The Chronicles of Narnia: The Black Sheep of 2000's Fantasy

[@abov_snakes]

The first Narnia movie is near perfect fantasy. The books were some of the first novels I read as a kid. I remember how immersive and relatable they were. Sure the books aren’t on the same level of suchworks as LOTR but it’s not supposed to be. CS Lewis was actually good friends with Tolkien. His life is truly a story in of itself. He was a brilliant man and he wrote other books besides Narnia that are underrated but nonetheless a delightful read. As for the first Narnia movie, it was done so well. It stays close to the book and it has a feeling and atmosphere of wonder. Not any other film has made me feel the same way. Not even the Narnia sequels. Unfortunately, I can’t have the same amount of joy or reverence for the Narnia film sequels as they do deviate from the books in a worse way and there is a very apparent drop in quality. I’m excited for this new Netflix series and I hope we can finally see Magicians Nephew get a proper adaption.

[@wildmikefilms]

When we were kids we watched the first movie over and over again. We could quote the whole thing. Now as an adult, i watched it again for the first time in 15 years. I expected it to be corny. Instead i was amazed at how good it actually still was. Many times i cried. It transported me back to being a kid again.

[@lokenontherange]

I'm like 99% sure the Netflix show will be terrible and just there to get people to stay subbed for a few weeks.

[@perfectallycromulent]

I've never seen so much scowling from child actors. the kids spent far too much time with negative emotional expressions on their faces for me to watch this. it was very off-putting and distracting for me.

[@lokenontherange]

@@perfectallycromulent That's got to be the most autistic comment I've seen in years.

[@abov_snakes]

@@perfectallycromulent I disagree. I actually found the "negative expressionless" faces, as you put it, realistic for the time period. Keep in mind this is a story set during The World War. Times were different. Children were different. They had to grow up a lot faster. The whole context as to why Edmund was enthralled by the idea of Turkish delight was food was scarce during the war. Many wouldn't even consider the idea of deserts except the very rich. The negative expressions match how Peter, Susan and Edmund were described in the book. All except Lucy. Both in the film and book she displays genuine emotion of joy and wonder. You must have watched a different movie if you think Lucy was "scowling”

[@noahkirschtein8169]

fun fact abt the ending of the first movie ! it’s supposed to be like the young ww1 soldiers returning home. being out in the literal trenches as a soldier, just to be thrust back into their old lives and treated like kids again. that’s what it’s supposed to resemble. (i am a sucker for looking at the story without c.s. lewis’ intentions in mind and how that would mess with the pevensie siblings tho)

[@PhotoBombomb]

ww2

[@isaackellogg3493]

@@PhotoBombomb ww1. Lewis fought in the Great War, so he witnessed what happened to soldiers who demobilized. He was a Professor during and after WW2. Also the men coming home after WW2 were treated like men, not callow youths (so far as I have been able to glean from period media).

[@jordanfelt5978]

But like that's actually a really interesting allegory which I had never considered before. Thank you for explaining this! That's really neat.

[@syndicalist-0]

​@@PhotoBombomb years are hard huh

[@lisafalter926]

I actually always thought that Prince Caspian having such a different feeling to it made complete sense. After all, with all that time having passed between the end of the first movie and this one, it would have been weird if they had been too much alike.

[@zjjohnson3827]

I actually like the Prince Caspian film more than the TL,TW&TW one, as its got less religious allegory and such. Even better, the politicking of Miraz trying to have Caspian killed, him seizing the throne, and the Lords of Telmar plotting against him resulting in them backing him into accepting the duel is all straight from the book, no made up details to make the stakes higher. The film is a lot less fantastical and *weird* than the book is lol, and its like a PG-13, family friendly GoT with more fantasy elements

[@gottesurteil3201]

Prince Caspian is also during a time when much of Narnia's magic is lost, so it feels more grounded.

[@SH19922x]

​@@zjjohnson3827Except in the books Peter is a 30 year trained veteran in swordsmanship from being king of Narnia and does an awesome attack and smashed him but in the movies he's a bit of a wimp.

[@B10eProductions]

I’ll always remember seeing the first Narnia in theatres, it was so grand and epic it felt like the start of something huge. It was so sad to watch it dwindle away after 3 entries

[@JakobSandberg-mm9td]

but the second movie was pretty good too, and i loved prince caspian in the movie, but the third movie was bad

[@doitfaster9553]

I mean out of the books they did the best 3 to make into a movie but if you want something like the silver chair it's old but it exists!

[@christianmanka3884]

Every year or so on a day off I’ll just binge all three. It’s such an incredible world with awesome characters. It’s such a shame that they didn’t end up making more. I’ve always had a soft spot for Dawn Treader.

[@anyawiggins5921]

Same. It was my childhood’s favorite series and I used to binge it on repeat. Voyage of the Dawn Treader was my favorite movie because of Eustace turning into a dragon. (I was a simple kid, see dragon, instantly loved) I still have the dvd’s and it’s great to rewatch every now and again now that I’m older. I love the series so much. I’m a bit apprehensive to see Netflix take on it…

[@DynomitePunch]

that's what i'm doing today : D

[@chipcook5346]

That one is my favorite of them all and has been from the first time I read them. Will Poulter is exceptional. He's about as perfect a Eustace as you can have. I'm sorry they never finished, but glad they got that one done.

[@ConnorWiederich-hr4zu]

One scene that really sticks out to me in the first Narnia movie is right before Aslan's army and the Witch's army are about to clash in the final battle the music suddenly goes silent and all the audience can hear is heart thumping, basically saying this is it. It's like when the music starts up again when Harry and Voldemort clash wands for the final time after the last of Voldemort's horcrux is destroyed or when the music becomes louder once Gandalf's cavalry clashes with the Uruk-Hai at Helm's Deep.

