Trailer Screening at Taylor University (Jun. 5) *SPOILERS*

[-queenSUSAN-]

My reactions on this report are mixed, as you will see below.

"the spires in the opening shot of the super trailer are the spires of Cambridge near the home of Eustace and his parents. There are indeed lion gargoyles"
--Sounds awesome! And how uncanny. :0

"Before the three kids are “washed” into Narnia, Lucy is seen staring at herself in a mirror"
--I like how this foreshadows what happens with the Magician's Book, but somehow I feel a sort of loss for the old, innocent Lucy. I guess we can't help it though. She's growing up. (I never liked it in the book, either. I guess I want Lucy to just stay sort of a saint.)

"in his fear, Eustace screams “Mother!” instead of calling her by her first name"
--I think as long as he calls her 'Alberta' at other times, this instance will prove what a little sucker he is.

"When Lucy opens the magician’s book and snow begins to fall"
--Don't know yet what this is about, but it sounds nice. You can't really judge it until you see it in context, though.

"the “blue star” the Dawn Treader is told to follow may actually be Ramandu’s daughter. If I remember correctly, in her bodily appearance to the crew later on in the trailer, Ramandu’s daughter is seen with a glowing sphere of blue light inside her body"
--I don't think the "glowing sphere of blue light" is going to be quite the catastrophe some of you are making out. How do you know what it's going to look like until you've seen it for yourself? It could be just a blue 'aura' around her, and look quite nice. I think if Caspian ends up following the 'blue star', just to have her turn around and be Lilliandil, it will add greatly to the romantic subplot.

"it’s the magician who says “To defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness in yourself.”
--sounds nice at first glance. Second glance, it sounds like one of those traditonally cheesy lines that we hear in every movie. Third glance, I'm starting to see the deeper meaning and now I like it very much. It suggests several different plot variations. I'll elaborate on those later.

"Reepicheep is paunchier and slightly gray"
--hard to believe he could age that much in just three years, after seeing him as a youthful, spry little fellow in PC, but if Caspian can lose his accent I suppose this is possible.

"Aslan utters his famous allusion to Christ that takes place near the end of the book, “In your world, I have another name. You must learn to know me by it.”
--yes, yes, YES!! Sounds great! So glad they didn't mess it up like they did the "growing" line from Aslan in PC. Very happy.

"the filmmakers have added, in addition to the quest to find the sleepers, a quest to find seven swords."
--bleh. Heard this before, and I don't like it! Why can't they just find the seven lords? Forget the swords. Me no like.

"the crew will arrive at an island that is nearly deserted, because people have been disappearing from it. Gael’s parents were among those who disappeared. Apparently, finding the seven lords and seven swords will help recover the missing individuals."
--a disappearing island? Why couldn't they just keep in all the ones from the book, and forget these crew-invented ones? Grr. And the whole Gael subplot annoys me, even though she is awfully cute. Don't like this either.

Overall, I like some of the minor details that we've been given, but shudder at the big plot changes. Why aren't we hearing more about the scenes from the book?

Even so, I will (try to) reserve my final judgment until after I've seen the film. I'm sure I'll love it as a film, but whether or not I'll even like it as an adaptation remains to be seen.

~~

[decarus]

I do understand that Eustace will become a dragon and by the end of the story he will be a boy again. The importance is the moment when he is undragoned. He has to try and do it himself and be unable to. Aslan has to do it for him. That is salvation. That is the whole point. That is what i hate about the ridiculous line in PC 'maybe we have to prove ourselves to him'. We have nothing to offer. We can't prove ourselves worthy because we aren't.

They may have the desire to do it right, but when they don't get what is happening in a scene it is going to be a bad adaption. Maybe i should go with having no hope.

PS. Oh goodness a glowing blue star girl. Sigh.

[ceppault]

I do understand that Eustace will become a dragon and by the end of the story he will be a boy again. The importance is the moment when he is undragoned.

This was a point Mr Flaherty said was important and explained more to a preview audience. You can read the article here.

[DamselJillPole]

Yes i agree with decarus. I hope the undragoning scene goes that way where Eustace cannot shed all that should be shedded of his scales. It is a call to Salvation if Aslan does do it for him.

[Reepi]

The filmmakers are not as stupid and insensitive to the fans as you may think they are!

Not saying they are, but it also doesn't take either to make a terrible adaptation. Prince Caspian was a good example of that.

And I might also add, that Lucy looking into the mirror most likely is also just a remnant of the leaked script, where there was a whole subplot dedicated to her being concerned about her beauty, having a crush on Caspian and actually ripping out the beauty spell out of the magician's book and keeps it, as she is considering saying it so Caspian may fall in love with her.

If all those reports are telling me one thing, then it is that despite having the most glaring failures removed, the legacy of the horrors of the leaked script are living on.

