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David McK (3207 KP) rated Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia, #2) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Recently, I've been re-working my way through the Narnia books, going by order of setting.
With that in mind, this is the fourth in the series (while it may only have been the second published) and sees the Pevensie children returning to the magical Land of Narnia - a land in which, it is discovered, centuries have passed despite only a year passing in 'our' world and in which Narnia itself has since been conquered.
The Prince Caspian of the title is now the rightful heir to the throne, but is on the run from and at war with his uncle, who wants to kill him now that he has his own heir. Following defeat, in desperation Caspian blows Susan's magical horn which summons her (and Peter, and Lucy, and Edmund) back to the land, just in time to aid him ...
As before, it's pretty easy to see the Christian allegory in this (particularly in the passages where nobody except Lucy can see Aslan), but again: so what?
With that in mind, this is the fourth in the series (while it may only have been the second published) and sees the Pevensie children returning to the magical Land of Narnia - a land in which, it is discovered, centuries have passed despite only a year passing in 'our' world and in which Narnia itself has since been conquered.
The Prince Caspian of the title is now the rightful heir to the throne, but is on the run from and at war with his uncle, who wants to kill him now that he has his own heir. Following defeat, in desperation Caspian blows Susan's magical horn which summons her (and Peter, and Lucy, and Edmund) back to the land, just in time to aid him ...
As before, it's pretty easy to see the Christian allegory in this (particularly in the passages where nobody except Lucy can see Aslan), but again: so what?
Dean (6921 KP) rated The Golden Compass (2007) in Movies
Sep 10, 2018
A good film with some great special effects and a great cast. Maybe a bit more child orientated than some others films of this type that have come out recently. Similar to The Chronicles of Narnia. If you like a good fantasy film you'll enjoy this, just hope the next part is a bit better.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6) in Books
Jul 12, 2018
The Magician's Nephew was definitely an interesting and quick read. It was nice to read about the beginning of Narnia and see how the world was created. I will say that this was not a book that I will have to read again. I found myself bored with it and glad that it was only 126 pages (nook).
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #4) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Eustace and Jill are called to Narnia to save the crown prince who is being held underground by an enchantress. But will they get sidetracked along the way? This is another fun adventure, but it is Puddleglum who makes the book for me.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-silver-chair-by-c-s-lewis.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-silver-chair-by-c-s-lewis.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
David McK (3207 KP) rated The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia, #5) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Firstly, is this the third Narnia book, or is it the fifth?
The answer to that is whether you go by chronological setting (in which case it's the third), or by publication date (it's the fifth).
This is also a story that I didn't remember reading as a child; however, when I was recently re-reading it I was finding plot elements to be a little-bit-more-familiar than I was otherwise expecting: perhaps I did, and had just forgotten.
Unlike [b: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe|100915|The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)|C.S. Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353029077s/100915.jpg|4790821], this does not follow the Pevensie children, but rather the journey of a young boy named Shasta who discovers he was adopted and is running away to Narnia when his adoptive father is about to sell him into slavery; running away alongside/with the help of the talking horse Bree. Along the way they fall in with a girl named Aravis and her talking horse Hwin, who are also making the same escape.
While I've heard arguments recently that, in this book, CS Lewis is displaying his own racist xenophobia ('fair and white ... accursed but beautiful Barbarians'), personally I think that is reading too much into what is simply intended to be a children's Arabian Nights esque fairytale
The answer to that is whether you go by chronological setting (in which case it's the third), or by publication date (it's the fifth).
This is also a story that I didn't remember reading as a child; however, when I was recently re-reading it I was finding plot elements to be a little-bit-more-familiar than I was otherwise expecting: perhaps I did, and had just forgotten.
Unlike [b: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe|100915|The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)|C.S. Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353029077s/100915.jpg|4790821], this does not follow the Pevensie children, but rather the journey of a young boy named Shasta who discovers he was adopted and is running away to Narnia when his adoptive father is about to sell him into slavery; running away alongside/with the help of the talking horse Bree. Along the way they fall in with a girl named Aravis and her talking horse Hwin, who are also making the same escape.
While I've heard arguments recently that, in this book, CS Lewis is displaying his own racist xenophobia ('fair and white ... accursed but beautiful Barbarians'), personally I think that is reading too much into what is simply intended to be a children's Arabian Nights esque fairytale
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia, #5) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
A marriage proposal to a grown Susan is really just a plot to take over Narnia, and the only people who can stop it are a run away slave and a talking horse. A fun adventure that has grown on me the more times I've read it.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-horse-and-his-boy-by-c-s.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-horse-and-his-boy-by-c-s.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Erika (17788 KP) created a video about 28 Days Later (2002) in Movies
Jun 28, 2019 (Updated Jun 28, 2019)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2084 KP) rated The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia, #7) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
A great evil comes to Narnia. Can good defeat it one last time? This is a different book for the series, and it certainly wasn't the ending I expected when I first read it in 3rd grade. However, as an adult, I've come to love it. This is my second favorite in the series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-last-battle-by-c-s-lewis.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-last-battle-by-c-s-lewis.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Chelsey Young (29 KP) rated The Magicians: Book 1 in Books
Mar 14, 2018
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Following the grand fable of “The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe” is not an easy task as the cinematical version of the timeless classic by C.S. Lewis was a worldwide box office smash. Thankfully Director Andrew Adamson (Who co-wrote the script), still has plenty of magic left from helming the first film in the series.