[@geewizz3327]

This is the scene I always point out when it comes on! It was so well done

[@SH19922x]

Lol They all follow the heroes journey in their own way and its the perfect way to tell stories, no bullshit, no bad guys winning, just pure good guy shit

[@kylao6998]

Eustace in Voyage of the Dawn Treader marks the birth of a LEGEND

[@therealdavidleong]

Eyebrows guy!!!

[@castleguard_of_xbox360]

Oh Eustace, the adopted middle child 😊.

[@JakobSandberg-mm9td]

one of the few actual good things about the last narnia movie, cause most of it sucked

[@placeholder_name321]

@@JakobSandberg-mm9tdfacts

[@nafisamusah7085]

He was so funny 🤣🤣

[@closeben]

They have the perfect opportunity now though to actually finish the original series. Since the actors have aged, they would be suitable to take part in The Horse and His Boy. I think they should start with a Magicians Nephew movie to re-introduce us to the world, keep Tilda Swinton and Liam Neeson. Then produce the remaining books that hadn’t already been adapted. Maybe the remaining stories could work better in a series format rather than films, but regardless I think they ought to keep the same cast and worldbuiliding that has already been established. It would be an amazing comeback for the series.

[@thylionheart]

Unfortunately Skandar Keynes aka Edmund is no longer an actor so he’d likely not be a part of any revival of it. He’s actually a political advisor now

[@yeetthetacoo4068]

But you know how difficult it would be to make a movie of The Magician's Nephew? I don't think any kind of cgi and stuff could capture what it was trying to describe of the creation of Narnia. The description was so beautiful, it made me cry because it seemed so detailed. But knowing more of the Witch's backstory was so cool. It was honestly kinda creepy when the two mcs found her tho and I loved it.

[@lukasmiller486]

I think Benjamin Barnes could play King Tirian as well.

[@Warriorcats64]

Nah, The Last Battle deserves to stay in hell.

[@marcosmauricio7805]

​@@Warriorcats64 The Silver Chair could be amazing, though

[@GabeGarsia]

Bro, Aslan came back to life because he took the place of an evil person while being innocent and it was like an uno reverse on the magic. Another religious theme which points to the substitutionary atonement of Christ in our place. C.S. LEWIS POPPED OFF with that.

[@TempoLOOKING]

Yes Aslan is Jesus. I read the books.

[@castleguard_of_xbox360]

I always knew about this even when I was a kid and I love it so much.

[@biggiemunch]

@@TempoLOOKING Like literally. Aslan is a multidimensional traveler and took the form of Christ in our world.

[@isaackellogg3493]

First time I’ve ever read “Bro” and “substitutionary atonement” in the same paragraph

[@johnmcwick1]

Also it even explains it saying he was there when the law was written. That’s one reason I didn’t like the movies that much is because I read the books before. Good movies, but I fell into the trap of “The books where better🤓”

[@GrumpyOtter11]

Hilarious to me that there was any controversy about Christian themes... it's not like C.S. Lewis was trying to make them subtle, and being mad at a movie for trying to maintain the same themes as the source material is pretty cringe.

[@fhincey]

Fr!! I mean, then don't adapt this particular series if it buggs you this much. Or just don't watch it. Let them Narnia fans have their Narnia in peace.

[@Lee.na.23]

It was even worse with the Golden Compass movie, a lot of religious groups tried to stop it. The studio became worried which resulted in important scenes and themes being cut. As a child I loved both series and didn't even think about the religious or anti-religious themes in them, and today I appreicate both even though I'm not the biggest fan of Christianity. Like you said, it's funny that adaptations become controversial for sticking to the themes of the source material.

[@lettuceman9439]

@Lee.na.23 Generally a result of American-british monopoly on moviemaking in the 2000s, Christianity is divided into 4 major denominations and protestantism will it's 50+ demoninations will scream the loudest.

[@DrShocktopus]

Tolkien also has Christian undertones, it's mostly because art is influenced by culture, lots of things especially the furhter back you go is influenced more by religion, also depends on culture. For instance a lot of Japanese work like the world building in Final Fantasy and literally all of Naruto is directly influenced or inspired by Buddhism and Shintoism the dual religions of Japan. So yeah I don't understand the criticism to C.S. Lewis... he wasn't using it to try and convert people, so no its not controversial. Just radical atheists crying.

[@isaackellogg3493]

@@lettuceman9439 “4 major” Orthodox Catholic Protestant ….?

[@Nobody.exe50]

Those Movies will always have a special place for me , it showed the wonders some think when you are a kid , it was beautiful

[@extraplain2412]

The problem with Narnia is its setting or rather the lack of it remaining coherent. Every story is pretty much stand alone with huge gaps in time. Most other fantasy settings establish the world and characters in the first volume and every story after continues on from this in a linear narrative. Narnias non linear structure makes it hard to look forward to watching a sequel knowing the characters you've grown to care about aren't around anymore.

[@magnusprime962]

The setting is coherent, it just changes over time. I can certainly understand your disappointment with how certain characters you came to enjoy don't stick around, but part of the appeal of the series is how it consistently introduces new charming and likable characters that all feel distinct from one another. Mr. Tumnus is different from Trumpkin who's different from Puddleglum, but they're all likable characters who go through complete arcs within the books they're in. There's no incoherence to it, just change.

[@SamuelSouza-di6nq]

To resume: Its like Jojo's bizarre adventure

[@SH19922x]

It's almost as bad as Dune

[@thezestypirate3815]

I always thought it was hilarious how pathetic the fawns were in the first movie, then in caspian they turn into parkour killing ninjas😂😂

[@DynomitePunch]

well that could be insinuated that they've been training since then and so that generation are much better warriors, that's how i always saw it

[@yanelluviano]

Taking into consideration that Narnia was mostly passive for 100 years under Jadis/White Witch rule, most of the Narnians were not trained for war. After the Battle of Beruna (the one in lion, witch, wardrobe) the Pevensie children brought Narnia into the Golden Age and they actually fought many battles. But of course after they returned to our world, Narnia fell into the Dark Age and the Narnians lost the Battle of Cair Paravel against the Telmarines. It does make sense for the fauns to now be skilled in combat.

