Overcoming Mental Illness

I’ve always been a Narnia guy. Sure Middle Earth came along and I loved it, still do. Sure Newford came along and I loved it, still do, I return to those streets often and frequently in reality and my dreams…but I have alwaysbeen a Narnia guy. How can someone not be? I mean there you are playing hide and seek, camping down in a wardrobe and then BAM you’re suddenly in the middle of winter in a far off mythical world. You meet fawns and dwarves and talking beavers and this mighty lion who is King of them all named Aslan. How can you not be a Narnia guy? Or girl? 

I remember back in the olden days when the Narnia books were made into 6 part BBC television adaptations for a Sunday early evening slot. Back in the days where you’d staple a few things together to make yourself a Beaver costume and hope the viewers would squint, or at least not notice that the Beavers were actually the same height as the humans - which is just silly really. They’re talkingbeavers, not giant beavers! Anyways, loved them, can quote them ad-infinitum.

Then a few years ago we had the multi-million dollar Hollywood adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - and let’s be honest, aside from a few delightful moments, a cracking score and Georgina Henley it was a bit crap. But hey, at least they got the size comparison between beavers and humans right :)

Now, we get the multi-million dollar Hollywood adaptation of Prince Caspian. And I was always wanting to watch it (being a Narnia guy and all) but after the disappointment of the last film I was always a little hesitant…no more beavers, no more Mr Tumnas…instead though we get Reepicheep, Trufflehunter the Badger, Prince Caspian himself and Georgie Henley.

And by Aslan’s mane it WORKS!

This is the adaptation The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobeshould have been. This is Narnia as I’ve always wanted to see it. Not some dimly lit so-obviously-a-studio with the same actors playing half a dozen roles. This is Narnia with a heart, with a soul, with Eddie Izzard, Ken Stott and Georgie Henley.

I’m not going to bore you with the plotline - if you don’t know the plot of Prince Caspian then you’ll have some nice wonderful surprises in store. If you know the plot, they’ve done a great job with it. Sure there are odds and ends which are new, but none feel forced, and overall this film rocks from start to finish. There were scenes in the first which dragged, bits which annoyed with their placement and felt forced - action scene for action scene’s sake, sorta thing - but this time it really does just feel right, all the way through.

Everything has been taken a notch higher than the previous film. The action scenes are beautifully staged, with the climatic battle being IMHO superior to that in the previous. The castle seige is a brilliant action set piece which will bring tears to your eyes and throughout Harry Gregson William’s score feels more mature and epic than the previous theme.

The acting though is what sets this film above the previous. Sure Tilda Swinton was good in the first, but then who doesn’t love playing evil witches, even I’ve been known to do that from time to time. The returning Pevensie children, who for the most part felt a bit stiff first time round, have matured wonderfully and each turn in fantastic performances. Skandar Keynes (Edmund) and Anna Popplewell (Susan) impressed me greatly. Ben Barnes did a great job as newcomer Prince Caspian but the scene-stealers have to be Sergio Castellitto (Miras) and Peter Dinklage (Trumpkin).

Then there’s Georgie Henley - and let’s be brutally honest here - if there was ever an actress born to play Lucy, Georgie is the one. No question or doubt! She impressed me in the first film, she utterly blew me away in this one. So many scenes she just swept away from performers sometimes twice, three times her age. Her meeting with Aslan, realising all their Narnian friends were no more, that scene on the bridge (when you see the movie you’ll know it). Seriously, if you think she’s no good, or she doesn’t impress you, then you just have no heart whatsoever.

Now I know all the comparisons with religion, Christianity and Narnia but I’m not wanting to go into that here. There are many obvious nods within the film if that’s why you’re seeing it, and there’s a lot written on this topic throughout the web as it is.

As a film this works on so many levels. As literary adaptation, as rollicking fantasy action/adventure, as a boys own adventure, as coming-of-age. This is, for me, one of the finest fantasy films ever. Better than Lord of the Rings…not going to go there, it’s different, but definitely worth watching, whether you’re a Narnia fan or not. I for one can’t wait for the Dawn Treader to start it’s voyage :)

And try not to have your heart stolen by Georgie Henley! You have been warned.

Final Rating:

4.75/5 WOMBATS
(It loses .25 wombats because Lucy reminds me WAY too much of someone I once knew for my own good!)

4 Platypus Awards:
i) The Siege on the Castle
ii) Reepicheep (marvellous)
iii) That scene with Lucy on the bridge!
and
iv) Georgie Henley

When I was younger I used to want to be Indiana Jones…and I would be willing to lay money on that sentance being applicable to virtually every late twentysomething on the planet. Male or Female. Sane or insane. I’m sure everyone wanted to be Indiana Jones; cool, collected, running around digging in dirt. Sean Connery’s your dad, John Rhys Davies and Denholm Elliot your best mates. What else could you want for?

After seeing the Last Crusadein 1989 I used to find an empty space where I could re-enact the stepping onto the invisible bridge scene. Fortunately I decided to do this over a swimming pool and not over, say, a bottomless chasm, so if now invisible bridge were to appear I would end up falling into the water and getting a nose full of chlorine, instead of plummeting to my death.

I used to act out the leaping out of the plane on a dingy scene from Temple of Doom using my bed as the plane and a pillow as a dinghy. (I was young and lovably forgivable)

I even used to have Indiana Jones pyjamas…and they were awesome!

So after a 19 year wait, and over six months since my last excursion to the cinema, I simply had to build up the courage to get past the social anxiety to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

[In my opinion, CRAP title, but then not quite as dodgy as Quantum of Solace!]

In a way, I wish the social anxiety had got the better of me as the words GRAVE and DISAPPOINTMENT sprung to mind as I meandered out of the cinema. Sure, Harrison Ford was as cool as ever, Shia LaBouf proved his screen presence once again and Karen Allen - I salute you, you are simply wonderful. But what about John Hurt, a mite wasted IMHO, as were Jim Broadbent, Alan Dale (I will always salute you) and Ray Winstone.

Cate Blanchett on the other hand, could you pop over to my place with that costume, I’m sure we’d find something fun and deliciously naughty and kinky to do?

The whole film was just a wee bit blah for me. The story had none of the punch nor enjoyment of previous installments, there wasn’t a single surprise in the plot due to several extras lurking in the background holding six foot tall “PLOT TWIST COMING” signs…and the denouement, about as boring as this review really. No true excitement at all it was just - BAM, a few big special effects and then it was over. Hardly hair raising or inspiring.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some wonderful moments; Alan Dale, you rock! A sword fight which has entered my top 5 screen swordfights (Cate, could you bring that too) and it was nice to see Denholm Elliot living on in spirit, that brought a smile to my face.

I am of course going to recommend this film because the problem wasn’t really with the craft. The direction was as accomplished as we’ve come to expect from Spielberg, the special effects were good but way OTT in places, the Raiders March will always be one of the great pieces of film score. The problem with the film comes from expectation, which was always going to it’s problem.

It has been 19 years since the last movie, and much like the other great movie trilogy which was recently tarnished, everyone was expecting this to be perfect in every way - and few films are. So many people are going to be going to this film expecting so much from it, and it’s inevitable they’re going to come away feeling hard done by. It won’t live up to people’s expectation, not at all.

So go see it, but forget about the fact you wanted to be Indy when you were a kid and see it not as an extension of the previous trilogy, just watch it as a new action-adventure flick and you may love it to bits.

It just ain’t what I was eagerly waiting for it to be.

FINAL RATING:

3 WOMBATS (OUT OF 5) and a PLATYPUS Award (for that wonderful sword fight)