Novel Reaction

The movie has been out for some time now, I hope you have seen and read the books and are ready to discuss this latest adaption. Obviously they didn’t include all of the islands, how do you feel about the choices they made?

The first difference between the book and the movie is the addition of the green smoke taking the people from the islands. While I don’t think it was really necessary it did add an interesting change to the story line and did add a bit more of a human angle to figuring out where the original lords went besides Caspian’s curiosity.

One big change was the combination of the two islands, the Dragon island and the Midas island. I understand that combining the two islands cut down on the time needed to cover both islands so I was okay with the change.  Eustace flying Edmund over the island to see the writing was a great addition to the story line. I love the scene between Eustace and Reepicheep, it is so touching the way Reepicheep is able to reach Eustace and comfort him in his time of personal trial. Reepicheep is one of my favorite characters and I felt the movie portrayed his honor, bravery and heart perfectly.

One difference between the two stories is the way that Eustace removes his dragon skin, in the novel Eustace is told to remove his skin before climbing into the water. He tries three times to remove the skin before Aslan helps him remove the skin and then Eustace washes in the water to be clean. The movie has Eustace just getting scratched by Aslan and the skin being removed. I was saddened that the symbolism associated with the tries by Eustace himself and the washing was removed but I am glad that they kept the explanation by Eustace about how it felt, that he couldn’t do it by himself and that it hurt but it was a good hurt to be made whole again.

I love the ship Dawn Treader, I was afraid they would change the purple single mast sail but it was gorgeous with the carved dragon head.  I was amazed by the amount of detail work on the ship, even during the final battle the detail is there.

I read the novel right before watching the movie and didn’t realize until the film pointed it out that each character underwent their own trial during the story.  Lucy facing her desire to be her sister to the point of not allowing herself to exist, Edmund and Caspian their fears that they should be the leader and aren’t quite up to the task. The greed that can overcome anyone and how that greed can lead our own downfall.

One major difference is the last island. In the book after the crew finds the remaining sleeping lords they meet Ramadu and his daughter Lilliandil who explain to them how to get the lords to wake up by traveling to the end of the world and leaving one of their shipmates there before returning to the island where the lords would be awake.  Ramadu is a very old star who is on the island getting younger by eating one of the berries that the birds bring him each morning. The description of the birds singing as the arrived at the island is one of my favorite of the books and I was disappointed that they changed this scene so much. I did like how they included more of a romance between Caspian and Lilliandil, the book just hints at a further relationship between the two but the movie really left you with the feeling of the romance they would have.

Finally, we get to the great scene between Aslan and the four main characters: Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, Caspian and Reepicheep. I LOVED the way they shot the scene with the ocean wave, the austere sandy beach and the characters. I was surprised and pleased that they kept the conversation between Lucy and Aslan about Lucy having to find and come to know Aslan in her world as he goes by another name. While I have been pleased they have kept so many of the Christian overtones of the novel in the movies I really didn’t expect them to keep the conversation the same as it was in the book but I am thrilled that they did. C.S. Lewis’ deliberate Christian references are one of the many things that I like about this series, as a child I got some of the most obvious references but now that I am older I appreciate them even more.

I  hope they make the rest of the series as they have done an incredible job on the first three. What do you think?

I presume you have read the book and watched the movie. It never ceases to amaze how excited people get for movies and how fully they embrace the characters. Yes, I was one of the crazy people eagerly waiting in line for the 12:01 Thursday showing. I have to admit that I felt slightly out of place while waiting in the line because I didn’t dress up like one of the characters.

I was disappointed that the movie didn’t include the interaction between Dudley and Harry when the Dursleys were leaving. I thought it was very telling that regardless of what had happened to Dudley (and let’s be honest, gaining a pig’s tail and being almost killed by a Dementor where horrible experiences for Dudley to go through) he felt like Harry was family and that Harry should be with them.

The scene with all the Harrys was incredibly well done. Fleur snuggling up to Bill and commenting how she didn’t want him to look at her were awesome!  I was glad we finally got to meet Bill, who plays a larger role in the book than he has played so far in the movies. Harry riding in the sidecar with Hagrid was fabulously done, I loved the added excitement of Hagrid driving on the road to the chase scene. I thought the portrayal of the wand doing magic without Harry’s control was well done, in the book it was a much more subtle movement but for us to actually see it, I think, the movie required something more obvious.

Two of my favorite characters in both the novels and the movies are Fred and George.  The scene where George is injured was touching and had just the right amount of humor to keep with the characters of the twins. I really laughed in the movie when George comes down for breakfast with the toothbrush stuck in the hole, so very George.

What did you think of the wedding scene? Originally I was disappointed because Harry wasn’t disguised as someone else but then I realized it is better for us visually to have Harry be Harry instead of trying to keep another character straight in a movie that is full of secondary characters. I LOVED Fleur’s wedding dress, I thought it was gorgeous!

Prior to rereading the book the weekend before watching the movie, I had forgotten how many people died in this last book.  While all the deaths made me sad (now I am just discussing the deaths in this first part of the movie), there are two deaths that really hit home for me: Hedwig and Dobby. The first time I read the novel I cried when Hedwig died, it was such a telling moment hitting home the senseless death suffered by the innocent. I did like how the movie changed Hedwig’s death from being trapped and helpless in her cage to being because she was trying to protect Harry. Dobby’s death was also very difficult. Dobby was such a huge supporter of Harry despite everything he went through. I could sympathize with Harry’s desire to make a gesture to show how much Dobby meant by digging the grave by hand for Dobby.

One of the recurring themes in both the novel and the movie is the need for friends and family to help make you a better person and to help you with what you have to do. All the previous novels and movies has stressed this theme, but I felt this movie really hit that theme home. I think this is why Harry prevails and Lord Voldemort fails.  Hermione is the logically one, she can figure out the puzzles and do the complex magic necessary. Harry is the action one, he can rush in and get what needs to happen done.  Ron is the practical one, it is Ron that keeps Harry from being stupid and Hermione from being too logical. The most telling of this in the movie was after the battle in the cafe where Ron is the one who told the two what needed to happen to get everything done. It is only when Ron is back with the trio that they successfully destroy the horcux and are able to figure out what else they need to do to defeat Lord Voldemort.

One thing I was disappointed that they left out of the movie was the story line with Kreacher. In the novel (for those of you who haven’t read it) Harry gets Krecher to give him the information he needs about RAB and the locket. Kreacher had protected the locket and was so upset about it being gone because of his affection for Regulus Black. Once the trio realizes this, Harry gives Kreacher the fake necklace to have. After receiving the necklace, Kreacher completely changes his attitude about the trio, making the Black house into a home and cooking for them. I thought this story line was necessary to show how the accepted attitude to other creatures was wrong. I also thought this experience made Harry and Ron more trusting of other creatures (Hermione had always had a different attitude towards them, which is why she formed the S.P.E.W club) and made the trio’s trusting of the goblin later in the novel more believable. It also was the antithesis of the new Ministry’s goal with the statute showing all other creatures below the Wizards, including the “mudbloods” and their treatment of the mudbloods.

Lastly, I want to talk about the scene where Harry and Hermione kiss naked. I felt that the nudity wasn’t necessary as the point was gotten across without the nudity. What did you think? What did you think about the movie overall?

Are you as excited for the second part as I am? Here on NovelReaction.com we will be reading the book again when the second part comes out so we can discuss the second part of the book and movie  and both together. I was unable to find a trailer for the second part but this teaser trailer gives us some great hints as to what is to come.