VDT Anticipation, Day 3/4

When I started this, I planned on skipping Thanksgiving, which is why I started a day earlier than 16 days. I neglected to remember that PowerBowl was yesterday and I was going to be there taking photos all day and therefore wouldn’t get anything done. Chapters 3 & 4 are both getting covered today - luckily they’re both about the Lone Islands. I really don’t have much to say about either one - everything I’m finding with this movie comes back to the seven swords and I can’t get past them or think of a new opinion about them.

Chapters 3 & 4: The Lone Islands & What Caspian Did There
After getting captured, Caspian gets sold to Lord Bern, takes over the Lone Islands, rescues everyone else, and is otherwise generally awesome.

The only time I really love Caspian in the book is these two chapters. Other times he usually in the background (odd, since he’s the king) or doing something stupid that forces Edmund to pull rank on him. Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but this IS the only time you really see him for the good leader & king that he’s become since his somewhat timid days in Prince Caspian. His diplomatic and strategic skills come into play and he manages to end a slave trade, re-establish his sovereignty, and change the form of government in the Lone Islands without even having a battle. Impressive, really.

If spoilers are anything to go by, the Lone Islands are where we first hear of the seven swords/green mist thing in the movie. The main characters are exploring an abandoned bell tower and find a list of names of slaves that have been fed to the ‘darkness.’ Then slave traders descend from above them and capture them. One of the seven missing lords, Lord Bern, has also been captured by the slave traders and they meet him. After the slaves are freed (through a battle, of course. No Caspian artfully talking his way out of this one.) Lord Bern gives them one of the seven swords that were a gift from Aslan* to protect Narnia.

Yeah, I don’t get it either. I don’t know if I WILL get it until I see the movie. All I know is that this seven swords thing is getting pretty stinking annoying. And, um…that’s it.

I get the need for some sort of continuous plot for VDT, but why does it have to be this far from the book?


*This bit of news just in. Why do 7 Telmarine lords have swords from Aslan?

All photographs and quotes are property of thier respective honors. Blahblahblah.

VDT Anticipation, Day 2

Chapter 2: On Board the Dawn Treader

Description of the point of Voyage, Reepicheep/Eustace animosity, Eustace's journal, and the Dawn Treader

A note on timing and locations: I forgot to mention in the last post that it seems like the time between PC and VDT in the movies is longer than the year portrayed in the book. Not to big of a deal, especially if the writers did it to explain why Edmund and Lucy both look significantly older. Also, Peter went to America with Susan - supposedly with their parents if the filmmakers followed that part of the book. I understand shoving Peter in with Susan. Explaining that he was studying with professor Kirke would be a lot of time spent on a character that really isn't in the movie.

Point of VDT book: Caspian made an oath on his coronation day that he would find 7 lords that his uncle sent off to explore the Eastern Ocean (get rid of them, in other words.) Reepicheep is tagging along because he wants to find Aslan's country. VDT chronicles the looking and finding of the lords and also that longing for Aslan's country. On the way, they encounter 2 stars, some Dufflepuds, a dragon, and a pool that turns stuff to gold.

Apparent point of VDT movie: Caspian originally sets out to find the 7 lords*. That is, until they get to the Lone Islands and discover that slaves are being fed to the Dark Island/darkness/green mist (OMG Lady of the Green Kirtle?!?!?) that seeks to steal the light and goodness from the world. To stop this evil darkness, they must recover the 7 swords of the 7 lords (who aren't even Narnians, BTW, so how do their swords apply to this???) and unite them at Aslan's table.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't really sound like the book. Besides being downright cheesy**, the whole seven lord's swords thing is completely WRONG for a Dawn Treader movie. The thing about VDT that makes it a favorite of the series (up there with the Horse and His Boy, which interestingly enough doesn't have much of a point to it besides longing, this time for Narnia. The 'Save Archenland" plot comes in later.) is that it's a simple story without an overarching plot and no evil to be defeated. It represents the heart of what the Chronicles are about - wanting Aslan above all else. The sea serpent and the Dark Island are mere detours on the way to the real climax, finding the end of the world and Aslan's Country.

