Tag Archives: narnia

Listening to Narnia (Part 1)

Literature, , , , ,

I recently bought The Chronicles of Narnia Unabridged Boxed Audiobook Set of HarperCollins for my birthday through Amazon.com, along with a new hardbound Narnia book. I got my package last 24 June (which was also my 40th month together with my boyfriend Sidney) and I’ve been listening to it whenever I’m driving alone (which isn’t actually that often).

This is my first time to listen to an audiobook and I wasn’t disappointed. At first, I thought there would be sound effects (like perhaps the sound of a river running or horses trotting) in the background, but it wasn’t like that at all. It was just one British voice reading the books out loud to you, changing the tone and accent of each character so that you’d distinctly know which was which.

I’ve already gone through the first four, and here are my comments:

The Magician’s Nephew – narrated by Kenneth Branagh

This is my definitely my favorite audiobook so far. There were two particular character voices I loved. The first is that of the cabby (who later became King Frank). In the book, it says he had a cockney accent, but since I’ve never heard of a cockney accent before, I had no idea how that would sound like. The audiobook really brought it to life for me, especially the part how his speech changed while Aslan was talking to him. The second was the Bulldog who kept arguing with the Elephant by saying, “I object to that remark very strongly.” The way he said it was so funny, I literally burst out laughing.

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – narrated by Michael York

I can’t actually remember much about this one. It was good, but not quite memorable. I liked the voice of Aslan, Peter and Jadis though.

The Horse and His Boy – narrated by Alex Jennings

This is my second favorite so far, mainly because the narrator was able to invent a distinctly Calormene accent for Rabadash, the Tisroc etc. I love how Rabadash said, “Oh my father and oh the delight of my eyes” in a drawling voice which really sounded as if the Tisroc was not the delight of his eyes. I just have one issue: how come Shasta and Aravis didn’t have the same accent, even though they both grew up in Calormen? Oh well.

Prince Caspian – narrated by Lynn Redgrave

I had apprehensions before listening to this one, because I didn’t know how all the predominantly male characters would be voiced in such a way as to distinguish one from another. You’d have to remember that nearly all the lead characters in Prince Caspian are male (e.g. Peter, Edmund, Caspian, Trumpkin, Dr. Cornelius, Miraz, Trufflehunter, etc). For all the other audiobooks, the narrators were male, and the female characters they had to do usually ranged from only one to three (e.g. Lucy, Susan, Polly, etc). But the narrator actually did a really good job, especially with Trumpkin. I just didn’t like her Aslan voice though.

You can read part 2 here.

Where Is Aslan? (A Poem)

Literature, ,

Here’s a Narnian poem by Mike R which he wrote for me for my birthday. Thanks Mike R!

Where Is Aslan?

Where is Aslan? The untamed Lion gone.
The girl child has read the book, Gloriously
dreams of dancing fauns and talking horses.

Where is Aslan? Who sung the world Narnia
She has entered that world to become Queen
Ruling wisely and justly till she dreams.

Where is Aslan? Conqueror of Jadis
The child has grown and Narnia is lost.
Invitations and lace has replaced the song.

Where is Aslan? The Sleeper awakes!
Time has awoken, the stars have broken.
No longer a child, The Holiday has begun.

On BBC’s The Silver Chair (Narnia)

TV & Movies, ,

Narnia_4

I’ve had the complete VCD collection of the BBC adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia for three years now. Someone gave it to me for Christmas during our department’s exchange gift, but I only attempted to watch it once. I started with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but I had to give up after only a few minutes. I was instantly creeped out by the talking beasts – which were people wearing animal costumes, quite unlike the realistic computer-generated animations of the Disney-Walden Media version. Of course, this is quite understandable, since the technology twenty years ago cannot be compared to the technology available today. From what I hear, the BBC adaptation was actually the best in its time. Anyway, I’ve always planned on getting down to the series and watching the entire thing just for the sake of saying that I’ve seen it, but I never got around to it until tonight.

Following the suggestion of my friends at the TLC forum (TLC stands for The Lion’s Call, one of my favorite websites), I now started with The Silver Chair, which they said was the best (being released last in the series – that is, in 1990). Now, The Silver Chair is my favorite book in the Chronicles, and Puddleglum is my favorite character in the entire world, so I was really curious to see it. Besides, the actor playing Puddleglum (Tom Baker) was getting rave reviews in all the Narnia forums I’ve been.

So now that I’ve seen it, what can I say? Minus the distracting special effects, the dreary costumes (especially of the Underlanders) and the scary-looking puppet Aslan, I must say I really liked it!

COMMENTS ON THE CAST

David Thwaites as EUSTACE SCRUBB looked too young and was too short, and he was not irritating enough. Even during his post-dragon period, Eustace still had his moments. But I could live with that, the actor was good enough.

Camilla Power as JILL POLE was amazing. She was pretty and smart and even sassy at times. She was everything I hoped Jill would be.