The film opens roughly a year after the events of the first film and the children have returned to England and have returned to their studies in war torn England. The Children Peter (William Moseley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Lucy (Georgie Henley), struggle with being children again as the memories of their years ruling Narnia and their battle with the White Witch is still fresh in their memories.
Back in Narnia, several centuries have passed, and an invading army has conquered Narnia and vanquished the creatures of the land to the woods, while they reign supreme over the land. The situation takes a turn for the worse when the evil Prince Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), learns that his wife has given birth to a son.
With a future heir in place, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), the rightful heir to the throne, is targeted for death by his power mad uncle, and must flee into the woods for his life. In short order, he meets some of the local creatures, and with his Uncle’s troops in hot pursuit, he summons the former rulers of Narnia via a magical horn.
Delighted to be back in Narnia, Peter and his siblings soon learn things are not as they were when they last visited and take a turn towards the unexpected when they are told that the magical Lion Aslan (Liam Neeson), has long since deserted the creatures of Narnia and left them at the mercy of the invading hordes. Lucy does not believe this and insists that she has seen and heard from Aslan since her return but her claims are met with skepticism by her older siblings.
In time the children meet up with Caspian and the former rulers of the land must help the young Prince bring in a new age of peace and prosperity for all the races of the land, and in doing so, must face up to a vast army that is gathering against them as well as some old enemies long forgotten.
What follows is a grand adventure that pits good against evil in one of the more enjoyable fantasy adventure films in recent years.
The film takes a bit to get started, but thanks to the engaging cast and great visuals of the film, as well as a surprising amount of humor, viewers should find plenty to like as the film builds up to the battle sequences.
While not state of the art, the FX in the film are solid and enhances the story and characters rather than overshadow them. The film does take some liberties with the book, most notably adding more action to the story, but it is nothing that would be considered detracting to the overall product. Parents may want to note that there is a lot of violence in the film and that death and mayhem are constant throughout.
The cast is enjoyable and really do well with parts that do require alot of physicality to them. The chemistry amongst the leads is good but it is the solid supporting work of Peter Dinklage as Trumpkin that really allows the cast to shine in his scenes with them.
Much was made in the last film of the strong Christian themes that C.S. Lewis filled his Narnia books with. The theme of Christianity is still strong in the film, but it is not as pronounced as it was in the past film, save for segments near the last third of the film.
Despite the nearly 2hrs and 20 minute run time the film easily kept my attention and should delight fans who likely are already waiting for the next film in the series, “The Voyage of The Dawn Tredder” to arrive.
The film opens roughly a year after the events of the first film and the children have returned to England and have returned to their studies in war torn England. The Children Peter (William Moseley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Lucy (Georgie Henley), struggle with being children again as the memories of their years ruling Narnia and their battle with the White Witch is still fresh in their memories.
Back in Narnia, several centuries have passed, and an invading army has conquered Narnia and vanquished the creatures of the land to the woods, while they reign supreme over the land. The situation takes a turn for the worse when the evil Prince Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), learns that his wife has given birth to a son.
With a future heir in place, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), the rightful heir to the throne, is targeted for death by his power mad uncle, and must flee into the woods for his life. In short order, he meets some of the local creatures, and with his Uncle’s troops in hot pursuit, he summons the former rulers of Narnia via a magical horn.
Delighted to be back in Narnia, Peter and his siblings soon learn things are not as they were when they last visited and take a turn towards the unexpected when they are told that the magical Lion Aslan (Liam Neeson), has long since deserted the creatures of Narnia and left them at the mercy of the invading hordes. Lucy does not believe this and insists that she has seen and heard from Aslan since her return but her claims are met with skepticism by her older siblings.
In time the children meet up with Caspian and the former rulers of the land must help the young Prince bring in a new age of peace and prosperity for all the races of the land, and in doing so, must face up to a vast army that is gathering against them as well as some old enemies long forgotten.
What follows is a grand adventure that pits good against evil in one of the more enjoyable fantasy adventure films in recent years.
The film takes a bit to get started, but thanks to the engaging cast and great visuals of the film, as well as a surprising amount of humor, viewers should find plenty to like as the film builds up to the battle sequences.
While not state of the art, the FX in the film are solid and enhances the story and characters rather than overshadow them. The film does take some liberties with the book, most notably adding more action to the story, but it is nothing that would be considered detracting to the overall product. Parents may want to note that there is a lot of violence in the film and that death and mayhem are constant throughout.
The cast is enjoyable and really do well with parts that do require alot of physicality to them. The chemistry amongst the leads is good but it is the solid supporting work of Peter Dinklage as Trumpkin that really allows the cast to shine in his scenes with them.
Much was made in the last film of the strong Christian themes that C.S. Lewis filled his Narnia books with. The theme of Christianity is still strong in the film, but it is not as pronounced as it was in the past film, save for segments near the last third of the film.
Despite the nearly 2hrs and 20 minute run time the film easily kept my attention and should delight fans who likely are already waiting for the next film in the series, “The Voyage of The Dawn Tredder” to arrive.