[@doubleflores8350]

Dude, aside from Mr. Tumnus, the fawns in the first movie kicked butt! Keep in mind, the fawns made up the majority of Narnia’s army in the first movie so of course they’d be good fighters.

[@isaijmartinez1671]

I wrote my thesis in Narnia and till this day I will forever defend it over and over again! The first movie is THE BEST ADAPTATION of the early 2000’s and the way that lion look more real than Lion Kings almost 15 years later! The movie itself has an Oscar’s like ITS PERFECTION! The only consistent thing of the series was the casting it was enough to keep it afloat but the 3rd movie was not good! Second tried lol

[@meganjaime7728]

I totally agree! I am a huge fan of the books and LWW was my favorite. I loved LWW as a movie it was perfect! It really captured how whimsical reading it felt. I did actually like PC because if adapted exactly like the books it would have been slow for movie goers. I feel they did a good job of adapting it myself. I really enjoyed it.😄😊 I do wish they hadn’t addedthe romance between Susan and Caspian that wasn’t needed.

[@thomasporter4627]

Sounds like hard work to keep defending your thesis over and over again...

[@JustaFairyStory]

I feel like this CG for 2005 holds up a lot better than CG animals of recent years

[@masonwalden8245]

narnia was my entire childhood. i learned archery because i wanted to be like susan hahaha so i would say narnia wasn’t underrated to me at least lol

[@Schellnino1994]

Still upset we didnt get the SIlver Chair movie that Joe Johnston was going to make before he retired! That dude has made some breathtaking movies!

[@johnmcwick1]

Honestly, they didn’t need Caspian. He was supposed to be an old man and his son was in danger. Or something of that nature.

[@placeholder_name321]

Silver chair would have been PHENOMENAL 😭

[@guythatlovespotato]

My fond memory of Prince Caspian is our English teacher made us to make a movie review about it. Pretty cool teacher.

[@milo_thatch_incarnate]

I LOVE Wardrobe and Caspian, and I really liked Dawn Treader. Not at the same level as the first two, but Will Poulter is just a _delightful_ and hilarious Eustace. 20:50 was perfect 😂😂 Also, as a Christian, I never realized how much you miss out on the meaning of certain actions in the story if you don’t know Christian beliefs. Like what he said about being so frustrated with Aslan resting quietly was Lucy in the woods while the battle is going on. That would be obvious to a Christian. Just like God, He’s demonstrating to Lucy - and to us - that He has everything in control, and even when we are afraid and feel like we’re in the middle of a battle, we can still look to Him and know that we don’t need to worry. But if you’re not Christian, I totally get being confused by that scene and so many others.

[@ShesquatchPiney]

I think the series is difficult to adapt by it's very nature how the stories switch characters, time lines, and arguably genres. I haven't even read them all. I wish serialized animation was on the table because I think the potential is vast. Netflix has killer animation resources under its umbrella, too. Excellent video, I was extremely into the first Narnia movie. That practical minotaur and warrior centaur HAD ME.

[@Vor567tez]

I always think for fantasy especially high fantasy best medium is animation. No headache with kids growing up , no limitation with effects and stunts. I don't get why they always insist on live action. Just make an animation. It's much better.

[@magnusprime962]

@@Vor567tez Unfortunately there's a major stigma in America against animation. It's weakening, but there's still a pervasive idea that animation is for children. That's one of the reasons Disney keeps making live-action remakes.

[@Vor567tez]

@@magnusprime962 That's true. But surprisingly Walt Disney ,himself, was against the notion that animation is for kids. He rather defined it as family entertainment.

[@PhotoBombomb]

agree on the minotaur. Obsessed for years. Rolled Tauren in WoW because of him. I’d watch that battle over and over and it put me in fantasy mood every time.

[@frejahertz3675]

I was a preteen when the first movie came out, and I loved the whole vibe of it, and still love it. The Caspian came out when I was a teen, and it was my favorite movie of all time- mostly because I loved Ben Barnes and had (still do) a major crush on him, and it’s a fantastic movie with darker themes. I watched the dawn treader when I was a little older and felt meh about it, but rewatching it as an adult I have a different appreciation for the themes in that movie.

[@Mizelei2012]

Living an entire life only to suddenly be a child again sounds incredible. To be young with all the wisdom that comes with age is like living a life on easy mode. Also, school for 32hrs per week would be WAY more bearable having experienced a 48 hour work week!

[@thethriftytypewriter]

Fair point! 😂

[@MaeveArterius]

i would be so disappointed though if i was in the fantasy world and walked back out of it ;-;

[@roooo8327]

Ok so it's not just me that had the Prince Caspian movie as my favorite movie throughout my whole childhood 😅

[@DynomitePunch]

nah dude i love the second film a lot, the third ALMOST wins me over because it feels like an rpg game, but the second still wins out over all

[@girlfrmars]

prince caspian is just so perfect. it has the best characters all together

[@RandomNorwegianGuy.]

The first Narnia movie is one of the best cinema experiences I have ever had. Narnia (The first one) was insanly popular here in Norway. It reached a simular popularity status as Pirates of the carrbean

[@hallowedtalon8106]

I'll never forget when I saw the first Narnia in theaters. It was so thrilling (I sadly had missed LotR's run) and magical. I loved how they expanded the role of Maugrim (My favorite hcaracter) in the film, which was awesome. It is a shame this series never carried on after the first three. I like the second film fine but it still bores me a bit.

