Memorial Day Movie: Prince Caspian

The children had been begging to go see this, so we went yesterday. I don't want to do a whole movie review; partly because lots of people already have and partly because it would be tedious. I will give some impressions though.

We all liked it.

The plot strayed from the original story. Some of this made a lot of sense from the standpoint of telling a story through film. I would not have made some of the same choices though. For instance, I think more time should have been spent on Prince Caspian getting to know the Narnians and becoming one of them through knowing their ways. This would have involved slowing down the pacing, which is fine: These stories have a lot of action, but they are not all action.

I found myself strangely moved in parts. I think it is because I read the books 35 years ago and it has a strong effect--seeing things which had been gestating in my mind all this time.

I don't know how they could have filmed it, but I was disappointed that they didn't really do the awakening scene toward the end: The animals regain their awareness, good-hearted people join Aslan and the girls and wicked people run off or are turned to trees...all of this happening in a singing, dancing parade. It is actually much like the opening scene in Godspell in terms of tone.

Still, good enough. Hope they make the rest of the series. Maybe even someday the Lloyd Alexander books someday too: I like those even more!