Dawn Treader is out in America!

Once you've seen it, please come here and discuss! Rant or rave, according to your inclination. Tell me what you thought about every little detail of the film!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader review

Oh boy. All those months and years of waiting over at last. I woke up yesterday morning. . . after a minute or two of semi-consciousness I suddenly remembered with a thrill - "We're going to see the Dawn Treader today!!!"

This was the first time I'd been to the movies in a couple of years - we haven't had a working cinema in town for a looong time - and it was also the first time I'd seen a movie in 3D, all of which added of course to my excitement.

I'm assuming 90% of my readers are familiar with the plot (and if you're not, go and read the book), so I won't bother with a synopsis.

I put on my 3D glasses (for the very first time). I found them very uncomfortable - they kept rubbing against one of my ears. I sat in between my 9-year-old sister (the youngest of my siblings to be allowed to come) and my dad. The lights went out. . . a trailer for Megamind. . . then the film BEGAN. The five-year wait was over at last! (VODT is one my favourite books in the Narnia Chronicles, so I'd been looking forward to this since LWW came out back in 2005.)

I so enjoyed the first few minutes. One thing that struck me right away was an undercurrent of poignancy and sadness that seemed to pervade the film. I suppose it was nostalgia, combined with the knowledge hovering in the back of my mind that this may well be the last Narnia film to make it to the screen. I've grown to know and love these characters through the earlier movies and the books, and if this is indeed to be the last film in the last film in the franchise, then this is farewell to all of these beloved characters and this magical world - on the big screen, at least. Hence the tinge of bittersweet-ness for me.

The second thing that struck me as I watched the first few minutes - Will Poulter as Eustace Clarence Scrubb = PERFECT. What a terrific little actor he is! Hm, I say "little"; in reality he is only about a year younger than me! Anyway, I knew he would be very very good. In all honesty, he outshone Georgie and Skandar in all his scenes with them. What more can I say - the role of Eustace is most certainly in safe hands if Fox does decide to go ahead and make The Silver Chair and The Last Battle.

Ben Barnes as Prince - I mean, King - Caspian! Wow! I was a bit disappointed with him, both in terms of acting ability and attractiveness in Prince Caspian. Dropping the fake tan, fake hair extensions and fake Spanish accent and growing some facial hair seems to to have done wonders - both in terms of acting ability and attractiveness. :P Ben wasn't given a whole lot to work with - I mean, the main focus of the film seemed to be on Eustace and perhaps Lucy, and only to a lesser extent on Caspian. But there were a couple of wonderful, really moving scenes involving Ben Barnes as Prince - I mean, King - Caspian. (Goodness, I'm beginning to sound like Flora Finching - "Dear Arthur - Doyce and Clennam much more proper".)

I think we were all wondering what impact the changing of the reins from Andrew Adamson to Michael Apted (and from Disney to Fox) would have. Well - VODT certainly has a very different feel to it than the other two movies. Much as I enjoyed them both, LWW and PC felt a little like Lord of the Rings-wannabes. They were big, showy, mega-budget fantasy films (PC was one of the most expensive movies ever made). They both - particularly PC, perhaps - seemed to scream "Look at me, I'm a Big-Budget Fantasy Epic!" VODT - with a much lower budget, and a new team behind it - is more modest in this regard. It's less concerned about being a Big Fantasy Film, and more concerned about just getting on with telling the story. It's definitely more character-driven.

Some of us were worried about whether the special effects in VODT would suffer from the drastically reduced budget. We shouldn't have worried. Yes, there's less of a show of effects than there was in PC, but there weren't any jarringly bad effects, either, and the sea serpent and the Dark Island were truly scary and impressive.