[@pearlkennedy9446]

I’m so glad prince capian is your favourite too! Truly a good dark fantasy for kids at the time. I do agree they should’ve changed the Bible related aspects to better make the films intriguing. Hated that they “had” to leave narnia in each book. Broke my little kid heart 😭

[@echolocationn]

The problem of telling a whole Narnia series from start to finish is similar to the problems that Amazon has with The Rings of Power (well, except for the terrible writing at a lot of the time in the 1st season): Time jumps and not the same characters.

[@Vor567tez]

Amazon doesn't even hv the rights to LoTR. They r openly selling cheap dupes.

[@DynomitePunch]

i think if they did it as a series it could work, because the only people effected by the time jump are the narnians so i think it'd be fine honestly

[@ElykRindon07]

More info about the Silver Chair: there was already a finished script by David Magee and Douglas Gresham (CS Lewis' stepson and co-producer) liked it. But then, after a change in leadership at the Sony (Tristar was set to distribute Silver Chair), there was pressure to make it a “girl power action movie.” At that point, Gresham walked away and the project petered out. Now, Netflix is developing Narnia adaptations with Gresham still listed as a co-producer.

[@malcolmferguson4869]

Prince Caspian was my favourite as well.

[@verindictus3639]

16:03 Yeah, that scene didn't happen in the book. They talked about summoning the White Witch in the book, but never actually did it. 21:16 Funnily, enough the books actually discussed that, stating that "Lucy thanked her lucky stars that she had taken swim classes last semester" (or something very like that). Basically C.S. Lewis stating Aslan/God had, through His divine providence, already gotten the children ready to be dumped in the ocean (and take a voyage across it, as that likely wasn't the only time they needed to swim during that voyage).

[@haydengoldman7368]

These movies are a huge highlight of my childhood! On top of that, I made a fan-film on my channel!

[@thethriftytypewriter]

Where is it!! I’d love to see it!

[@haydengoldman7368]

@@thethriftytypewriter It’s on my channel!

[@haydengoldman7368]

Thank you! It’s up on my ch@nnel!

[@haydengoldman7368]

It’s on my ch@nel!

[@haydengoldman7368]

For some reason my response is being hidden, but search Narnia fan film and it should be the first one you see. It is also under my name as well

[@hookedonphoenix3112]

I really want an adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew; chronologically the first book. It’s my favorite and it’s so whimsical and fun. Hope the new series does it justice.

[@fusionspace175]

At least Narnia got a second movie. Poor Golden Compass had it's ending cut off right before the gut punch, and vanished into obscurity. Great books, too.

[@bintube5269]

Another movie I didn’t realise was hated until years later on the internet

[@jayt9608]

The tone in the Prince Caspian novel is far darker than Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe, and it should, while Dawn Treader returned to the same magical element with more mature aspects to that land. The problem is with the gross deviations that each movie took. Peter would never have consented to call the White Witch, he knew full well that he was not returning to rule but rather to install King Caspian IX as the king. Dark Island is not even all that important in the novel, and the climax is the discovery of the sleeping lords these are just a very few of the deviations.

[@fhincey]

As a devout Catholic Christian and a Theology and English Literature and Culture student I can tell you all three movies are very saturated with Christian themes. But many things are only subtle. Watching the movies or reading the books as a devout Christian is such an unmatched experience. I never had that form of experience ever in a movie before watching Narnia. Of course, knowing that Aslan is a direct Jesus figure makes his scenes so much more powerful to me and the things he says. I truly and deeply feel Jesus' presence watching the movies. I bawl my eyes out at so many scenes for that reason. I can give you some examples: Aslan in the fireplace scolding Tumnus (Jesus in the Bible, contrary to popular belief, isn't an ancient Hippie, he's authoritative and direct and never hesitates to call wickedness out while still always offering forgiveness for repenting) / "I was there when it was written" - Christians believe that Jesus the son has always been with the father in heaven, he was literally there when God created the Universe and everything in it. God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, exists outside of time and place, Jesus' only came into earthly existence these 2000+ years ago but he has always existed literally before time itself. / The, what I would call, "confession" of Edmund after he was rescued when we see him talking to Aslan with his head down before Aslan tells his siblings that there is no need to talk about what happened anymore. / I'm pretty sure Peter Pevensie is a minor St. Peter figure (one of the 12 apostles of Jesus', or to a Catholic like me, the first Bishop of Rome so the first Pope) since Aslan crowns him the High King of Narnia. Peter is also pretty hot headed and at different points doubtful, which are major characteristics St. Peter is described with in the Bible. / The "Deep Magic" Aslan is talking about is God the Father, "who is more powerful than any of [them], that rules over all of Narnia [and] defines right from wrong and governs all [their] destinies" both Peter's and Aslan's. In the bible Jesus' says that he is the son who does the will of his father in heaven John 6:38-39 "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me but raise them up at the last day." / The fact that Peter wasn't able to defeat the Witch and that Aslan had to step in and defeat her. She was never a match for Aslan, but she could corrupt anyone else and without Aslan it was hard to withstand the corruption. The same is with Jesus and the Devil. The Devil is in no way a match for Jesus Christ and demons in general even must obey Jesus' command. The Devil exists only because God is a good God who gave everyone free will, including his angels. He allows their existence, but he can and will keep everyone safe who want to be from these demons. If we try to fight the spiritual war without Jesus, we would lose because our sins make us weak. The only way to clean ourselves from sin is Jesus' flesh and blood that he poured out for us. Jesus' defeated the Devil with his sacrifice and resurrection, not us. We profit from it. There are so many more examples, and these are from the first movie alone, but it would take literally an entire essay to give you everything. Basically, if you love Narnia and you love Aslan, give Christianity a chance. ;) Aslan is the best fictional portrayal of Jesus that there exists. It's truly a miracle in itself if you ask me. Because how many times have you seen portrayals of Jesus in media and you though how cringe and awkward they were? Me for my part all the time. Till Narnia Jesus was only ever able to be portrayed directly in truthful adaptations of the bible but not really in fiction. Aslan isn't like Christ figures such as Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn from LoTR, because they only represent aspects of Christ but as Lewis said himself, Aslan IS Jesus Christ. edit: I only wanted to add that the experience Narnia gives me is unmatched even by movies like "The Passion of the Christ" or other Catholic or generally Christian movies is because the implementation of Christianity in Narnia is so beautifully subtle and so often surprising. It gives me chills whenever I notice something new that I missed before, and it's built in so organically and again beautifully symbolic. I don't know how to explain it better. Also, honestly, I cannot sit through "The Passion of the Christ" because it's so intense and realistic. But this lenting season I'll try to watch it start to finish on Good Friday. But the passion scene in Narnia is SO GOOD. I cry so much it's unbelievably good. edit II: I fixed some grammar and spelling mistakes because they were truly embarrassing (I'm dyslexic :'D)