Eustace/Reep: Eustace grabs Reep's tail, Reep demands satisfaction (a duel,) and Eustace refuses on ground of being a pacifist. Really happy about the fact that the filmmakers recognized this part of the book. Both the mutual hatred that Eustace and Reep share and the subsequent friendship during and after Eustace's time as a dragon seems to have been left intact.

The part I was sure would be left out, Eustace's journal: YAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAY!!! I can't believe this actually ended up in the movie. I was positive that it would be deemed too uncinematic for the movie and be cut out, but it wasn't. Still not sure if we'll see any of his journal entries on the Dawn Treader, but it's there at the beginning of the movie and that's good enough for me. It'll be a good introduction to the character & how he thinks, similair to what Lewis did in the first chapter of the book.

The Dawn Treader:

They. built. the. ship. It doesn't look like I'd pictured it. It looks better. They didn't minimalize the details, they didn't make the sail not purple, heck, they even threw in a lamp-post for good measure. It looks incredible, and I can't wait to see it on the big screen.

*Which weren't even mentioned in the movie of Prince Caspian. That's going to be really hard to explain. I don't think Andrew Adamson (directed the first two movies, but not directing VDT) thought ahead much when making PC. I'm not saying that he intentionally screwed Michael Apted (director of VDT) up, but I don't think he thought things (like Suspian or not mentioning the vital plot point of VDT) through as thoroughly as he would have if he'd know he was also directing VDT. Just my two cents.

**I can't believe I'm complaining about cheesiness in a movie about a 2-foot tall talking mouse and a kid that gets turned into a dragon.



All photographs and quotes are property of thier respective honors. Blahblahblah.

VDT Anticipation, Day 1

Introduction: I’m blogging about one chapter of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (& the relevant tv spots/trailers/reports etc.) every one of the 16 days until the movie comes out.
P.S. If you notice any typos or grammatical errors, let me know so I can fix them. I use commas in all the wrong places and like long sentences, so I’m sure there’s some here.

Chapter 1: The Picture In The Bedroom.
“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”
Lewis starts VDT off with what is quite possibly the best character description in the series. Not just the first sentence, but the next 3 paragraphs are dedicated to talking about Eustace’s family, lack of friends, likes, and dislikes. You know without even seeing him interact with others that this kid is messed up, especially once you find out that he doesn’t like his cousins, our returning heroes, the Pevensies.
Only two of the Pevensies are present in Dawn Treader. Peter is studying for an exam with Professor Kirke, and Susan is in America, leaving Edmund and Lucy to stay with the Scrubbs. To brighten up an otherwise dull summer, Edmund and Lucy find themselves back in Narnia via a picture of a Narnian ship. The problem is that Eustace manages to come along, becoming nearly as miserable as everyone who has to put up with him.

Most of this post of just thoughts on the cast & characters because there isn't much that happens in this chapter. The transition from England to Narnia seems to have been done well (besides the cheesy "Edmund, the painting!" line.) This clip has been cut down and edited as well, so it'll be longer in the film.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1650777079860

Characters/Cast:
Lucy Pevensie - Georgie Henley
I’m going to be honest; I never loved Georgie. For that matter, I’m not terribly fond of Lucy either. She doesn’t annoy me like Aravis or Susan, but she’s definitely no Jill. I tolerate her since she’s the one who led everyone to Narnia in the first place, otherwise I could deal without.
Georgie was good in the first film, but I kind of lost her in Caspian. That’s partly because of the material she was given. Lucy has some downright cheesy lines, and Georgie did better than most would have. But something was still missing. I don’t know what, but based on the clips we’ve seen so far, she figured out it for VDT. She’s much more believable.