Then there was the big question hanging heavily on the minds of all Narnia fans - how faithful will it be to the book? I deliberately stayed away from many of the articles, interviews, and video clips (except the trailer) in the lead up to VODT. With the first two Narnia movies, I devoured every news snippet and juicy tidbit I could find related to each movie. . . but of course this partly spoiled the actual movie-going experience for me when it came time to actually see the film. So, this time I restrained myself, and as a result I was rather hazy on what changes or additions from the book had been made before I saw the movie. I knew there had been some changes made, and I'd read something about a "green mist" in a couple of the reviews I'd read, but other than that, I had no clear idea of what I headed for.

Well - I won't spoil things too much for anyone who hasn't seen the film - but there were some MAJOR CHANGES! I had thought all along that they would have to change and condense the plot a little, otherwise the movie would seem too episodic - they visit one island, do such and such, then it's off to another island, then another. . . but I wasn't prepared for the somewhat radical changes made here! Then again, perhaps they're no more drastic than the changes made for PC. I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm so strongly attached to the VODT book - more so than I am with either LWW or PC. It captured my imagination more than almost any other book in the series, and I've probably re-read more than any of the others.

More than the plot changes, I think what threw me off was the film's visualisation of the book. Like I said, I have read and re-read VODT more times than I can remember, and I had a very clear picture in my head of what each place, each island, each landscape - err, perhaps seascape would be a more apt term - would look like. Well, the way they've imagined each place for the film is, in most cases, completely different to how I had imagined it! Of course I realise that everyone is going to have their own vision of the book, but. . . in many cases they apparently didn't even take much inspiration from Pauline Baynes' beautiful illustrations for the books. Where are the masks in the hall of Coriakin's House? Ramandu's island looks reminiscent of how Aslan's country is described in the book. . . I won't go on nitpicking. It's all still beautiful and impressive to look at, just - generally different to how it's described or illustrated in the book.

I touched upon plot changes above. They've invented a major plot device - bigger and more far-reaching than I had thought it would be. Once again, I can understand why they did this. It adds more suspense and cohesion, and turns VODT from a rollicking, colourful adventure to a classic battle of good vs. evil, building to a big climax at the end. They haven't given up the sense of wonder and adventure altogether, but it is now only one element of the story.

The whole green mist/dark island thing could have seemed a bit silly and contrived, but the fact that the most important battles are internal rather than physical make things much more intriguing. It is still a journey of temptation and personal growth and discovery for each of the characters, just as it is in the book.

Well, I might try to wrap this post up now. I don't want to give away too many plot details, but after you've seen it (or if you've seen it already), please come here and discuss! Plus I want to get this post published tonight, so this will have to do for now.

Verdict: yes, this is in some ways different from the book. But it's still Narnia. It's still the Dawn Treader. The magic is still there. And this an EXCELLENT family film for ages 8-10+ or so. It really has grown on me over the 30 hours or so since I watched it. I came out of the cinema feeling feeling a twinge of disappointment over the changes from the book (or should I say the deviations from how I thought they should have made the movie ;-) mixed with pure enjoyment and that hint of sadness that I mentioned - I didn't cry during the movie, but I was not too far from it.

One more thing - like I said at the top, I saw this in 3D. I almost wish I hadn't. The 3D effects were cool, but not exceptional - you could tell that the film wasn't shot with the intention of being shown in 3D, and wasn't converted to 3D until later in the production process. I don't think the compromise in colour was worth the 3D experience.

~All pictures from Ben Barnes Online

The wait is over!!!

I can't believe it's finally here!!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader opens in cinemas across Australia TOMORROW!

Check out IMDb for worldwide release dates. Oh, and I don't mean to gloat, but for once, just for ONCE, we get to see it first here in Australia before you do in America! :-D

New Dawn Treader trailer

My fellow Narniacs, have a look at the new international trailer for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (if you haven't already!). It's much better than the original trailer, IMO.



I like! It's clear they have taken some liberties with the book, but overall, I think this looks pretty awesome. . . especially the sea serpent! :-D

Three new clips from the Dawn Treader!

We finally get a proper look at Will Poulter as Eustace! He is perfect. 