[@legoinglegion458]

I agree. Sitting quietly and reading the Narnia stories with a focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ can be a profound experience and deepens my conversion. I would echo the invitation to learn about Jesus and His Gospel (which means "good news") for anyone who enjoys (or doesn't enjoy) the Chronicles of Narnia. It will likely clarify elements in the stories and help you discover how meaningful they are.

[@asafesseidonsapphire]

I agree with everything both of you said, also wanted to add, the part of the third movie when Aslan says to them, "In your realm you know me by another name" is so good!

[@phonoix]

​​@@asafesseidonsapphire that line gives me chills every time

[@EnsignRedSquad]

You wrote beautifully. Thank you for sharing and please hold on to that faith.

[@twentyfivemelody]

Really interesting comment, I never noticed the fact about St Peter

[@magnus75damkier]

Coincidentally rewatched the first Narnia here the other day, and not having watched for many years, I was a bit hesitant about whether it would hold up. It absolutely does! It is genuinely a fun, heartfelt adventure with fun, light world-building. The actors do a decent job too, with Swinton unsurprisingly stealing the show in that department. The CGI is pretty decent, I agree, and the costumes for many of the White Witch's army are stunning! Like the minotaur general. I can see why I loved this so much as a child.

[@awickedformerdisneysinger8445]

I loved the first two movies and they were a huge part of my childhood. I rediscovered my love for them as an adult and wish that they'd been given a fair shot as a complete series. But I also don't know how I feel about them completely rebooting the franchise. The original holds a dear place in my heart and we've seen that writing quality has taken a noticeable dive in recent years.

[@Meggimagine]

Bro, this saga was EVERYTHING to me growing up. The first movie was up there with The Lord of the Rings for little 11 year old me, I remember how bloody excited I was to see LWW because I adored the books and the BBC TV show. But I'm still frustrated there hasn't been any adaptation of The Horse and His Boy, the third book in the chronology which takes place in Narnia during the Pevensies' reign with new characters. It explores the world and different countries south of the land of Narnia and I just... Raah!! I need it! Also, the witch scene in Prince Caspian was in the book, but they were only talking about bringing her back and the Pevensie children actually met Caspian then as they intervened to stop this plot from going forward. I guess they had to keep it in the movie and tried to insert it more logically with the direction they had taken the story, but I see what you mean

[@timothyfinch7295]

Andrew Adamson seriously went from Shrek to Narnia to dropping off the face of the Earth after Caspian flopped

[@CaptainAwesome156]

The reason it reminds you of Lotr is definitely because all the props and creatures was made by Weta workshop

[@guythatlovespotato]

Narnia have a pretty nice world. I wish I could go into my closet and be transported there sometimes lol.

[@thatamericanidiot6787]

I share very similar opinions and backgrounds to you about these movies. I grew up with them, I was obsessed with the first two, especially Prince Caspian. This video was such a treat to watch! Thank you for putting in the work to make it

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

The religious content is the reason I like the Narnia books so much.

[@ChristianGabino]

this is back when *Disney* was so *popular* & *iconic* with their *GREATEST* & *BIG-TIME* Blockbuster films became a BIG Smash Hit in the 2000s. 🌟✨

[@tagus100]

The Battle of Beruna was my Helm's Deep.

[@firebird1080]

This movie series (and fantasy as a whole) were losing steam because people started shifting their focus towards another genre that was picking up in the early 2010s. Superhero movies.

[@anniesearle6181]

I read the Narnia books as my first proper series and watched the films around the same time. It had such a huge impact on my childhood. I think the films are a wonderful introduction to fantasy for children without some of the handholding that's seen in other Disney films. You can really tell just how much love all of the cast and crew had for the films. The details are exquisite (seriously, if you watch them specifically to look for small details you'll be amazed at what you can find!). I loved growing with the films but I honestly think they were right to stop when they did. Eustace is just not as compelling a character as the Pevensies and the last book is incredibly confusing. The horse and his boy is best read critically and should never be adapted to film

[@TheGeneralGrievous19]

Even though I was raised a Catholic I never really noticed the "overt Christian themes" and Aslan being basically Jesus when I was reading Narnia books & watching these movies as a kid. The first time I kind of noticed it was at the end of the third book when at the end of the world they meet Aslan in a form of a lamb which reminded me of the Lamb of God. And it even made me kind of uncomfortable, thinking that Lewis may be doing a mockery of it or something. I only fully realized it when people on the internet were pointing it out much later. So it still kinda bugs me when people say how overt those themes are. 😅

[@verindictus3639]

C.S. Lewis always meant the series as a pretty overt allegory of Christianity.

[@shadowprince4620]

@@verindictus3639For which JRR Tolkien made it is personal mission to tell Lewis how wrong he was about that

[@verindictus3639]

@@shadowprince4620 Yes, C.S.Lewis wrote overt allegory, and Tolkien hated allegory. But I don't think either style of writing is wrong - both can be good when done correctly, and both C.S. Lewis and Tolkien made great contributions to western fantasy.