Edmund Pevensie - Skandar Keynes
I forgave Skandar for having dark hair within the first half hour of Wardrobe. He played my beloved Edmund, my favorite character, well enough that I didn’t care that he looked all wrong for the part. I still don’t. One of my biggest problems with PC was that Edmund had a grand total of about 5 lines. He’s only there to put Peter in his place once and then trash-talk Miraz. However, they got those 5 lines right - they’re perfectly in character for Edmund in a movie where 3 of the 5 main characters aren’t. (Peter, Susan, and Caspian, if you were wondering.)
I’m slightly terrified of what they’ve done to the character this time. Bringing back the White Witch again (more on this in a couple days) means there’s definitely going to be at least SOME Edmund-centric material. In fact, it seems like part of the plot depends on him. “The sword you carry must be laid at Aslan’s Table,” and all that. I’m just not sure if it’s accurate. The first trailer had a Peterly line about “Squirt? I’m a king!” I’m afraid his entire character arc in this film is going to be all proving himself and resisting the Witch (who’s practically dead…but hey, who ever heard of a witch that really died?)
…yeah, there WILL be more about this. I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

King Caspian X - Ben Barnes
Ben ditched the accent & the greasy hair, grew a beard, and dressed up like a Jedi to play Caspian in VDT. I like it. I liked him in PC, actually. The fake accent annoyed me quite a bit, but I thought the acting and characterization was pretty good. He gets the job done - he isn’t perfect for the role, but as far as PC was from the book, Ben did well. I don’t have anything else to say about him in VDT. It’ll be a passable adaptation of the character and I don’t expect to hate him.

Ramandu’s Daughter (LILLIANDIL ARGH) - Laura Brent
Minus the name, I like her. She isn’t exactly how I pictured the her, but I think she’ll be like Ben Barnes - good, not great and not awful. I still don’t like the fact that they named her or that her father seems to be non-existent or that she seems to be a star and not a star’s daughter. But whatever.

Drinian --Gary Sweet
I have a feeling that Gary Sweet is going to be this film’s Pierfrancisco Favino (General Glozelle.) The one character that I don’t give much thought to that is given depth with a good performance. I just expected him to be a little less…old, honestly. I always pictured him closer to 25-ish.

Reepicheep - Simon Pegg.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE.
…yep.
I loved Eddie Izzard as well. I didn’t think anyone could do Reep better.
Oh, hi there, Simon Pegg! I was wrong! What?!?!?!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1415925568612&oid=124949960873825&comments
See? He's perfect.

Aslan - Liam Neeson
Perfect, IMO. Nothing else needs to be said.

Eustace Clarence Scrubb - Will Poulter
Saving the best for last.
I didn’t like Will first time I saw the picture of him. I fact, I believe I made some comment about him looking like a fish. I watched the trailer for Son of Rambow and hated him. Yet again, I appear to have been wrong. He seems spot-on perfect in every clip, trailer, and tv spot. Dragon!Eustace looks just as good. I think they nailed this one. Every line I’ve seen is perfectly delivered, every gesture is perfectly timed, and every expression is perfectly dramatic.
Oh, and he acknowledged that his hair color is wrong for the part, because Eustace is supposed to have dark hair. Excellent.

Tomorrow: Chapter 2, more about Reep and Eustace, and the Dawn Treader herself.


All videos belong to 21st Century Fox and Walden Media

All quotations and page photographs taken from the 2009 edition of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (illustrated by Pauline Baynes) published by Barnes & Noble, Inc,. by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers (ISBN: 978-1-4351-1715-0)

Fifteen.

So, this is just a short blog to say everything I wanted to say about today’s challenge, but couldn’t fit into 140 characters, because I am a word nerd.

