The Chronicles of Narnia were a staple of my youth and so it was with a great amount of trepidation that I went to see the movie versions of these classic books. There is a problem with fantasy literature being turned into movies. My imagination is pretty vivid and most of the time, there is no way that I will be satisfied with the director's interpretations of the scenes I have played out in my head. It is very rare that I can't find something that sticks out as a mistake or a cut or addition to the storyline that I hate.
I was the guy yelling after Two Towers: "Faramir would NEVER betray the hobbits! That's why his character is in the book in the first place!" or "What? It's over? But Roger is supposed to [SPOILER EDIT!] before the credits!" at the end of The Golden Compass. But despite my fairly critical approach to this type of media, I was very impressed by both of the Narnia movies so far.
It is interesting to note that my family owned the BBC versions of the stories when I was a kid, and although they were cheesy at times, they were quite good over all. I don't know if seeing those in conjunction with the books as a kid prepared me for the newer movie versions today, but its worth mentioning at the very least.
The movie did a great job of creating the talking animals and dancing forests of Narnia. Characters like Badger and Reepacheep were wonderful and the many Centaurs, Minotaurs, Fauns, and the other mythical beasts looked great. The fight scenes were awesome and the backdrops of New Zealand and Central Europe were perfect for recreating the wildness of the forest and the stony encroachment of the Telmarines. I was most specifically impressed with the caliber of actors that played Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy. Talented young actors are rare and Lucy was especially fantastic.
I realize that there are some departures from the book. Caspian and Peter don't argue nearly as much and there was no hint of a romantic relationship for Susan in the book, but those departures didn't bother me much. Even the added fight scene was exciting rather than frustrating. I thought that they were naturally done and made sense in conjunction with the rest of the story.
It would be fairly simple to create a reading list of good books that have been made into movies and use that in the library to help kids who like the films to transition into reading books. Also, this movie could be a nice addition to a fantasy display or reading program. I think these movies will appeal to both new and old fans of the books alike. Prince Caspian was an excellent example of what can be achieved through the combination of imagination and special effects. Perhaps more importantly, I hope the movies have the effect of helping to stoke the Chronicles of Narnia fan base and help introduce a whole new generation to the wonders of Lewis' magical world.
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