[@magnusprime962]

@@verindictus3639 Lewis didn't write it as an allegory; it was supposition. Aslan literally is Jesus who decided to become a lion in another dimension.

[@Mrcookieonyt]

Tbh, man, i just dont think you paid that much attention. If you can read/watch the sacrifice of Aslan as a Christian and not immediately draw the connection to christ, then idk what to tell you.

[@Agrhonak]

It's really amazing how in the 3rd movie we see that cousin actor the first time, never seen him before, but he developed into much more nowadays. Really cool to see

[@therealdavidleong]

I always find it kind of funny that people find the presence of Christian themes in LWW controversial. CS Lewis is well known for being a Christian author, and made it very clear that the Narnia series were written as such. People who get upset are the anti-religion folks who somehow didn't do their research.

[@lettuceman9439]

Weird really but you kinda have to give to how Decentralized Christianity is compared to most world Religion. Lewis is adored even by Catholics and Orthodoxs like how doevstosky is adore in vice versa by protestants and Catholics even Mormons loves Lewis Christian works like mere Christianity however some church in america will probably disagree and protest.

[@loulie1997]

I think the reason these movies feel so juvenile in their fantasy tropes is because they were, in fact, made for children. This is not a game of thrones series. Naming characters “Mr. Fox” or having Santa Clause in your story is meant explicitly for the understanding and enjoyment of young minds. And while I too see Edmund much differently as an adult, he is, after all, a kid, I remember distinctly thinking-when I was his age-that he should know better, and that he made poor choices. Children have an understanding of right and wrong. They more often than not know when they’re doing something bad, even if they don’t fully comprehend why. And seeing Edmund’s arc made him my favorite character. He was someone I could relate to as a child, knowing I made some bad choices too, but that I could learn from them and become a be a better person.

[@pendragonsxskywalkers9518]

As for movie 3 - you are right it is 'all over a place', but it is adaptation - movie is 'all over place', because source material was.

[@Optimusprime809]

Sea snake: "I created you, and you created me." Caspian: "Edmund why'd you create that guy?" Edmund: "I didn't!"

[@katywolffis7678]

I think the other big reason that the sequels didn’t make as much money either is because not as many people have read them. Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe is practically standard reading for kids, so there’s a huge audience that knows the story. After that the crowd dwindles out a lot. I loved the first movie. Best of the the three. I appreciate Prince Caspian for what it was, and will still watch it, but it doesn’t hold a candle to accuracy of the first movie. The third is just garbage in my eyes. The book of Voyage of the Dawn Treader is one of my favorites in the series, and they did it dirty. You also failed to mention that in 1 and 2 they had Weta working with them on practical effects and costumes which is why they are so good! Disney was definitely trying to go for a slice of the LOTR pie with them. The first movie had a few scenes shot in New Zeeland as well. They actually traveled all over for filming that movie. Which shows Andrew’s dedication to making it a very high quality movie visually. I’m hesitant to be excited about Netflix and Narnia. After seeing Amazon ruin WOT, I don’t hold much hope for a series true to the stories. And the stories don’t have a lot in them which means I can foresee a lot of filling in of details that could make or break the simplistic beauty of them. I’m a Christian too, so my perspective on these stories is different than just pure fantasy. The overt Christian themes are ones I hold dear in my own journey and find a richness in as I grow both in age and in maturity.

[@avalon5957]

Seeing how Netflix has butchered Witcher, Avatar, Anne with an E, and other great IP's, which have, or most likely will, all be cancelled because of how poorly they treat any golden goose they get, I have ZERO expectations of a Netflix Narnia being good, let alone a full series.

[@asafesseidonsapphire]

They would also probably remove the Christian references, which are the base of the universe, like Aslan is literally Jesus. I find it a bit hard to believe Netflix would follow totally with that, or the thousands of other references.

[@TheDragonaf1]

"IT STARTED OUT AS A FEELING WHICH THEN GREW INTO A HOPE..."

[@chenlo1730]

Stoppp😭 Song still hits me in the chest!

[@TheDragonaf1]

@chenlo1730 "WHICH THEN TURNED INTO A QUITE THOUGHT WHICH THEN TURNED INTO QUITE WORD..."

[@VictoriaF-pd7xu]

I took a CS Lewis class this year (private school and I didn’t want to learn church history) but it was so fun to be able to read the books and immediately watch a movie. It’s actually really cool to see how similar the book and movie are to each other. It was also just a lot of fun to watch far more movies than my peers during the school year.

[@VictoriaF-pd7xu]

Also the Lion the Wotch and the Wardrobe was more or less meant to be a children’s book. That’s why the first movie is so lighthearted and fun. It was supposed to be an allegory for Jesus and then people loved it so Lewis wrote more of these books. That’s why they end up being so different from each other and why the movies have wildly different vibes.

[@VictoriaF-pd7xu]

And to answer the question “does it get more dangerous when they keep going back?”, we didn’t read every Narnia book (the class more focused on theology), but I do know the last time Edmund, Lucy, and Peter go to Narnia is because they died in a train accident (the book is called The Last Battle, it’s a weird and interesting book). Susan doesn’t join them because she’s “no longer a friend of narnia” and basically doesn’t go to heaven.

[@richmiola9158]

I have seen a lot of these Narnia deep dives pop up latley. I think the mistake that was made by Disney that proved to be a fatal Flaw was increasing the production budget for Prince Caspian to $225 million making it one of the most expensive movies ever made for 2008 standards. If the budget was that of Narnia LWW they would have made more in profit even with the drop in returns. They could have adjusted the budget accordingly for the third and we would have been ok. Also keep Caspian on the Holiday 2007 calendar release and not release it against Iron Man in May 2008.

[@cheften2mk]

Must be 15 years since i last saw this movie. I now just learned there is a third one

[@gale_mau]

I do think it does the world of Narnia a disservice to divorce the world from its religious undertones, because a *lot* of it is bound into metaphor. And when aspects of the story are seen in-universe to be religious, like Aslan, it actually ties the themes together much better than fantasy alone could. CS Lewis wrote a very fun story, but his love of theology definitely shows through. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.