Daniel-the guy that got thrown into the lion‘s den, friend of the 3 guys with impossible to spell names* that got thrown into a furnace-was about 15 when he was first taken to Babylon. Fifteen.
I’ll be sixteen in 8 days, but as I write this, I am still technically 15, so that makes me think a bit.
Daniel 1 talks about how the kings ordered one of his servants to find Israelite boys who were intelligent and good-looking to serve in his palace. Daniel and his 3 friends were apparently intelligent and good-looking, so they were brought to the palace along with the others. They were supposed to learn everything about the Babylonian culture. Speak the language, read Babylonian books, live in the palace, and eat the king’s food. The king wanted his new servants to be Israelites, but he wanted them to ACT like Babylonians.
The thing is, the king ate unclean food that Israelites weren’t supposed to eat, so Daniel asked the king’s servant to give him and his 3 friends clean food. Vegetables and water. (If you care, this doesn’t mean just strictly vegetables. The Hebrew word is zeroa, which means anything that comes from a sown seed, which includes grains and fruit as well. See? Word nerd.)
Think about that for a second. 4 teenage guys, who had been forbidden from eating all this incredible food all their lives, said no to it. No offense to teenage guys, but most of the ones I know will eat anything you put in front of them, no matter what it is. These 4 suddenly found themselves in a culture that went against everything they’d ever been taught, and they somehow found the strength to stand up for their faith. And they weren’t just standing up to the king’s servant. The king himself had ordered that they be fed that food.
The sad thing is, it was just the four of them. There were probably a few hundred other Israelites there, but they didn’t ask for clean food. They adapted to that culture without a second thought. They became like every other servant in the king’s palace, and probably died without ever doing anything important.
Fast forward a few years, to the time when they had learned the Babylonian ways and it was time for the king to look them over before they entered his service. He found them better than any of the others, and 10 times more wise than the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom. Why? Because they had obeyed God. God gave them knowledge to understand everything they were being taught, all because they had refused a little food.
So why in the heck are we so afraid of not fitting in? Why are we afraid of what people will say if we don’t see that movie, or listen to that song? Eventually, even those people who try to get you to go along with the crowd will see that you’re different because you don’t do that stuff. You’ll be a leader, and they’ll have blended in so long that they won’t even know how to stand out anymore.
Daniel ended up being in influential positions under 3 kings. The ones who ate the unclean food? Well…you never hear another word about them.


*I tried. I promise.**
**That is, if trying is equal to almost using the Veggie Tales versions.

2 Tim. 2:22

2 Tim. 2:22
“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

You might think this challenge means not tweeting about your life anymore. You’re wrong. By all means, tweet about the random, mundane stuff that makes up your life. Tweet about the movies you watch, the music you listen to, and the people you see. Just do it a little differently.
You want to say that the movie you just saw was really good. But was it? Or was it littered with sexual innuendo and swearing in every scene?
You want to say that an album you just listened to was amazing, but is it really? When you really listen to the lyrics, what is the band singing about?
You want to say that a friend of yours is being a real jerk, but should you? How does that help anyone?
Speak life, instead of death. Your words, even if you only have 10 followers, make a difference.
I’ve made 2 Timothy 2:22 the theme verse for leadwithtweets.
(That is quite possibly the easiest verse reference to remember. Four 2’s? Perfect.)
Pursue righteousness. Try your best to be like Christ in every aspect of your life.
Pursue faith. Believe in God & His glory to see you through anything.
Pursue love. Make every effort to show true love to others, and to God.
Pursue peace. Don’t worry, and leave things that don’t need your attention alone.
And do it with other people who are pursuing all of the same things. Show all four of those aspects of your life on Twitter. Run hard after them, and don’t let go.
Listen, you don’t have to mention God or Jesus in every tweet. You don’t have to try to get people saved. Just set an example of a Godly teenager who wants to love & strengthen others. Show that you're someone wants to make a difference. Then, it WILL make a difference.

leadwithtweets

This is something that God’s showing me, & maybe it’s nothing huge. But it’s a start. One of the things that God has told me I'm called to do is ignite a fire in leaders. Train them, equip them, and lead them the same way that they’ll lead others.
I haven’t always seen myself as much of a leader. I’ll take charge of a situation if no one else will, but I also like to be in the shadows, the background. I wasn’t really sure how to lead, much less where I’d find a place TO lead.
But I guess I’m starting with this idea. Everyone’s called to lead somehow. Most people just don’t know how, or where.