Tom Baker as PUDDLEGLUM was fantastic! I’ve always imagined Puddleglum to be very, very thin and tall, but what was important is that he captured the Puddleglumy spirit. He was rather funny without trying, his facial expressions were properly gloomy, and he delivered my favorite lines with all the ghastly cheerfulness of a marshwiggle.

Barbara Kellerman as THE LADY OF THE GREEN KIRTLE was a bit too theatrical and overly dramatic for my taste, which is why she couldn’t quite pull of the eerily calm demeanor of the Emerald Witch. But she did trill her R’s nicely.

Richard Henders as PRINCE RILIAN didn’t quite capture the silly spirit from the book during his enchantment, and he was quite theatrical as well especially in the silver chair scene. I also found him weird-looking with a beard. He reminds me of a cartoon character but I can’t remember who.

Ronald Pickup as the voice of ASLAN was a bit too sleepy and slow and unimpressive, but that may be because I’m comparing him to Liam Neeson’s version.

Warwick Davis (who played NIKABRIK in Disney-Walden’s version of Prince Caspian) as GLIMFEATHER got all the tu-who’s right in my opinion.

Big Mick as the hard-of-hearing TRUMPKIN was hilarious, although he had only a short role.

COMMENTS ON THE SCRIPT

I must say that I’m very impressed at how faithful this adaptation was to the book, and how closely the plot and script followed the text. I also particularly like the numerous direct quotes, which the actors were thankfully able to say without sounding weird or unnatural. I’d say the following were relatively the biggest changes, which were all quite minor and understandable:

1) Rilian was wearing a mask when they met him in the Underworld. He had to have a mask so that the viewers won’t connect the dots too soon since they already showed what the prince looks like when Aslan was giving the signs to Jill.

2) The Lady of the Green Kirtle did not use a mandolin-like instrument which she thrummed to complete her enchantment. Instead, there was this weird greenish spray from her fingers.

3) The side-story of the Land of Bism wasn’t dealt with, which was okay because it could deflect from the plot.

4) The children called each other a couple of times by their first names (Eustace and Jill). In the book, they always used their last names (Scrubb and Pole) except for the part where they said goodbye, thinking that they were going to their deaths.

MEMORABLE QUOTES

The following quote was not said by Puddleglum in its entirety in the movie, but since this is my favorite quote in the book, I’m putting it here:

“One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things – trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.”

After a speech like that, I’ll have to agree with Prince Rilian: “The blessing of Aslan upon this honest marshwiggle!”

In the book, the following quote was actually given by Aslan to Edmund and Lucy towards the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, when Lucy told him that it was him they miss when they return to our world. However, since Aslan said it towards the end of BBC’s version of The Silver Chair, I’m putting it here as well:

“There I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”

OTHER COMMENTS

I don’t even want to begin talking about the costumes of the Underworld gnomes, which reminds me of the Michelin character that looks like an obese mummy. I’m sure that with their limited budget, that was all they could come up with.

After seeing The Silver Chair, I’ve now decided to watch all the others in the series. It’s funny to be watching the BBC version twenty years after they were made, but I now think that this is a must-see for all hardcore Narnia fans. So thanks BBC for bringing Narnia to life!

The Giants of Narnia

Literature, , ,

Narnia is a land of creatures with creatures like dryads (the spirits of the trees) and naiads (the gods and goddesses of the river), creatures that may not be that familiar to most readers. Then there are the creatures that are more familiar to us, appearing in more popular fairy tales and fantasy stories, like dwarves and giants. But the Narnian giants are unlike the giants from our fairy tales (who sometimes say “fee-fie-fo-fum”), and they are unlike the giants from the surrounding areas of Narnia as well – such as the stupid giants of Ettinsmoor who play cockshies (a stone throwing contest) nearly everyday, and the “gentle” giants of Harfang, whose idea of being gentle turned out to be eating man-pies.

From the seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia, we have two examples of Narnian giants (those that live in the land of Narnia itself), namely Giant Rumblebuffin and Giant Wimbleweather.

We first meet Giant Rumblebuffin in the White Witch’s courtyard in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Of course, he was still a stone giant at that time, until Aslan breathed on his feet and revived him. Although it took some time before he could understand what happened, he courteously thanked the Lion and then joined in the Battle of Beruna, where Aslan defeated the White Witch and later crowned the four Pevensies kings and queens of Narnia.

Giant Wimbleweather was also involved in another battle (which happened hundreds of years after the Battle of Beruna) in Prince Caspian. We first meet him arriving at the Dancing Lawn with the centaurs, “carrying on his back a basketful of rather sea-sick dwarfs who had accepted his offer of a lift and were now wishing they had walked instead.” He was unfortunately not very smart and made a critical error during the battle, much to everyone’s dismay.

