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teleribOne word review: meh.
Actually, I hadn't read the book. Which is probably why I went "meh."
I mean, the movie wasn't bad. The littlest girl was actually very good, and the other kids did pretty well. For whatever reasons, I just wasn't into it.
They would have done slightly better, I think, to have stuck with Creatures Not Previously Appearing in Another More Famous Movie Series. When the White Witch had her minotaurs and creepy vulture-men and spindly bat-things, it was cool. The pseudo-orc looking things that, for all I know, really were WETA rejects from LOTR? Made me think, "Hm, yeah, this movie isn't LOTR."
Ditto with the close-up of the map, and the White Castle That Isn't Minas Tirith. And the big battle sequence... okay, it was a kids' movie. But I'm spoiled after Peter Jackson showed that yes, you can do massed medieval combat right, with formations and tactics and everything.
On the other hand? My favorite, favorite scene in the movie? When the griffons all fly over the battlefield. With rocks. Which they drop. You know that was all Peter's idea. "Blitz this!" And it echoed wonderfully the opening sequence that showed the Blitz in London.
Second favorite bit... well, okay, that bit is spoilerish to talk about, so I'll obliquely refer to the first time Lucy hauls out her healing potion, because it's what a smart little six year old would do.
The CGI didn't feel quite as realistic as in some other movies - something wasn't quite right about the faun in particular - but it was overall excellent. They did a great job with most of the talking animals, particularly the Beavers and Aslan.
Actually, I hadn't read the book. Which is probably why I went "meh."
I mean, the movie wasn't bad. The littlest girl was actually very good, and the other kids did pretty well. For whatever reasons, I just wasn't into it.
They would have done slightly better, I think, to have stuck with Creatures Not Previously Appearing in Another More Famous Movie Series. When the White Witch had her minotaurs and creepy vulture-men and spindly bat-things, it was cool. The pseudo-orc looking things that, for all I know, really were WETA rejects from LOTR? Made me think, "Hm, yeah, this movie isn't LOTR."
Ditto with the close-up of the map, and the White Castle That Isn't Minas Tirith. And the big battle sequence... okay, it was a kids' movie. But I'm spoiled after Peter Jackson showed that yes, you can do massed medieval combat right, with formations and tactics and everything.
On the other hand? My favorite, favorite scene in the movie? When the griffons all fly over the battlefield. With rocks. Which they drop. You know that was all Peter's idea. "Blitz this!" And it echoed wonderfully the opening sequence that showed the Blitz in London.
Second favorite bit... well, okay, that bit is spoilerish to talk about, so I'll obliquely refer to the first time Lucy hauls out her healing potion, because it's what a smart little six year old would do.
The CGI didn't feel quite as realistic as in some other movies - something wasn't quite right about the faun in particular - but it was overall excellent. They did a great job with most of the talking animals, particularly the Beavers and Aslan.