Think about this for a second. Do you have a Twitter account?
Okay, those people who see everything you tweet are called your…what? Followers. Exactly. So, if they’re following you, that means that you’re…leading them. Right. See? You’re already leading people. Whether or not you care, you are.
To state the obvious, the internet is a huge platform. Things that start on the internet-on a social network-can take off. To Write Love On her Arms started on MySpace. Alex and Brett Harris started the Rebelution on Blogspot. Much as I hate to use the example, Justin Bieber was discovered on Youtube. Crazy stuff can happen if someone has enough guts to do it.
So what if a group of youth used Twitter to lead each other? What if we used Twitter to surpass the low expectations that people have for us?
Some of the most common complaints about our generation are that we’re self-centered, lazy, fake, ignorant, semi-illiterate, technology-obsessed, unable to think for ourselves, and rebellious. And that’s just a few of them. But what if we could start undoing all that? What if we proved everyone wrong, starting with one of the things that they blame for our ‘downfall?’
We could form our own opinions about world events, because we do care about them.
We could defend our own opinions and beliefs, because we can form a coherent thought on our own.
We could be honest about what we’re really feeling, but without whining, because we can be grown up.
Instead of whining, we could ask for prayer, because we believe that God can make a difference.
We could actually pray for others who ask for prayer on a day-to-day basis, because we aren’t all youth services and religious hype.
We could use proper spelling and grammar instead of typing a dialect of English made up of abbreviated words to save a few seconds and some effort, because we do remember what we learn in school.
We could actually call people and ask how they’re really doing instead of texting or Facebooking or even using the ancient communication form known as e-mail, because we do have a life outside of our computers and cell phones.
We could say that we love our parents, because we aren't just rebellious teenagers who would rather fight with thier authority figures than talk with them.
We could back up what we say by actually doing it, because Christians aren’t hypocrites.
We could pour into each other’s lives, because we care about more than what we’re going to eat for dinner or wear tomorrow.
We could encourage each other to do all of this, because we don’t have to be back-stabbing gossipers who are more willing to see someone else look bad than build them up.
We could start on Twitter, because we can lead, 140 characters at a time.
Why not? People blame the internet and cellphones (The two mediums that you can use to update Twitter) for the depravity of our generation. So why not use those very things to turn that all around?
High expectations? Definitely. Too high? Definitely not.
Let’s raise up a new generation of leaders who are all following each other. They all listen to each other. They all strengthen each other. And they don’t care if they’re the only ones doing it for now.
This is my challenge, both to myself and to my generation. We can do this. We can lead. We can lead our friends, family, and those random people who you barely know but who follow you on Twitter anyway.
If you want to do this, by all means, share this post with people. Join in. Don’t settle just to follow anymore.
I made a Twitter account for this challenge. Every day starting tomorrow, I’ll post a small challenge to do on Twitter. Just little stuff, really. But it’ll all add up. More people will join in. It’ll change how we do things, not just on Twitter, but on other social networks and in real life. You’re called to lead. Step up. Even if you don’t know where, or how, start here. I am.

http://twitter.com/leadwithtweets

I fail at blogging.

So I’m going to take another try at this whole blogging thing.
Ha.
I’m really good at starting things. I’m good with ideas. Not so good with following them through, as evidenced by my previous blogging attempt, my 3…no, 4 journals that have 2 pages written in, the notebooks and computer files that contain countless half-finished songs, and 20 or so unfinished novels and short stories that are collecting dust on my hard drive.
Pathetic. I know. (The fact that I’m so bad at finishing things probably says something very interesting about me psychologically. Moving on.)
So I’m going to try to start at least keeping this thing up. I still have no idea what I’ll write, but I’ll find something.
Onto the nerdy blog stuff that no one really cares about: I changed the web address from morethanmanysparrowsmm.blogspot.com to sparrowsarentafraid.blogspot.com, and changed the layout (the one I’m using is actually one of the Blogger defaults.)
That’s about it. To anyone who was expecting a deep post, I’m sorry, but there’ll probably be one up soon. And hopefully a few after that. Maybe.