[@lettuceman9439]

Outside of the Christian sphere, CS Lewis is kinda a unknown or Second to Tolkein. His best books are his christian apologetics like screwtape Letter and the Great Divorce.

[@newt7763]

i had the biggest crush on edmund after narnia prince caspian xD

[@QuestionsIAskMyself]

Real

[@brantjustilian3791]

A Netflix Chronicles is Nadia will probably be pretty similar to the series of unfortunate events. An eight episode series based on the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe, while incorporating parts of magicians nephew as back flash moments for the white queen. So basically the Netflix standard for adaptable IP’s

[@nikkydalby7126]

To be honest, I grew up up watching the BBC Chronicles of Narnia version & really loved that (even though the special effects are VERY dated), & I even though I was excited for the Disney movie, I just never wanted to go back and keep watching it. Plus, if you haven’t read the books, then the sequel movies might be a huge let down cuz you’re expecting the same Narnia world & you aren’t going to get that, so if you’re surprised w/ that upon your first watch I can definitely see why someone would lose interest in this series .

[@RedAnimal100]

Really enjoyed the video. Narnia used to be one of my favorite movies. Always thought Prince Caspian was alright. Never watched the third one though because for years I never even knew it existed.

[@gravybate2283]

You should watch it. I enjoyed it

[@doubleupload5620]

I watched the first movie a lot as a kid but I never even knew there was more than one

[@AnishDebnath9]

The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter are my most beloved fantasy movie series from my childhood.

[@Axunen]

Okay okay okay.... Aslan sends the randoms back to their world which is our world where they came from. THey wouldn't be set to the "current" time the movie takes place. They will be sent to the exact time they went in when they went to Narnia. Just like in the first movie with the time skip. The kids go back and they essentialy pop out of the closet right after they went in. Smae thing would happen to those guys, they would pop out in their own time. Narnia is like a different dimension with different time and people from our world can go there at different times and meet inside. Also the way the kids get into narnia each time is magic and done by Narnia force. So them being right infront of a ship is Narnia plobbing them exactly where they can be found.

[@DD-gl3gx]

I think what makes these books and movies so great is that they don’t dumb anything down. C.S Lewis wrote the books amazingly and doesn’t treat his young audience as stupid. It is a timeless story that I wish was appreciated as its own thing. Im not even religious but I think that the Christian allegory isn’t even bad. I think they could even come across as universal religions elements that everyone understands if it’s adapted correctly. I hope Netflix doesn’t ruin it…

[@carlosdiaz7573]

Lion, Witch and Wardrobe = LOTR / Harry Potter Prince Caspian = Game of Thrones Dawn Treader = POTC

[@MeTaLISaWeSoMe95]

Honestly the fact that these books are essentially the Ultima series before Ultima makes me really happy for some reason.

[@theknights5086]

I agree that Prince Caspian is super underrated. I think both of the first two movies are lowkey fantasy masterpieces. I'm apprehensive about the Netflix series to say the least. Greta Gerwig is brilliant it's true, 2019's Little Women is a masterpiece, and so that excites me. But on the flip side part of what makes Narnia so good is it's religious themes. Prince Caspian doesn't make any sense if Aslan works like how a normal human works, showing up to help his people at the earliest chance. But Aslan isn't a human, he's Narnia Jesus, and Jesus as far as Christianity is concerned is much more interested in our personal growth through challenges than just bailing us out of every hard situation we encounter. If you think of Aslan like a human character Prince Caspian as a movie doesn't make any sense. My concern is that modern Hollywood writers who are now so far removed from traditional ideas and values will be reluctant to tell a story with the same core ideas that C. S. Lewis had and therefore fail to make a good Narnia project, twisting it into something worse and incoherent. Not going to lie, Netflix doesn't necessarily have the best track record with fantasy adaptations *cough* The Witcher *cough* So I'm nervous. But no matter what, we'll always have these movies, the first two are definitely going to be on my movie shelf when I get one.

[@Sargonide]

Fun fact : Here In Italy, the concept of the wardrobe-door has been so influential that even nowadays, people use phrases like "where you came from, from narnia?" Or like "I didn't know that opening this *name of a furniture* I would have found narnia" to express someone or something founded in an unexpected place, like a friend you didn't notice was there or a closet that sorprehend you for how full it is and so on .

[@filiphovland2462]

I'd say most of the stuff in these movies that don't make any sense is due to the directors and screen-writers had no understanding as to what Jack wanted to tell through his stories. Especially when it comes to the role of Aslan (which Liam Neeson was pretty good as btw), as he was Jesus in this world. C.S. Lewis wanted to show how he envisioned Jesus would be if there was a magical place with talking animals

[@steeqhen]

21:20 "if they get more and more dangerous as they keep on going to Narnia I think this would probably be my last time" Oh man wait til you hear about how they get to Narnia in the final book

[@OSleeperTactical]

Nice 😂

[@anyawiggins5921]

I always found the death of Narnia very upsetting as it actually is my favorite series, and the Dawn Treader my favorite movie. Mainly because I was a little kid and who didn’t want to go to Narnia and be turned into a dragon? And now that I’m older and when I say that the Dawn Treader being still one of my favorite movies of all time, it’s embarrassing because everyone replies with, “What’s that?” or “Oh, I never knew Narnia had a third movie.” And I admit- it’s a great child’s movie with lots of nostalgia for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best movie out there. Still glad it scored above average though:)

[@mets78]

Actually the reason Prince Caspian didn't really do as well as they were hoping was because they'd tried to push it as a summer action movie instead of a Fall family movie, like the first one. Because of this, it was released in between a couple of small movies called Iron Man and The Dark Knight. NO ONE was talking about Caspian after it's first couple of weeks. Except me, because I couldn't believe they made me love the movie version of a book I absolutely hated, lol.