From these two examples, we see that giants are very polite and thoughtful creatures. When Giant Rumblebuffin finally realized how Aslan has saved him from his stony state, he “bowed down till his head was no further off than the top of a haystack and touched his cap repeatedly to Aslan.” When Aslan asked his name, he respectfully replied, “Giant Rumblebuffin, if it please your honour.” When Aslan requested him to destroy the gate, he immediately obeyed the Lion’s request and remembered to warn the creatures nearby to get out of the way. When Lucy noticed that her “handkerchee” wasn’t helping him much given how small it was for the giant’s huge face, he hastened to assure her that it wasn’t useless. “Not at all. Not at all,” he said politely. “Never met a nicer handkerchee. So fine, so handy. So – I don’t know how to describe it.”

Giant Wimbleweather, although he didn’t have any lines in Prince Caspian, was also a kind, well-mannered creature. As previously mentioned, he offered a lift to the dwarfs on the way to the council, no doubt intending to save them from the fatigue of a long journey. That didn’t turn out quite so well, as we know, since the dwarfs got “sea-sick” from riding on his back. When he made the crucial mistake during the battle, he didn’t vent out his shame and gloom in anger, as you would expect from someone so big, but in sorrow and tears. Again, this did not turn out quite so well, as he unintentionally gave some sleepy mice a shower from the giant tears falling down his face. After being told off by the mice, the giant chose to tiptoe away instead of lashing out. This is a behavior you wouldn’t normally expect from someone who we can assume is the biggest and probably the most powerful in an army.

In life, we have our “gentle giants” as well – those who, despite their size, or influence, or position, are still kind-hearted, and polite, and a pleasure to be with. I’m sure we’ll see them in Aslan’s country in the afterlife.

-oOo-

Excerpts on RUMBLEBUFFIN (from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)

“Oh!” said Susan in a different tone. “Look! I wonder – I mean, is it safe?”

Lucy looked and saw that Aslan had just breathed on the feet of the stone giant.

“It’s all right!” shouted Aslan joyously. “Once the feet are put right, all the rest of him will follow.”

“That wasn’t exactly what I meant,” whispered Susan to Lucy. But it was too late to do anything about it now even if Aslan would have listened to her. The change was already creeping up the Giant’s legs. Now he was moving his feet. A moment later he lifted his club off his shoulder, rubbed his eyes and said, “Bless me! I must have been asleep. Now! Where’s that dratted little Witch that was running about on the ground. Somewhere just by my feet it was.” But when everyone had shouted up to him to explain what had really happened, and when the Giant had put his hand to his ear and got them to repeat it all again so that at last he understood, then he bowed down till his head was no further off than the top of a haystack and touched his cap repeatedly to Aslan, beaming all over his honest ugly face. (Giants of any sort are now so rare in England and so few giants are good-tempered that ten to one you have never seen a giant when his face is beaming. It’s a sight well worth looking at.)

“Now for the inside of this house!” said Aslan. “Look alive, everyone. Up stairs and down stairs and in my lady’s chamber! Leave no corner unsearched. You never know where some poor prisoner may be concealed.”

And into the interior they all rushed and for several minutes the whole of that dark, horrible, fusty old castle echoed with the opening of windows and with everyone’s voices crying out at once, “Don’t forget the dungeons – Give us a hand with this door! Here’s another little winding stair – Oh! I say. Here’s a poor kangaroo. Call Aslan – Phew! How it smells in here – Look out for trap-doors – Up here! There are a whole lot more on the landing!” But the best of all was when Lucy came rushing upstairs shouting out, “Aslan! Aslan! I’ve found Mr. Tumnus. Oh, do come quick.”

A moment later Lucy and the little Faun were holding each other by both hands and dancing round and round for joy. The little chap was none the worse for having been a statue and was of course very interested in all she had to tell him.

But at last the ransacking of the Witch’s fortress was ended. The whole castle stood empty with every door and window open and the light and the sweet spring air flooding into all the dark and evil places which needed them so badly. The whole crowd of liberated statues surged back into the courtyard. And it was then that someone (Tumnus, I think) first said, “But how are we going to get out?” for Aslan had got in by a jump and the gates were still locked.

“That’ll be all right,” said Aslan; and then, rising on his hind-legs, he bawled up at the Giant. “Hi! You up there,” he roared. “What’s your name?”

“Giant Rumblebuffin, if it please your honour,” said the Giant, once more touching his cap.

“Well then, Giant Rumblebuffin,” said Aslan, “just let us out of this, will you?”

“Certainly, your honour. It will be a pleasure,” said Giant Rumblebuffin. “Stand well away from the gates, all you little ‘uns.” Then he strode to the gate himself and bang – bang – bang – went his huge club. The gates creaked at the first blow, cracked at the second, and shivered at the third. Then he tackled the towers on each side of them and after a few minutes of crashing and thudding both the towers and a good bit of the wall on each side went thundering down in a mass of hopeless rubble; and when the dust cleared it was odd, standing in that dry, grim, stony yard, to see through the gap all the grass and waving trees and sparkling streams of the forest, and the blue hills beyond that and beyond them the sky.