So far so good. . . however, the dragon island is different to how it is in the book. Here it looks dry and desert-like, rather than dark, misty, and foreboding, full of dark forests and fjords. (Well, maybe not technically fjords, but that's the kind of country it is in the book. . .)

The Sea of Lilies is beautiful. :-)

Clip #1 - The Adventure begins



Clip #2 - Greedy Eustace



Clip #3 - The Sea of Lilies (Thanks Melanie!)

Voyage of the Dawn Treader Trailer!!!!

Yay!! It's finally here! :-D Forgive my fangirly semi-hysteria. . . 

(Once again, you might want to pause my blog music before watching. . .)

First thoughts:

*THIS LOOKS SO COOL!! I can't wait to see the movie!! Hehe. . .

*There have definitely been a few plot tweaks.

*The Dawn Treader itself looks stunning, and I love how they've visualised the landscapes (especially near the end of the trailer, the sea of lilies and the wall of water) and interiors from the book.

*We don't really see much of Caspian or Eustace - guess they're saving that for a surprise.

*LOL at the bit (at 1:42) where Eustace says "This place just gets weirder and weirder!" :-D Eustace is one of my favourite Narnia characters - I hope they retain a lot of his best lines from the book!

*The dufflepuds look pretty awesome, too.

*Lucy (Georgie Henley) is so grown up!!

*In the few hours since this was released, I have watched it about 10 times. . . and the more I see it, the more I like it! :-)

*Man, how I am going to survive until December 10th????!!!!  

~~~~~

Your thoughts???

Fifty-five books every girl should read

I seem to be in the mood for compiling book lists at the moment. I felt inspired to make a list of the books that were my "best friends" as a very young girl. Okay, I'm still young, but I've got the 8-14 age bracket in mind here. These are books that I would love to share with my daughter/s one day, if I ever have any. . . I've been trying to get my younger sisters to read some of these books, but I guess they have other interests and hobbies right now. Hopefully I'll be blessed with at least one bookworm daughter someday. :-)

~L.M. Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables books and others~

Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Willows
Anne's House of Dreams
Anne of Ingleside
Rainbow Valley
Rilla of Ingleside
Emily of New Moon
Emily Climbs
Emily's Quest
Jane of Lantern Hill

~Laura Ingalls Wilder - Little House on the Prairie series~

Little House in the Big Woods
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Winter
Little Town on the Prairie
These Happy Golden Years

~C.S. Lewis - The Chronicles of Narnia~

The Magician's Nephew
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle

~L.M. Alcott - Little Women books and others~

Little Women
Good Wives
Little Men
Jo's Boys
Eight Cousins
Rose in Bloom
An Old-Fashioned Girl
The Inheritance

~Arleta Richardson - Grandma's Attic novels~

Away from Home
A School of Her Own
Wedding Bells Ahead
At Home in North Branch
New Faces, New Friends

~Johanna Spyri and Charles Tritten - Heidi books~

Heidi
Heidi Grows Up
Heidi's Children

~Ethel Turner - Seven Little Australians series~

Seven Little Australians
The Family at Misrule
Little Mother Meg

~Frances Hodgson Burnett~

The Secret Garden
A Little Princess 

~Patricia St John~

The Tanglewood's Secret
Treasures of the Snow
Rainbow Garden

~Miscellaneous~

Mara, Daughter of the Nile - Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - Kate Douglas Wiggin
The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie - May Gibbs

A Girl of the Limberlost - Gene Stratton-Porter

Pollyanna - Eleanor H. Porter

~~~~~

What are some of the books that you loved as a young girl? Are there any classics for girls that I have apparently missed out on, and should read ASAP? :P

My top 15 literary heroines

Finally, my long-promised follow-up to my "Top 10 Heroes" post - only this time it's 15, not 10. My list of heroines seemed to balloon to 15 before I knew it, and could easily have extended to 20.