[Umbarto]

At first I didn't like that there were going to be yet again lion statues, because it just felt like too much. Then I remembered the lion figure that Aslan actually uses to talk to Caspian at the end of the book. So for me, the lion statues and symbols all throughout the movies acknowledge his omnipresence. Even if that's not how they're meant to be seen, I think it's a nice touch.

[icarus]

And I might also add, that Lucy looking into the mirror most likely is also just a remnant of the leaked script, where there was a whole subplot dedicated to her being concerned about her beauty...

I think there is a danger with things like that, of having the prior knowledge of that script make you jump to conclusions which aren't evident from the information alone. It is the case that when the mind wants to find a connection or a pattern, it will usually seek to find one, regardless of whether or not it is actually of any significance.

Granted, there have been several times where you can see several big ideas or concepts which were not in the book, but were featured in that script, cropping up in news reports, and they are undeniably continuations from that particular draft. However in the instance of them foreshadowing Lucy being concerned about her beauty, i don't think there is a strong enough connection to logically connect it all the way through with the plot line of Lucy having a crush on Caspian as featured in that draft.

The fact that Lucy was concerned about her appearance is an idea which is in the book, so in all honesty it would only be reasonable to expect that they maybe draw out that theme across the rest of the story slightly (though obviously hopefully not to the extreme seen in that draft) - again, its all about finding the individual themes and plot lines of each individual island adventure, and finding a way to connect them to overall character arcs of the movie and the central narratives of the entire story.

[Lady Galadriel]

Just so long as Lucy doesn't go so far as having a crush on Caspian (My goodness! Both Pevensie girls fell for Caspian! ), I think having her look into a mirror in the beginning is just tying together some loose ends in the book. Very good, in my opinion.

Okay. This sounds like Burnt Island to me- and it makes me wonder again which islands have been cut and/or combined because all my old theories are pretty much garbage because I assumed Burnt Island would be cut.

If I'm not mistaken, the only island we haven't seen any evidence of is Deathwater, right? So I wonder if that island was cut. I hope not! But I have a new theory: perhaps no island was cut at all. They may have simply all been combined together into 5 islands. I also think that expanding Burnt Island is more interesting for a movie than simply cutting it.

At first I didn't like that there were going to be yet again lion statues, because it just felt like too much. Then I remembered the lion figure that Aslan actually uses to talk to Caspian at the end of the book. So for me, the lion statues and symbols all throughout the movies acknowledge his omnipresence. Even if that's not how they're meant to be seen, I think it's a nice touch.

Excellently said! I like the lion statues appearing in England because of the sense of continuity they give!

*. Dr. Brown also suggested that the “blue star” the Dawn Treader is told to follow may actually be Ramandu’s daughter. If I remember correctly, in her bodily appearance to the crew later on in the trailer, Ramandu’s daughter is seen with a glowing sphere of blue light inside her body, so this connection seems very likely to me.
Ehh…okay. Not terribly upset about this, but I really hope it doesn’t come across as cheesey.

PS. Oh goodness a glowing blue star girl. Sigh.

Okay, I'll pose a question. Did anyone think of Arwen's glowing white appearance in FotR as cheesy? I didn't. I imagine this will be fairly similar (Maybe too similar ). But we shall see, of course.

(edited)

[Pattertwigs Pal]

Okay, I'll pose a question. Did anyone think of Arwen's glowing white appearance in FotR as cheesy? I didn't. I imagine this will be fairly similar (Maybe too similar ). But we shall see, of course.

No, I didn't. If RD glows like that I'll be fine with it. However, (to me at least) "glowing sphere of blue light inside her body" does not make me think glowing like Arwen did. I'm picture it kind of like if she has a round blue light bulb inside of her.

If I'm not mistaken, the only island we haven't seen any evidence of is Deathwater, right? So I wonder if that island was cut. I hope not! But I have a new theory: perhaps no island was cut at all. They may have simply all been combined together into 5 islands. I also think that expanding Burnt Island is more interesting for a movie than simply cutting it.

Here is a link to the "Educated Guesses and Conclusions" post I did. I haven't updated it since the poster, display, and this report came out, but it has a section on the islands if you want more details. (It also has a information on a lot of things). It looks like Deathwater (or Goldwater) has been confirmed. I'm thinking that they might have combined them rather then cutting any. We don't have any hard evidence that Burnt Island hasn't been cut, but it is possible that they converted it into the "island from which people disappear." I'm also wondering if the island (I can't remember what it is called) that the Lone Islanders used for sheep might not be changed into this island that has people disappearing from it. Instead of keeping sheep they are keeping people to sell as slaves. Caspian and the other would then get caught there and find out about the slavery from the inside.

[Lady Galadriel]

So Tirian saw footage of Deathwater. That accounts for all the islands then, so a few of them must have just been combined with each other.