“Blowed if I ain’t all in a muck sweat,” said the Giant, puffing like the largest railway engine. “Comes of being out of condition. I suppose neither of you young ladies has such a thing as a pocket-handkerchee about you?”

“Yes, I have,” said Lucy, standing on tip-toes and holding her handkerchief up as far as she could reach.

“Thank you, Missie,” said Giant Rumblebuffin, stooping down. Next moment Lucy got rather a fright for she found herself caught up in mid-air between the Giant’s finger and thumb. But just as she was getting near his face he suddenly started and then put her gently back on the ground muttering, “Bless me! I’ve picked up the little girl instead. I beg your pardon, Missie, I thought you was the handkerchee!”

“No, no,” said Lucy laughing, “here it is!” This time he managed to get it but it was only about the same size to him that a saccharine tablet would be to you, so that when she saw him solemnly rubbing it to and fro across his great red face, she said, “I’m afraid it’s not much use to you, Mr. Rumblebuffin.”

“Not at all. Not at all,” said the giant politely. “Never met a nicer handkerchee. So fine, so handy. So – I don’t know how to describe it.”

“What a nice giant he is!” said Lucy to Mr. Tumnus.

“Oh yes,” replied the Faun. “All the Buffins always were. One of the most respected of all the giant families in Narnia. Not very clever, perhaps (I never knew a giant that was), but an old family. With traditions, you know. If he’d been the other sort she’d never have turned him into stone.”

-oOo-

Excerpts on WIMBLEWEATHER (from Prince Caspian)

At last there came a night when everything had gone as badly as possible, and the rain which had been falling heavily all day had ceased at nightfall only to give place to raw cold. That morning Caspian had arranged what was his biggest battle yet, and all had hung their hopes on it. He, with most of the Dwarfs, was to have fallen on the King’s right wing at daybreak, and then, when they were heavily engaged, Giant Wimbleweather, with the Centaurs and some of the fiercest beasts, was to have broken out from another place and endeavoured to cut the King’s right off from the rest of the army. But it had all failed. No one had warned Caspian (because no one in these later days of Narnia remembered) that Giants are not at all clever. Poor Wimbleweather, though as brave as a lion, was a true Giant in that respect. He had broken out at the wrong time and from the wrong place, and both his party and Caspian’s had suffered badly and done the enemy little harm. The best of the Bears had been hurt, a Centaur terribly wounded, and there were few in Caspian’s party who had not lost blood. It was a gloomy company that huddled under the dripping trees to eat their scanty supper.

The gloomiest of all was Giant Wimbleweather. He knew it was all his fault. He sat in silence shedding big tears which collected on the end of his nose and then fell off with a huge splash on the whole bivouac of the Mice, who had just been beginning to get warm and drowsy. They all jumped up, shaking the water out of their ears and wringing their little blankets, and asked the Giant in shrill but forcible voices whether he thought they weren’t wet enough without this sort of thing. And then other people woke up and told the Mice they had been enrolled as scouts and not as a concert party, and asked why they couldn’t keep quiet. And Wimbleweather tiptoed away to find some place where he could be miserable in peace and stepped on somebody’s tail and somebody (they said afterwards it was a fox) bit him. And so everyone was out of temper.

What It Takes to Be a King (Narnia)

Literature, , ,

Obviously, not everyone is of a royal line, but if you think about it, we can all act like kings (or queens). And I don’t mean that we should act like royal pains in the neck. What I mean is that we can always act with the nobility of character that is expected from royalty.

So what does it take to be a king? Here is an excerpt from chapter 11 of The Magician’s Nephew, which is the first in the chronicles of Narnia series. Aslan is talking to a kind-hearted London cabby named Frank, who will soon become the first King of Narnia. During this conversation, he will give a kind of checklist on the qualities that a king should have.

“My children,” said Aslan, fixing his eyes on both of them, “you are to be the first king and queen of Narnia.”

The cabby opened his mouth in astonishment, and his wife turned very red.

“You shall rule and name all these creatures, and do justice among them, and protect them from their enemies when enemies arise. And enemies will arise, for there is an evil witch in this world.”

The cabby swallowed hard two or three times and cleared his throat.

“Begging your pardon, sir,” he said, “and thanking you very much I’m sure (which my missus does the same) but I ain’t no sort of a chap for a job like that. I never ‘ad much eddycation, you see.”

“Well,” said Aslan, “Can you use a spade and a plough and raise food out of the earth?”

“Yes, sir, I could do a bit of that sort of work: being brought up to it, like.”

“Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly, remembering that they are not slaves like the dumb beasts of the world you were born in, but talking beasts and free subjects?”

“I see that, sir,” replied the cabby. “I’d try to do the square thing by them all.”

“And would you bring up your children and grandchildren to do the same?”

“It’d be up to me to try, sir. I’d do my best: wouldn’t we, Nellie?”

“And you wouldn’t have favourites either among your own children or among the other creatures or let any hold another under or use it hardly?”