Enjoy!

~~~~~

#1: Fanny Price from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park

I can identify more keenly with Fanny than any other Austen heroine. In fact, we're so alike, that when I was reading Mansfield Park I could easily imagine that I was Fanny, if that makes any sense. I'm never going to be an Elizabeth Bennet - I'm far too shy and stupid - but I've always felt a special kinship with Fanny. Sorry, I know that sounds cheesy, but I can't describe it any other way! Unfortunately, there hasn't yet been a really good on-screen Fanny. At least Sylvestra La Touzel's Fanny bears some resemblance to the Fanny of the book, which is more than can be said for Frances O'Connor's or Billie Piper's performances. 

#2: Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Arguably one of literature's most delightful heroines. Intelligent, witty, and very pretty. . . Lizzy would make a wonderful friend. She isn't perfect, but her humanity only adds to her charm. (Ugh! Why does that last sentence sound so trite and prosy?) Keira Knightley isn't necessarily my favourite Lizzy, but in my opinion she looks more like Elizabeth than any of the other on-screen Lizzies, which is why she's in the photo here.

#3: Anne Shirley from L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series 

You could say that Anne is the Montgomery equivalent of Austen's Elizabeth Bennet. I've read many, many, L.M. Montgomery books, and I love all of her heroines, but I think it's safe to say that Anne is Montgomery's most perenially popular young heroine. Red-headed Anne is romantic, sweet, hot-tempered, and has an almost limitless imagination. A true "kindred spirit". 

#4: Anne Elliot from Jane Austen's Persuasion

The heroine of my favourite Jane Austen novel - Persuasion. Anne Elliot is Austen's most mature heroine - at the ripe old age of 27, she is 6 years older than any of Austen's other heroines. Anne's personality and appearance is very much in line with the tone of the novel Persuasion - subtle, understated, but with an enduring inner beauty that blooms as the story develops.

#5: Molly Gibson from Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters

Dear, sweet Molly Gibson! How could anyone not love her? :-) Molly is a beautiful person inside and out. She also has a mind of her own, and is never afraid to voice her opinions. Fortunately for him, Roger Hamley came to his senses and realised what an amazing person she was/is before it was too late.

#6: Elinor Dashwood from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility

One of the nicest big sisters in literature. Sensible, level-headed and caring, Elinor would be a wonderful sister or friend. I can identify with Elinor on a number of levels - particularly her protective, big-sisterly instincts towards Marianne. I often feel exactly the same way about my own little sisters. Emma Thompson's performance as Elinor is, I feel, the strongest - but Hattie Morahan looks more like Elinor.

#7: Marianne Dashwood from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility

Both of the two elder Dashwood sisters are here. It was impossible for me to separate them on this list. They pretty much tie for no. 6. I thought that Kate Winslet captured fairly well the sweetness and free-spiritedness of Marianne's character.

#8: Margaret Hale from Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South

One of the strongest, most memorable heroines of Victorian literature. Margaret isn't afraid of flaying Victorian conventions. After leaving her home in South of England, Margaret ends up befriending millworkers in 1850s Manchester, and frequently clashing with mill owner Mr. Thornton. Daniela Denby-Ashe was pretty good as Margaret, though it is the Margaret Hale of Elizabeth Gaskell's book that will forever endure in my imagination.

#9: Amy Dorrit from Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit

The heroine of Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit. Claire Foy's luminous performance as Amy Dorrit in the BBC's recent adaptation was wonderful. Her scenes with Matthew MacFadyen (Mr. Darcy in P&P 2005) were excellent. Technically I probably shouldn't include Amy here, because I haven't read Little Dorrit - I've only seen the tv series. Still, if the Amy of the book is anything like the Amy of the series, she deserves to be on this list.

#10: Edith Adelon from Louisa May Alcott's The Inheritance

As is sometimes the case with Alcott, Edith does come across as a little bit too perfect in the book, but Cari Shayne's Edith in the 1997 adaptation is very sweet and very likeable.

#11: Catherine Morland from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey

The young, naive, and somewhat gullible heroine of Jane Austen's charming Northanger Abbey. It's difficult not to like Catherine, even though she may not be the wisest, most mature Austen heroine.

#12: Lucy Pevensie from C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series

Lucy's innocent, childlike faith and wonder is one of the most inspiring elements of the Chronicles of Narnia series. Georgie Henley was only 8 years old when the first Narnia movie was filmed, but she did an awesome job, stealing the show as little Lucy Pevensie.

#13: Josephine March from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women series

The heroine of Louisa May Alcott's semi-autobiographical novel - bookworm, tomboy, and author, Jo. Strictly speaking, Jo is one of four heroines from Little Women - but she is the most human of the four March sisters, and the character with whom the reader usually identifies the most.

#14: Eowyn from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

One of the very few major female characters in The Lord of the Rings. Eowyn's spirit and courage was one of my favourite aspects of LOTR when I first read the books. And I adored the romance between Eowyn and Faramir. :-) Miranda Otto's Eowyn isn't quite how I imagined Eowyn to be, but it was still a strong performance.

#15: Jane Eyre from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

I feel bad about having Jane Eyre way down at no. 15! Just bear in mind that this list isn't necessarily in any particular order - Jane is last, but not least! Jane Eyre is a passionate, yet outwardly restrained young woman. The book Jane Eyre is an amazing read - the story of a friendless orphan's search for love, family, and fulfillment. Zelah Clarke's (Jane Eyre 1983) and Ruth Wilson's (JE 2006) portrayals of Jane were both very good.

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I've started a new blog!

Yes, that's right - I've begun a blog dedicated to all things Narnia. Ribbons of Light has more of a period drama focus, and I didn't want to be cluttering it up with Narnia movie updates. So, I decided to begin a whole new blog. Ribbons will still be my "main" blog, but I'll use my other blog for writing about Narnia.

CLICK HERE

Current Mood: Weird

My top 10 literary heroines

Finally, my long-promised follow-up to my "Top 10 Heroes" post. This time it's 15, not 10. My list of heroines seemed to balloon to 15 before I knew it, and could easily have extended to 20.

Enjoy!

