Just Saw "Narnia"...it Sucked

n/a | 12-27-05 | Bob J

[Salvation]

Are you Christian? I have a totally different take on this.

[Salvation]

Disagree with you here. Children will enjoy it as a nice story unless they have read the books and understand the Christian allegories. Parents need to attend with their children so that they can draw on the allegories of Christian life displayed in characters as well as actions.

[Salvation]

But the lion, Aslan, is the allegory for Christ.

[Old Professer]

Please tell me that English is your second language.

[Salvation]

And I found Lucy to be quite insightful. She was the only one who really understood what was happening on a deeper level. Do you want to know her allegorical counterpart?

[Politicalmom]

All I can say is that I was in tears from the beginning through most of the movie.

Never felt that way in a movie in my whole life. Like it was all part of me. It was amazing.

[Salvation]

Actually Charlotte's Web is a Christian allegory too -- just like the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is.

[Salvation]

**It followed the book so well - I loved the movie (I'm not a kid either) and can't wait to go see it again, and see what I missed the first time.**

I don't think people understand the art form allegory the Lewis used.

[peyton randolph]

Disagree with you here. Children will enjoy it as a nice story unless they have read the books and understand the Christian allegories.

I read the books as a kid. Since I'm a deist, I didn't take my kid to see the movie because I wanted him to contemplate it as a Christian allegory.

Parents need to attend with their children so that they can draw on the allegories of Christian life displayed in characters as well as actions.

I never said that parents shouldn't attend. I said it was targeted for the 8-12 demographic. As for the purpose of parental attendance, if it trips your trigger to preach to your kids about Christ, more power to you. Never said anything to the contrary on that either.

[Veto!]

Oh dear, Bob J, you seem to have forgotten how to view the world through the eyes of a child. Creative little kids are all Bravehearts to one extent or another--at least they are if they haven't watched too much miserable tinny grating vulgar tv or watched "action" movies in which the stars are all cars or electronic equipment. What argues better for keeping your kids away from such things? And preserving their sense of wonder. And honor.

I grow weary of the English tendancy to cast their child characters beyond their years.

C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles, was reading Plato at six. Any child given the opportunity could read such classics with enjoyment and ease. It's called "an education," and we could use more of it around here.

Bob J, I called my grownup daughter and told her to see Narnia immediately, as Lucie Pevensie, the little heroine, is so much like she was at seven/eight years of age.

[Salvation]

Many biblical characters are allegoried as well as the fight of good and evil, the resuurection of the dead and Purgatory.

[Salvation]

**I have not read the books but saw the movie last night.An adult needs to watch with a understanding of Christianity to fully enjoy.**

Absolutely -- I thought it was wonderful.

[billbears]

Wow, from the reviews I've seen from those that are familiar with Lewis' works, they have been light praise at the very worst. There were some concerns I understand with having to wrap up the first book in such a short time but this concern was also seen with Tolkien's work. Have you actually read any of Lewis' works? At all?

[hford02]

Harry Potter is a trivial and entertaining Fantasy. You can read into it what you want but the author wrote it to entertain 9-14yr old kids. By all accounts she's done a heckofa job too. Maybe if kids will learn to read books because they love HP and friends....then maybe someday they'll actually read something you believe. Call me old fashioned but kids reading seems like a good thing wherever their magic comes from.(maybe their imaginations)

[hford02]

You can't talk logic here because that would dictate that since all things were created by God from nothing then the dark magic of the evil queen would also be a product of creation.

[Torie]

You probably are a fan of the Odyssey.

[Hank Rearden]

Interesting that you're not falling into the orthodox line about this film.

I've only seen the previews and ads . . . . those appeared very clunky and made me think it sucked, so I was wondering why all the rave reviews?

[AnAmericanMother]

I wouldn't call him an Anglo-Catholic.

He was raised Church of Ireland in Belfast (iow Anglican) and that branch was rather aggressively Protestant (for obvious reasons). He became an atheist as a youth, but that early stuff sticks with you.

He was less "low church" after his conversion, but the "high versus low" controversy pained him. I think it's probably fairest to say that he was a middle of the road Anglican for his day - although a very devout one.

[Veto!]

Never felt that way in a movie in my whole life.

Yes, I felt wonderfully uplifted during the movie and for a week afterward....and maybe still. I raided the public library for everything by and about C.S. Lewis. I love the way he writes, with sweeping ideas but leaving much to the reader's imagination. Thus the feeling of participation.

I could never enjoy J.R.R. Tokien's Lord of the Rings--he supplied much too much detail, leaving no room for my own visions. .

[AnAmericanMother]

Unicorns do appear in the Narnia books. I think that particular unicorn was probably a foreshadowing of Jewel, King Tirian's companion in The Last Battle.