“I never could abide such goings on, sir, and that’s the truth. I’d give ‘em what for if I caught ‘em at it,” said the cabby. (All through this conversation his voice was growing slower and richer. more like the country voice he must have had as a boy and less like the sharp, quick voice of a cockney.)

“And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will arise) and there was war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat?”

“Well, sir,” said the cabby very slowly, “a chap don’t exactly know till he’s been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft ‘un. Never did no fighting except with my fists. I’d try – that is, I ‘ope I’d try – to do my bit.”

“Then,” said Aslan, “you will have done all that a king should do.”

I really love the idea that a king must be the “first in the charge and the last in the retreat.” a somewhat similar theme is discussed in chapter 15, The Horse and His Boy, when Shasta, a boy who was kidnapped in his infancy and raised in the distant Calormen, found out that he was the son of the king and the rightful heir to the throne of Archenland, much to the delight of his flighty twin brother, who was younger than him.

“Hurrah! Hurrah!” said Corin. “I shan’t have to be king. I shan’t have to be king. I’ll always be a prince. It’s princes have all the fun.”

“And that’s truer than thy brother knows, Cor,” said King Lune. “For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there’s hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land.”

I guess being a king is harder than everyone thought it would be.

Classic Bulgy Bear Moments (Narnia)

Literature, ,

 For me, the Bulgy Bear is without a doubt the funniest character in Prince Caspian. Of course, I’m talking of the book Bulgy Bear and not the movie Bulgy Bear, who I think had only one line in the entire film, which was a husky “For Aslan!” For some reason, I couldn’t help giggling when he said that.

Anyway, since his character was underdeveloped in the movie, I’m putting here some classic bulgy bear moments from the book:

On a fine summer morning when the dew lay on the grass he set off with the badger and the two dwarfs, up through the forest to a high saddle in the mountains and down on to their sunny southern slopes where one looked across the green wolds of Archenland. “We will go first to the three bulgy bears,” said Trumpkin.

They came in a glade to an old hollow oak tree covered with moss, and Trufflehunter tapped with his paw three times on the trunk and there was no answer. Then he tapped again and a woolly sort of voice from inside said, “Go away. It’s not time to get up yet.” But when he tapped the third time there was a noise like a small earthquake from inside and a sort of door opened and out came three brown bears, very bulgy indeed and blinking their little eyes. And when everything had been explained to them (which took a long time because they were so sleepy) they said, just as Trufflehunter had said, that a son of Adam ought to be king of Narnia and all kissed Caspian – very wet, snuffly kisses they were – and offered him some honey. Caspian did not really want honey, without bread, at that time in the morning, but he thought it polite to accept. It took him a long time afterwards to get unsticky.

Here we find out that the bulgy bears have a “woolly sort of voice”, are “very bulgy indeed,” and gives “wet, snuffly kisses.” Aren’t they adorable?

The next scene happened during the feast and council on Dancing Lawn where all the old Narnians gathered to meet with Prince Caspian. The creatures were debating how to go about the council, and the chapter starts by saying: “The bulgy bears were very anxious to have the feast first and leave the council till afterwards: perhaps till tomorrow.”

“Is there time for this foolery?” asked Nikabrik. “What are our plans? Battle or flight?”

“Battle if need be,” said Trumpkin. “But we are hardly ready for it yet, and this is no very defensible place.”

“I don’t like the idea of running away,” said Caspian.

“Hear him! Hear him!” said the bulgy bears. “Whatever we do, don’t let’s have any running. Especially not before supper; and not too soon after it neither.“

The last scene was when they were discussing the duel of Peter and Miraz, and choosing who the three marshals should be.

Peter was just explaining to Caspian that he could not be one, because his right to the throne was what they were fighting about, when suddenly a thick, sleepy voice said, “Your majesty, please.”

Peter turned and there stood the eldest of the bulgy bears. “If you please, your majesty,” he said, “I’m a bear, I am.”

“To be sure, so you are, and a good bear too, I don’t doubt,” said Peter.

“Yes,” said the bear. “But it was always a right of the bears to supply one marshal of the lists.”

“Don’t let him,” whispered Trumpkin to Peter. “He’s a good creature, but he’ll shame us all. He’ll go to sleep and he will suck his paws. In front of the enemy too.”

“I can’t help that,” said Peter. “Because he’s quite right. The bears had that privilege. I can’t imagine how it has been remembered all these years, when so many other things have been forgotten.”

“Please, your Majesty,” said the bear.

“It is your right,” said Peter. “And you shall be one of the marshals. But you must remember not to suck your paws.”

“Of course not,” said the bear in a very shocked voice.

“Why, you’re doing it this minute!” bellowed Trumpkin.

The bear whipped his paw out of his mouth and pretended he hadn’t heard.

Well what can I say? You’ve got to love the bulgy bears, even when they’re sucking their paws!

