Darwin and I weren't really up on the movie scene last Christmas, so we only just got around to seeing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe last night. My reaction: meh.
It was a pretty film, I suppose. The scenery was nice, the costumes were nice, the music was nice. But even during pivotal scenes I didn't find it impossible to glance away from the screen. There wasn't a palpable sense of danger to make me fear for the characters. I call this the "Beaver Syndrome". Every time the beavers came on screen, the tension abruptly dropped, interrupting the flow of the movie. How could I feel that the Witch's hold on Narnia was so over-reaching and vast when Mr. and Mrs. Beaver were shouting at each other across their dam? People don't shout in a police state.
The Christian music on the soundtrack struck me as a poor choice. It sounded like a marketing gimmick and a demographic ploy. It didn't seem serious at all, and it dragged the movie down with it.
It simply wasn't a memorable movie -- I've already forgotten a large portion of it. Meh.
FROM THE ILLUSTRATED EDITION.
3 hours ago
5 comments:
I don't recall the soundtrack featuring Christian music when I saw it in the theater, and I do recall hearing that it was to be released with alternate soundtracks. I wonder if you got the Christian version, and I saw the Austin heathen version?
Most of the music was orchestral -- the Christian stuff was mainly over the credits. There was some sort of anachronistic vocal track right in the beginning -- not rockin', but celtic-y. I didn't think the credits music did anything for maintaining the mood of the film, and in fact made me think of nothing so much as sitting in a movie theater watching credits.
Nice story. I was entertained. Good enough for me, I guess.
I agree with your assessment - I found the movie pretty forgettable too. We recently watched it again and it made me realize how much they fell short in creating a truly memorable and creative movie. It didn't feel like anything more than an adaptation - reasonably faithful, certainly - but it didn't manage to transcend and become an important work in its own right. I couldn't help comparing it to the Lord of the Rings trilogy in that respect - I think they did a much better job of creating something remarkable in its own right, rather than just a movie adaptation. But then again, I think they had much richer source material... not to knock C.S. Lewis, but the two series just are not on the same level!
I probably liked it a bit more than you. We saw it in the theater, and while I enjoyed it, I feel no desire to see it again.
TJR
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