The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: A Review

I have to say having seen the film... I am in agreement with the majority of reviews... and not with Jonathan Ross.

All the same, this film is not aimed at media critics... it is aimed at children and families, and in it's construction it knows who it has to appeal to.

One charge he levelled against the film, was that it was ambiguous who we - the audience, should be siding with. I cannot see how he came to that conclusion. Mr Ross clearly does not have a proper understanding of how evil works. It's true, the witch does seem fair and kindly at first... but her true nature is revealed when her agenda is endangered. This is always the way of evil, if it showed itself up for what it was... do you not think we'd find it that much more easy to overcome. Evil always veils itself in our desires... that si how it gets us. I'm not insinuating all desires are evil, I'm just saying that we have to pay attention to what is driving them or leading them.

I genuinely jumped out of my skin twice when Maugrim turned up, firstly at the Ice Palace and secondly at Aslan's Camp. Ray Winstone and Dawn French as the beavers were a revelation... and there were some excellent throw away jokes. Edmund draws a pair of spectacles on a stone lioness... when Aslan restores it to life it still has them... because you can see them in the coronation scene. I loved the "Woah horsie" "My name is Philip" gag.

The animation for Aslan and the centaurs was excellent, you don't doubt that is how a half horse half man would move... even in the battle scenes.

I felt the acting was on the whole very good, not brilliant... but very good. I think a little more foreshadowing of who Aslan was before we met him, would have helped the film. Liam Neeson handled the dignity of Aslan excellently, and the moment his sacrifice is made... is truly moving. I was disappointed that the producers dropped the line about knowing Aslan under a different name in our world, but I understand the secular reasons for doing it... and it doesn't detract from the allegory.

I'm fairly confident there will be at least one sequel... public interest in the films is high.... and even if you disclude that, the support the evangelical Church is giving by block booking tickets will encourage investment. Hopefully some of the creases will be ironed out.

For me the books have always been about snapshots from each story... rather than the narrative structure itself. It will be interesting to see how many of the books are covered.

I recommend going to see the film. discover the deeper magic of Aslan for yourself.

He is not a "safe" lion.. but he is GOOD.

Episode III Review

Well, I've never been to a film which received a round of applause... until last night (that was despite the fact that the audio channel for the dialogue and sfx went a little wonky at one point).

I went to Amistad and Saving Private Ryan, but the reaction was a fitting, revered silence in those cases.

The scale of the space battles was awesome. The manipulation of Anakin as he turned to the Dark Side was disturbing, being told the only way he can save the one he loves from death is to join the Dark Side, while ironically the result of making that choice was the catalyst for her death. In that respect, the Emperor was just like the serpent from Eden. Masking the true outcome of a decision with a possible benefit. There were clear parallels between the politics of the film, and the ones we find ourselves exposed to today. Liberties being reduced in the name of stamping out a terror, when the real terror is the one who is assuming authority.

I shall say no more on that, I promised a lighter entry!

I was really depressed as the Jedi were systematically betrayed and taken down. I really felt sorry for the blue twilek jedi who was killed... she was really fit! Why did they kill her?

The climactic battle between Obi Wan and Anakin really set my pulse racing. Anakin is more powerful, but Obi Wan is wiser. The pain of having to take down your own student is immense, but the right thing has to be done.

The ending with the binary sunrise sent a tingle down my spine, it perfectly mirrored the binary sunset in "A New Hope".

I was watching the critics attack it a little on Newsnight Review. Sometimes I respect what they say, but I find a lot of critics fall to the temptation of being snobbish. Take the current situation with Rolf Harris being commissioned to paint the Queen. Nice move! Popular choice, someone the British public can relate to. However, the critics have begun to frown on the appointment already. Why? Rolf has done a lot for classical art in the past few years, he has used his popular appeal to front programmes about the classical artists, and revealed a genuine fondness for there work. These critics are a lot like the popes and cardinals of old, who tried to prevent the translation of biblical texts into the common tongue. In the same way, these critics want to keep the semiotic messages and themes within great works of art to themselves, believing that only "well-educated" people should be allowed to translate these works, because it gives them an air of superiority.

I fundamentally disagree with this entire attitude, every man woman and child has the right to be personally enriched by satisfying their own thirst for knowledge. They should not be held back by the learned, no it is the responsibility of the wise man and the scholar to pass on his knowledge... to empower others... to facilitate the student, not restrict them. This is the problem I have with the antiquated church, but the attitudes are not confined to the church, no modern culture is also rank with it.

A lot of the critics are dismissive of blogs you know. They see them as self indulgent. I personally see nothing wrong with sharing your perspective of the universe, it's equally as valid as any philosopher or renowned writer. Every life makes an impact on the universe. You never know who you might influence by just sharing your opinion.

I've always believed our actions are more life and death than they appear on the surface, but again that's a subject for another time.

I'm looking forward to the Chronicles of Narnia at the cinema, which will be released at Christmas. The trailer on T4 this morning looked impressive!

May the force be with you...

...always.