Favorite Narnia Movie Lines (LWW)

Literature, TV & Movies, ,

NarniaWardrobe

I know it’s been more than 2 years since The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe came out, but I thought I’d write about it today. After all, it is what led me to enter the world of Narnia as I mentioned here. If you want to read my favorite lines from Prince Caspian, please click here.

Susan: Gas-tro-vas-cu-lar… Come on, Peter. Gastrovascular.
Peter: Is it Latin?
Susan: Yes.
Edmund: Is it Latin for “worst game ever invented”? (Susan shuts her dictionary with a withering look at Edmund)
Lucy: We could play hide and seek!
Peter: But we’re already having so much fun. (looking at Susan)

Mr. Tumnus: And what about you? You must be some kind of beardless dwarf?
Lucy: I’m not a dwarf! I’m a girl. And actually, I’m tallest in my class.

tumblr_ncqf59Usjn1qltme0o3_250

Lucy: (holds out her hand) Pleased to meet you, Mr. Tumnus, I’m Lucy Pevensie. (Mr. Tumnus looks at her hand curiously) Oh, you shake it.
Mr. Tumnus: W-why?
Lucy: I… I don’t know!

White Witch: I can make anything you’d like.
Edmund: Can you make me taller?

Professor Kirke: You seem to have upset the delicate internal balance of my housekeeper.
Peter: We’re very sorry, Sir, it won’t happen again.
Susan: It’s our sister, Sir. Lucy.
Professor Kirke: The weeping girl?
Susan: Yes, sir. She’s upset.
Professor Kirke: Hence the weeping.

Edmund: (after Peter hands a ladies coat to him) But that’s a girl’s coat!
Peter: (nods) I know.

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Susan: Did that bird just “pssst” us?

Peter: (upon first seeing Mr. Beaver) Here, boy, tsk, tsk, tsk.
Mr. Beaver: (after looking at the Peter’s outstretched hand) Well I ain’t gonna smell it if that’s what you want.

Peter: He said he knows the faun.
Susan: He’s a beaver, he shouldn’t be saying anything!

Mr. Beaver: When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone sits in Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done.
Susan: You know that doesn’t really rhyme.
Mr. Beaver: I know, but you’re kind of missing the point.

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Peter: (to the beavers) I think you’ve made a mistake. We’re not heroes!
Susan: We’re from Finchley!

Peter: (watching Mrs. Beaver packing food) What are you doing?
Mrs. Beaver: You’ll be thanking me later. It’s a long journey, and Beaver gets pretty cranky when he’s hungry.
Mr. Beaver: I’m cranky now!

Mr. Beaver: (after seeing that his friends have been turned to stone) You take one more step, traitor, and I’ll chew you to splinters!
Fox: Relax. I’m one of the good guys.
Mr. Beaver: Yeah? Well, you look an awful lot like one of the bad ones. (referring to the wolves)
Fox: An unfortunate family resemblance. But we can argue breeding later.

Fox: Forgive me, your Majesty.
White Witch: Don’t waste my time with flattery.
Fox: Not to seem rude, but I wasn’t actually talking to you. (looks pointedly at Edmund)

Mr. Beaver: Come on, hurry up!
Peter: If he tells us to hurry up one more time, I am going to make him into a big, fluffy hat.

Susan: (when they were about to finally meet Aslan) Why are they all staring at us?
Lucy: Maybe they think you look funny.

Peter: (looking out towards Cair Caravel) Aslan, I’m not who you think I am.
Aslan: You’re Peter Pevensie, formerly of Finchley. Beaver also mentioned that you planned on turning him into a hat.

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Maugrim: (to Susan and Lucy who were playing by the water on their own) Please don’t run…
Wolf: We’re tired…
Maugrim: And we’d prefer to kill you quickly.

Gryphon: They come, your Highness, in numbers and weapons far greater than our own.
Oreius: Numbers do not win a battle.
Peter: No… But I bet they help.

Peter: For Narniaaaa!!! And for Aslannnn!!!

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Edmund: (when his horse suddenly rears up while he is learning to ride it and use his sword) Whoa, horsey.
Philip the Horse: (in haughty tones) My name is Philip.

Peter: (to Edmund, during the battle) There are too many of them! Go! Get out of here! Get the girls, and get them home!
Mr. Beaver: (dragging Edmund away) Come on, you heard him! (Edmund starts towards Peter) Peter said to go!
Edmund: Peter’s not king yet.

Favorite Narnia Movie Lines (PC)

Literature, TV & Movies, ,

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Here are some of my favorite lines from the movie Prince Caspian. To read my favorite lines from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe movie, please click here.

Edmund: (sitting on a bench beside Peter after helping him out of a fight without receiving a thank you) You’re welcome.
Peter: (stands up) I had it sorted.

Lucy: I wonder who lived here.
Susan: (picks up a small chess piece) I think we did.
Edmund: Hey, that’s mine! From my chess set!
Peter: Which chess set?
Edmund: I didn’t have a solid gold chess set in Finchley, did I?