I'm also wondering if the island (I can't remember what it is called) that the Lone Islanders used for sheep might not be changed into this island that has people disappearing from it. Instead of keeping sheep they are keeping people to sell as slaves. Caspian and the other would then get caught there and find out about the slavery from the inside.

Caspian and the others get captured on Felimath, the place where sheep are kept, I believe.

However, (to me at least) "glowing sphere of blue light inside her body" does not make me think glowing like Arwen did. I'm picture it kind of like if she has a round blue light bulb inside of her.

Oh, right. OK then, it just depends on how they handle it. I suppose there may be a chance that it will look cheesy, but for now, I still don't think it sounds very bad. If she looks like she has a round blue light bulb inside of her, it just sounds more "starlike" and magical to me. And I'm all for Narnia looking magical.

[RevelinginWonder]

Oh my... Lucy having a crush on Caspian? I hadn't heard that one before. That is a little irritating to me, as I believe it might take away from her innocence and naivety. I guess she is growing up, but Caspian?? I supposed it won't be the end of the world.

I am very pleased to learn the bit about Mr Flaherty and 'Amazing Grace'. Its a comfort to know that there is at least one sincere and devoted film maker.

I think that I agree with Lady Galadriel about the starlike appearance. It doesn't seem like she would come across as just a glowing sphere. I imagine her something like Galadriel from Lord of the Rings... glowing and elegant. ((Although I see Lilliandil's glow as blueish.)) I can't wait to see how she turns out!

And does anyone know if the trailer will come to Narniaweb on the 18th as well? ((Should I ask this somewhere else?))

[decarus]

This was a point Mr Flaherty said was important and explained more to a preview audience. You can read the article here.

He says that Aslan will rip the skin off of Eustace, but they had better have Eustace try to do it himself first. That is the core of the story.

Oh my... Lucy having a crush on Caspian? I hadn't heard that one before. That is a little irritating to me, as I believe it might take away from her innocence and naivety. I guess she is growing up, but Caspian?? I supposed it won't be the end of the world.

May i agree to disagree. If Lucy crushes on Caspian that is the end of the world for the films. They have got to stop with that sort of nonsense. It was one of the worst things about PC. I really hope they don't make the same mistake again.

[Josh]

I don't mind Lucy having a crush on Caspian. I just don't want him to like her back.

For instance, I could see Lucy having a crush on Caspian (done subtly of course), so that when she looks through the Magician's Book and see's Susan (who kissed him in the previous film) she becomes more jealous and wishes to have great beauty. THey could show during that sequence a fantasy of hers where Caspian defeats several soldiers for her sake, only for that to turn into a nightmare when he gets stabbed by another person who wants Lucy). Then Lucy says to herself she doesnt care because she still wants to be beautiful and then Aslan roars.

I think after the Magician's Book scene though, any Lucy liking caspian should stop. That scene is suppossed to be a turning point for her character.

[Lion's Emblem]

Hmm, I'm a bit up and down on the new details. It is hard to judge for certain when it's just a description and having not seen it for myself. Let's see:

I still don't really care for the whole mission of finding the seven missing swords. It seems more like a subplot that adds too much extra confusion and unnecessary scenes. As if finding seven missing lords wasn't hard enough.

The idea of the disappearing island, hmm, I need more on this one. At first thought, it seems a bit more of a redundant island compared to what is in the book. However, on further thoughts, perhaps when Lucy reads the spell to make those invisible appear again, it affects this island as well.

The dialogue of "defeating the evil within one's self" seems a bit cheesy still and overused. I'll have to hear the tone of it and how the line is presented to be sure.

The light from Ramandu's daughter. The connection to the star seems cool, but I don't like the connection of having the DT crew following the star to the ends of the world (I just feel like it should be something or, more importantly, someone else guiding them). I have to see it context for the final thought though.

The subtle shots of Lucy are a plus. I like the fact that she looks in the mirror before returning to Narnia and the addition of the snowy landscape and her reaction in the Magician's book (I'm really looking forward to this scene).

Big, big plus in Aslan's dialogue at the end. I'm very glad that it wasn't cut or majorly changed to something with less of an impact.

I can't wait for the theatrical trailer. It'll be nice to see some footage to tell whether or not I should be more pleased and excited about the film or a bit more on edge.

[RevelinginWonder]

May i agree to disagree. If Lucy crushes on Caspian that is the end of the world for the films. They have got to stop with that sort of nonsense. It was one of the worst things about PC. I really hope they don't make the same mistake again.

I totally see your point. But even though I do not like the crush idea, I do know that there are people out there that will like it. And I am sure that the film makers have to consider someone seeing this movie without seeing any of the others, and from a first time viewer's vision, I could see where the film makers would want to put a little 'romance' in. Does that make any sense?

[Bookwyrm]

If Ramandu's Daughter glows like Galadriel or Arwen, I'm okay with it. I seem to recall there being some sort of glow about her and Ramandu in the book. But if it's over the top glowy-ness then I'll hate it.