~~~~~

#1: Fanny Price from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park

I can identify more keenly with Fanny than any other Austen heroine. In fact, we're so alike, that when I was reading Mansfield Park I could easily imagine that I was Fanny, if that makes any sense. I'm never going to be an Elizabeth Bennet - I'm far too shy and stupid - but I've always felt a special kinship with Fanny. Sorry, I know that sounds cheesy, but I can't describe it any other way! Unfortunately, there hasn't yet been a really good on-screen Fanny. At least Sylvestra La Touzel's Fanny bears some resemblance to the Fanny of the book, which is more than can be said for Frances O'Connor's or Billie Piper's performances. 

#2: Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Arguably one of literature's most delightful heroines. Intelligent, witty, and very pretty. . . Lizzy would make a wonderful friend. She isn't perfect, but her humanity only adds to her charm. (Ugh! Why does that last sentence sound so trite and prosy?) Keira Knightley isn't necessarily my favourite Lizzy, but in my opinion she looks more like Elizabeth than any of the other on-screen Lizzies, which is why she's in the photo here.

#3: Anne Shirley from L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series 

You could say that Anne is the Montgomery equivalent of Austen's Elizabeth Bennet. I've read many, many, L.M. Montgomery books, and I love all of her heroines, but I think it's safe to say that Anne is Montgomery's most perenially popular young heroine. Red-headed Anne is romantic, sweet, hot-tempered, and has an almost limitless imagination. A true "kindred spirit". 