Lucy: (holding up one of her old dresses in the treasure chamber) I was so tall.
Susan: Well, you were older then.
Edmund: As opposed to hundreds of years later, when you’re younger.

Trufflehunter: (after fighting with Nikabrik in Trufflehunter’s house and knocking down a bowl of soup) Look what you made me do! (muttering) Spent half the morning on that soup…

Caspian: What are you?
Trufflehunter: You know, it’s funny that you should ask that. You’d think more people would know a badger when they see one.
Caspian: No, I mean you’re Narnians. You’re supposed to be extinct.
Nikabrik: (sarcastically) Sorry to disappoint you.

Trufflehunter: (to Nikabrik, who wanted to kill Caspian) Enough, Nikabrik! Or do I have to sit on your head again?

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Trumpkin: (after Miraz strikes him across the face) And you wonder why we don’t like you.

Susan: (aiming her bow and arrow at the Telmarines, who were holding the tied-up Trumpkin over the river) Drop him! (the Telmarines toss Trumpkin in the water and run away)
Trumpkin: (to Susan, after being rescued) “Drop him?” Was that the best you could think of?

Lucy: (looking sadly at the woods) They’re so still…
Trumpkin: The trees? What did you expect?
Lucy: They used to dance.

Peter: (looking down a cliff over the water) Is there a way down?
Trumpkin: Yes. Falling.

Lucy: (to Peter and Susan, who didn’t believe that she saw Aslan) I wish you would all stop trying to sound like grown-ups! I didn’t think I saw him, I did see him.
Trumpkin: (pause) I AM a grown-up.

Caspian: (to Trufflehunter and Nikabrik, who were following him surreptitiously) I can hear you.

Trufflehunter: (coming out of hiding) I just think we should wait for the kings and queens. (Caspian keeps walking) Fine, go then! See if the others will be as understanding.

Nikabrik: Or maybe I’ll come with you. I want to see you explain things to minotaurs.
Caspian: (stops abruptly) Minotaurs. They’re real?
Trufflehunter: And very bad-tempered.
Nikabrik: Not to mention big.
Trufflehunter: Huge.

Reepicheep: (brandishing his sword against a fallen Caspian) Choose your last words carefully, Telmarine.
Caspian: (incredulously) You are a mouse.
Reepicheep: (sighs) I was hoping for something a little more original.

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Peter: (stopping during their swordfight) Prince Caspian?
Caspian: And who are you?
Susan: (running) Peter!
Caspian: High King Peter?
Peter: I believe you called.
Caspian: I thought you’d be… older.
Peter: Well if you like, we can come back in a few years.
Caspian: No! No, it’s alright! You’re not exactly what I expected.
Edmund: Neither are you.

Lucy: (upon seeing Reepicheep for the first time) Oh my gosh, he’s so cute.
Reepicheep: (drawing his sword and looking around) Who said that?!?
Lucy: Um, sorry.
Reepicheep: Oh, uh… Your Majesty. With the greatest respect… I do believe courageous, courteous or chivalrous might more befit a knight of Narnia.

Reepicheep: (to Trumpkin the dwarf, who aided him in his attack) We were expecting someone taller!
Trumpkin: You’re one to talk.
Reepicheep: Is that supposed to be irony?

Pattertwig the Squirrel: (in response to the fear of being trapped and starved to death in Aslan’s How) We could gather nuts!
Reepicheep: (sarcastically) Yes! And then throw them at the Telmarines!

Queen Prunaprismia: (to Miraz, after he admitted that he killed Caspian’s father) I thought you said he died in his sleep!
Miraz: That was more or less true.

Miraz: Tell me, Prince Edmund…
Edmund: King.
Miraz: I beg your pardon?
Edmund: It’s King Edmund, actually. Just king though. Peter’s the High King. (after an awkward pause) I know, it’s confusing.

Edmund: (to Peter, after destroying the ice wall, where the ghost of the White Witch was tempting both Caspian and Peter) I know, you had it sorted.

Caspian: (to Susan, after she announced that she will never be able to go back to Narnia according to Aslan) I wish we could have had more time together.
Susan: We never would have worked, anyway.
Caspian: Why not?
Susan: Well, I AM 1300 years older than you.

Edmund: (upon their return to England) Do you think there’s any way we can go back? (the Pevensies stare at him in surprise) I left my new torch in Narnia.

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On Prince Caspian (The Movie)

TV & Movies,

I’m a really huge fan of The Chronicles of Narnia series by my favorite author, C S Lewis, so I was very excited to see the movie. It was a good thing that I decided early on that I would enjoy it as a movie on its own, and not as the movie version of my favorite book. I’m glad I did, because otherwise I’d be appalled at the number of liberties they took with the plot (warning: spoiler alert!).

That’s not saying I didn’t enjoy the movie though, because I really did. Ben Barnes was amazing as Prince Caspian the Tenth, as were William Moseley as Peter, Anna Popplewell as Susan, Skandar Keynes as Edmund and Georgie Henley as Lucy. I am now officially a fan of director Andrew Adamson, who directed the first Narnia movie as well as Shrek 1 and 2.

