs to do in their world.  Aslan said that in their (our) world he's known by a different name (Jesus) and by knowing him in Narnia, they could know him better in their (our) world.  I like thinking of Jesus as a big lion.  It definitely helps me feel bold.  Still, a man w/ scars in His hands and feet brings me to my knees.  And, of course, Reepicheep basically running to Aslan's Country floored me.  Here is the King of Mice, very proud and honorable, willing to lay down his sword for Aslan.  He knew that Aslan's Country was a great adventure, and that the adventures he'd already lived were nothing compared to that adventure.  I love when he just casually put down his sword and jumped into the boat.  It really spoke to me.  So many times I think of Heaven as an ending.  The end of life as I know it.  The thought of eternity terrifies me because I cannot comprehend it.  I'm scared I'll get bored.  I need to constantly be reminded that Heaven will be another, eternal adventure :)  I can't wait for the day where I can lay down my sword and just go on an adventure of discovery.  Heaven will be eternal joy because God will eternally reveal Himself to us.  As we learn more about Him, we love Him more.  We'll still be eternally behind God as well.  Mind-blowing!  Yes, Heaven is preferable to Earth, but I know I still have a job to do here.  Eternity will come soon enough.  I need to make the most of what time is left :)

For the Kingdom,
Stuart