[@Malevolence460]

WOW! What a phenomenal treat to see! I would love to see you cover the spiderwick chronicles someday, Narnia always reminds me of it hehe

[@ConnorWiederich-hr4zu]

Has anyone also played the video game version of the first movie? I had fond memories of playing it on the original Xbox. Not to mention there being attraction for the first movie at MGM Studios in Disney World.

[@Afineaddition]

The 2000s were a blessed era for fantasies and epics. Dedicated craftsmanship was combined with evolving CGI to create truly awesome pictures, even if some were not exactly the best written

[@Mizelei2012]

I always love discovering great, thoughtful long-form video essay channels worth watching

[@jach2513]

I think the main issue with the Narnia movies going forward will be connecting everything together

[@arilorentz6486]

I lost it with the comment about will poulter being ugly until he grew up 😂

[@thepretzel2]

16:11 That was KINDA in the books. In the book, they were ready to bring back Jadis, but there wasnt any dialogue from her. The Pevensies come in and instantly put a stop to the whole ritual, I think. It's been years since I read the books.

[@engeenestay]

The movies are my whole childhood, I loved them to the chore😂 I didn't even know about harry porter at that time lol...I don't know why though............I feel so nostalgic now, let me just binge it again it's going to be an amazing experience

[@Lugai]

I loved this series as a kid. I loved the PS2 games even more

[@emmamorris6947]

1979 Saw the first release of Lion witch and the wardrobe as an animated movie. 1980's The BBC released a dramatised serial, got as far as the Silver Chair!

[@riku3716]

"Living your entire live just to end up as a kid again would absolutely suck." What the hell do you mean suck. You literally have two lives. Have your live extended for decades. Return to yourth as old age starts getting close. That is a dream come true. My biggest issue is that the effect of being essentially adult in child's body from then on was never addresses or any other characters questioning them to be kids again.

[@Scylithen]

Honestly the the TV series was almost perfect and the movie adaptions was looking into a mirror of them 👏👏🤫

[@DynamiteRaven]

I’m an outlier, though my opinion on the movies mirrors my wee self’s feelings on the books. I can’t stand Prince Caspian as a story or a character. Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite with the feeling of compiled serial short stories, it reminds me of the original Pinocchio or the like, with Eustace ending up my favorite character. I feel like the movie did it justice, with the understandable changes for the movie format. That said, the BBC version will always hold a special place in my heart.

[@danieljohnston4960]

When he said Lord of the Rings Lite I died 💀💀

[@tsyganko]

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is honestly unadaptable in my opinion, at least with a movie. While there IS an overarching goal that Caspian set out with in the books, the story is very disjointed. Each island has its own plot and trying to connect it all to one thing is impossible. It’s the one movie that would have been WAY better off as a mini series, with an episode on each island. ALSO it’s a pity that they never made The Silver Chair after this because that was my second favourite (The Horse and His Boy was my first), with Eustace was the main character and quite brilliant haha

[@deathstar6998]

There have always been other humans in Narnia besides the 4 children. The reason they weren't explored is because the Horse and his boy was never adapted, which despite being a really good book and had a ton of worldbuilding is sort of like a filler arc in the arc of the main characters so its easy to brush over. The reason why the Dawn Treader movie failed was because it was supposed to be C.S Lewis' parody of the Odyssey. Its a long story and not something you can fit into an hour and a half movie. They merged a lot of islands and cut a lot of content that the crew was supposed to experience and go through to the point where facing the Darkness at the end was the equivalent of facing an impossible opponent they couldn't win against because the Crew was either mostly gone or demoralized to hell, it was the same as Odysseus and his men fighting Scylla and Charybdis. It was supposed to be a long journey that took an unmoulded piece of clay like Eustace and turned him into the main character for the next 2 books as he is amazing in both the Silver Chair and the last battle.

[@simadddss]

im rereading these right now this is perfect

[@spencerfrankclayton4348]

The conflict between Peter and Caspian is so ridiculous and unnecessary. They're here to put Caspian on the throne, and he knew it. Besides, he grew up hearing stories about them and was in complete awe.

[@Unomonoloco]

I remember watching the Lion in theaters as a teenager (as someone who reads the books routinely) and I thought to myself, this isn't really going anywhere. One of the problems it has is spectacle, and much like Harry Potter, they do not have enough focus on the story beats/dialogue. I know movies are actually focused on visuals in a "show, don't tell" mentality, but a lot of the problems I had was how little the movie explained of even the original plot without the movie introducing subplots like "should I kill an obviously threatening wolf" or "we need to get back to our world", and when I got done I thought "that looked neat, we will probably not get any more.". While I liked that the movies had proper scaling to encapsulate how epic living in Narnia is, the books take me there, and it'll be a Herculean task for Greta Gerwig to get the original concept down, as it is more of a philosophical and mythic than the movie makers made it to be.

[@felipedepaulalopes3405]

I Love this movie so much, I remember watching it at the theater with my whole family and be mesmerized by this world and the whole Christian Allegory (idk why it would be controversial but ok), had such good memories of it!

[@LotusVolt-pf9bt]

Christian bad mentality

[@Jayforeman3047]

The first was sheer perfection but I think they just lost momentum from PC onwards because the format of the books didn't translate as well.

[@NerdzWerdz]

The Minotaurs in all of these movies are absolutely incredibly made

[@ratgirl34]

You should find the original TV series. In my opinion, while they lacked the ability to do any large open battles, they make up for it with amazing story telling.

[@Dipsxi]

21:40 This is even stranger considering Andrew Adamson which is the director/writer for the first two Narnia movies also directed the first two Shrek movies and was heavily involved in all the subsequent ones. However, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader which was the only Narnia movie to not involve him, makes a peculiar reference to the first Shrek. Bizarre.