I kind of wish he incorporated some flashback scenes though, such as when the Pevensies first realized they were in Cair Paravel (Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund were standing in the exact same place as they were during their coronation) and when they first saw the stone table split into two in Aslan’s How.

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COMMENTS ON THE PLOT

I thought the back-story was a bit underdeveloped, especially with regards to the identity of the Telmarines and Prince Caspian. I’m not sure if a person who watches this without having read the book first can completely understand the complexity of the story. As previously mentioned, there were a lot of changes in the story, such as the timing when Prince Caspian blew the horn. In the movie, he blew it when he was caught by Trumpkin, Nikabrik and Trufflehunter; in the book, he blew it when the old Narnia were already assembled and have begun fighting against the Telmarines. Another change was how Trumpkin was captured by the Telmarines. In the book, he was captured on his way to the Lantern Waste (or the lamp post where Lucy first entered Narnia) to meet the ancient kings and queens whom they were expecting. In the movie, he was captured when he tried to stop the Telmarines from getting at Caspian at the woods.

COMMENTS ON THE CHARACTERS

Most of the characters were a bit different from the books, although the changes did add more drama to the movie. Trumpkin was a little too surly and morose – I don’t remember seeing him smile even once in the entire movie. Peter seemed to be going through an angry adolescent stage where he wants to call all the shots and yet does not want to take the blame when things go wrong. Prince Caspian was not as deferential towards the four ancient kings and queens as I would expect him to be (saying to Peter, “You’re not exactly what I expected,” to which Edmund retorted, “Neither are you.”) And Aslan was a near non-entity in this movie, only appearing towards the end. There was also the power struggle between Caspian and Peter, which was an interesting angle; although in the book Peter was quick to assure the other that he wasn’t there to steal the throne, but to help him claim it.

I think they did a fantastic job with the dashing Reepicheep the mouse, which is why I really hope they do The Silver Chair too, so that I can see what Andrew Adamson (or Michael Apted perhaps?) can do with my all-time favorite character, Puddleglum the marshwiggle. They were also able to give more depth to the character of Caspian’s Uncle Miraz, who “looks as if he’d be equally at home starring in ‘300′” as it says in one review. In the movie, Susan is a warrior (unlike in the book, where Aslan did not want the girls to participate in the battle) and Lucy remains childlike and pure of heart, that for a time she is the only one to see Aslan. Edmund’s character was the most interesting for me though – there’s an emotional maturity about him now compared to the previous movie, plus he shows some dry British humor as well.

There was very little screen time for Trufflehunter though, who is the embodiment of steadfast, unwavering faith in Aslan, and of Dr. Cornelius, who played a bigger part in the book. And there was only a brief appearance by the funny, lovable bulgy bear! In the book, I love the part when he was allowed to be one of the marshals for the duel with Miraz, and Peter told him, “But you must not suck your paws.” He looked shocked and replied, “Of course not!” until Trumpkin pointed out that he was actually sucking his paws at that very moment.

COMMENTS ON THE CHRISTIAN THEME

Prince Caspian is not as overtly Christian as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the pivotal scene of which was the death and resurrection of Aslan, which mirrors Jesus. I think the main Christian theme in this movie would be faith in God even when he seems so far away. I particularly love the part when Peter and Caspian were arguing about war strategy, and Lucy said, “Have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter?” I also like the part when the spirit of the White Witch reemerges and tempts both Caspian and Peter into calling her back to life. Edmund, perhaps in an attempt to make up for his betrayal in the first movie, destroyed the ice wall of the White Witch (this part wasn’t in the book though) because he knew that only Aslan could help them.

OTHER COMMENTS

Curiously, there were portions reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings. One was when Dr. Cornelius woke up Caspian to warn him of the attempt on his life that night. There’s a shot of Caspian peeking through the door of an adjacent room while the Telmarines shot arrows presumably at the sleeping form of Caspian, and feathers got strewn about the room. This reminded me of the scene where Aragorn (who was still called Strider at that time) moved the hobbits to a different room of the inn they were staying at to warn them of the danger. Later that night, they watched the Black Riders attacking what they thought were the sleeping forms of the Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin, and feathers got strewn about the room as well. Another was the rising of the river god towards the end of the last battle, which reminded me of the time Arwen used elvish magic on the river to destroy the Black Riders following her and the injured Frodo. There was also the scene where Edmund seemed to fall off the balcony to be borne by a griffin, which reminded me of Gandalf jumping off the rooftop of Saruman’s tower, only to be carried away by another huge bird. And of course, there were the dryads (trees) at the end, which reminded me of the Ents.

It seems that this movie is pretty much getting mixed reviews from what I can see from the internet, but I found a review from Plugged In which I particularly liked. I for one loved this movie as much as I loved The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and I can’t wait for the next Narnia movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, to start filming.