#4: Anne Elliot from Jane Austen's Persuasion

The heroine of my favourite Jane Austen novel - Persuasion. Anne Elliot is Austen's most mature heroine - at the ripe old age of 27, she is 6 years older than any of Austen's other heroines. Anne's personality and appearance is very much in line with the tone of the novel Persuasion - subtle, understated, but with an enduring inner beauty that blooms as the story develops.

#5: Molly Gibson from Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters

Dear, sweet Molly Gibson! How could anyone not love her? :-) Molly is a beautiful person inside and out. She also has a mind of her own, and is never afraid to voice her opinions. Fortunately for him, Roger Hamley came to his senses and realised what an amazing person she was/is before it was too late.

#6: Elinor Dashwood from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility

One of the nicest big sisters in literature. Sensible, level-headed and caring, Elinor would be a wonderful sister or friend. I can identify with Elinor on a number of levels - particularly her protective, big-sisterly instincts towards Marianne. I often feel exactly the same way about my own little sisters. Emma Thompson's performance as Elinor is, I feel, the strongest - but Hattie Morahan looks more like Elinor.

#7: Marianne Dashwood from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility

Both of the two elder Dashwood sisters are here. It was impossible for me to separate them on this list. They pretty much tie for no. 6. I thought that Kate Winslet captured fairly well the sweetness and free-spiritedness of Marianne's character.

#8: Margaret Hale from Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South

One of the strongest, most memorable heroines of Victorian literature. Margaret isn't afraid of flaying Victorian conventions, befriending millworkers in 1850s Manchester, and frequently clashing with mill owner Mr. Thornton. Daniela Denby-Ashe was pretty good as Margaret, though it is the Margaret Hale of Elizabeth Gaskell's book that will forever endure in my imagination.

#9: Amy Dorrit from Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit

The heroine of Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit. Claire Foy's luminous performance as Amy Dorrit in the BBC's recent adaptation was wonderful. Her scenes with Matthew MacFadyen (Mr. Darcy in P&P 2005) were excellent. Technically I probably shouldn't include Amy here, because I haven't read Little Dorrit - I've only seen the tv series. Still, if the Amy of the book is anything like the Amy of the series, she deserves to be on this list.

#10: Edith Adelon from Louisa May Alcott's The Inheritance

As is sometimes the case with Alcott, Edith does come across as a little bit too perfect in the book, but Cari Shayne's Edith in the 1997 adaptation is very sweet and very likeable.

#11: Catherine Morland from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey

The young, naive, and somewhat gullible heroine of Jane Austen's charming Northanger Abbey. It's difficult not to like Catherine, even though she may not be the wisest, most mature Austen heroine.

#12: Lucy Pevensie from C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series

Lucy's innocent, childlike faith and wonder is one of the most inspiring elements of the Chronicles of Narnia series. Georgie Henley was only 8 years old when the first Narnia movie was filmed, but she did an awesome job, stealing the show as little Lucy Pevensie.

#13: Josephine March from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women series

The heroine of Louisa May Alcott's semi-autobiographical novel - bookworm, tomboy, and author, Jo. Strictly speaking, Jo is one of four heroines from Little Women - but she is the most human of the four March sisters, and the character with whom the reader usually identifies the most.

#14: Eowyn from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

One of the very few major female characters in The Lord of the Rings. Eowyn's spirit and courage was one of my favourite aspects of LOTR when I first read the books. And I adored the romance between Eowyn and Faramir. :-) Miranda Otto's Eowyn isn't quite how I imagined Eowyn to be, but it was still a strong performance.

#15: Jane Eyre from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

I feel bad about having Jane Eyre way down at no. 15! Just bear in mind that this list isn't necessarily in any particular order - Jane is last, but not least! Jane Eyre is a passionate, yet outwardly restrained young woman. The book Jane Eyre is an amazing read - the story of a friendless orphan's search for love, family, and fulfillment. Zelah Clarke's (Jane Eyre 1983) and Ruth Wilson's (JE 2006) portrayals of Jane were both very good.

Current Mood: Busy