Aslan Returns, Part XI: Aslan

Aslan Returns, Part X: Duel and Corresponding Battle

As this posts, I am no where near a computer, much less a computer hooked up to the internet. I've finally discovered how to set stuff up to post ahead of time! woot!

Peter, Edmund and Caspian have, by this point mostly mended their relationships. No one is angry at anyone, and no one feels above or beneath the others. It is during this time also that Susan and Lucy set out on the secret mission, only for Susan to come back with Caspian (hmmmmm....).

The duel progresses in a very different manner than in the book. In the book, Peter sprains his wrist. Here, he dislocates his shoulder (if you were wondering why Ed grabbed his arm and jerked it like that, that's why). Instead of Miraz being stabbed in the back while Peter waits for him to rise, Peter hands the sword to Caspian, and then Miraz is stabbed (with one of Susan's feathers, incidentally), and the Telmarines call foul, although this fits in the movie's storyline much better.

The Battle is very well done, and creates a whole new style of fighting. Instead of relying solely on ground and air troops, a new method is developed: underground troops. Here the Narnians literally pull the sod from beneath the Telmarine's feet. The Narnians have little need to fight. They are barely getting started when Aslan awakens the trees, and the trees and the river god take care of the rest. A much smaller battle then the battle in the first movie, and much smaller than I imagined the battle being, but actually larger then Lewis actually wrote, but it sets Aslan up to have a much more grand entrance, because, really, that's who its all about, right?

Whaddya mean, no?

Aslan Returns, Part IX: Miraz and Queen Prunaprismia

Miraz’s bid for the kingship begins before the film starts, yet he is not crowned until later, contrary to the book, where he is already king. However, he has an odd relationship with his wife, who, incidentally, stars the first about three to five minutes of the film, as the film immediately descends into Caspian’s escape from the castle and incidental discovery of the Narnians. But I digress.

Miraz and Queen Prunaprismia, who will be best remembered in my book as the person with the hardest name to type (I’ve mistyped about five times already, and we’ve only seen her name twice.), have a strange love/hate relationship, if they have a love part of the relationship at all. It is clear that Queen Prunaprismia did not marry for love—she even at some points seems to disdain Miraz. There are three key points of their relationship in the movie.

The Castle Raid
When Caspian rescues the doctor, the doctor mentions just slightly something about Miraz killing Caspian’s father, Caspian the IX. When pressed, Cornelius refuses to say anything much, so Caspian sets out (against the plan) to discover what exactly happened to his father. Thus he ends up in Miraz and Queen Prunaprismia’s bedroom, moments before Peter and Susan. With his sword at Miraz’s neck, and with the queen’s crossbow aimed at him, Caspian demands to know the truth: did Miraz really kill King Caspian the IX?

Queen Prunaprismia does not let Miraz answer.

“You told me Caspian [the tenth] died in his sleep!”

Miraz does not even look at her.

“He did die in his sleep.”

Emphasis on did.

Queen Prunaprismia is quite shaken, and not quite sure she is happy with how things are turning out. It is at this point that disdain clearly crosses her face, before firing the crossbow, and then screaming and crumpling up in a heap because she’s sure that Miraz is dead and she just killed Caspian.

Poor lady.

Miraz’s Crowning
There is nothing significant at Miraz’s crowning, unless you count those absent. Prunaprismia is not visible at the ceremony.

The Door Between the Worlds
The second person wishing to depart from Narnia, and going with Lord Sopespian is Queen Prunaprismia. Miraz is gone, and it is very clear that she wants a new life for both her and her son. It appears that her father goes with her. Aslan breathes on and blesses all three, and then they depart. She does not appear to mourn Miraz’s passing, nor does she hold a grudge against Caspian, or even Peter. She is instead clearly ready for a new life in a new place, where she can raise her son with a new hope. She is no longer poor, but is instead blessed. With her riches she found no blessing, but with her loss of the kingdom, she finds what she had been missing: blessing and hope.

Aslan Returns, Part VIII: The Trees and Lucy's Dream

I had wondered if the trees would by somewhat like the Ents in Lord of the Rings, and, while that would have been really cool, it would have seemed too much like they lifted it. So I was interested in what they would do. I was pleasantly surprised with how the trees looked, and the ability of the roots to run around all over the place.

The dance of the trees was much less detailed then Lewis had laid out in the books. It was much more mystical and strange because it occurred in Lucy's dream, which Director Andrew Adamson had noted was not necessarily a dream, but had a strange quality of a dream. Some reason that the dream was left that way because it was a promise of Aslan's arrival, not His actual arrival, whereas in the book it was the first time that Aslan's arrival was confirmed. Others will not vary from the book, asserting that it was no dream. Both of these viewpoints add some interesting thoughts to our Christian lives.

The Promise
The promise of Aslan's arrival is played out very clearly in Lucy's dream. She gets up and wanders away from the campsite, then notices the trees moving, and sees Aslan. The two converse, and then Lucy asks why Aslan didn't just come roaring in and fix everything like he had done earlier. Aslan replies that nothing happens "the same way twice," and Lucy wakes up. Later, when she does actually meet Aslan, they share the same conversation.

Many times in our Christian life we only get promises in dreams, or in some cases a dream of a dream. I think this leads many of us to doubt if it really was a promise for us, or if we were just indulging in wishful thinking. You can almost see Lucy go through this thought process. She tries to follow her path in the dream, but does not find Aslan. Peter and Susan are believing that they have to do everything on their own...so is Aslan not coming? Is Lucy holding on to an ancient myth that no one believes anymore? Or does she have a promise in her dream?

The Son of the Emperor Over The Sea in the Flesh
If, indeed, it is not a dream, but Lucy does truly speak and visit with Aslan, and we just miss out on the rest of her conversation, we have not lost much. Aslan has already asserted that he will make things right. But once again, Lucy's faith must come to the rescue. Aslan is there, living and moving, but for now only among the forest, not in and among the Narnians. However, he is doing his own work, and Lucy is revived by periodically seeing him, and more often then not, burying her face in his mane.

There is no second guessing yourself here--you can only second guess Him, but he provides strength. And strength comes from burying our faces in the mane of the Lion of Judah--or in our pillows, with our Bible beneath.

Aslan Returns, Part VII: Castle Raid

The Castle Raid is not where the script deviates the most from the book, and if it is, it's the least offensive. However, it opens a whole new area up to our investigation, as well as interpretation.

The castle raid seriously develops both Peter and Caspian, while proving the Susan is remaining static. Edmund is only slightly involved, more for a light-hearted side of the raid than action. He still plays a key part though, and his "electric torch" (i.e., flashlight) aids greatly in the humor.

It is here, in the castle raid, that the conflict between Peter and Caspian reaches its climax. Caspian is against the raid, while Peter wishes to be the first to attack. Caspian does not stick to the plan, while Peter refuses to allow for changes. Caspian is looking for old friends and truth; Peter, for glory. The colliding goals absolutely spoil the raid. Because Caspian's heart is not in the raid, he is able to easily adjust his goals as he moves along. Unfortunately, Caspian and Peter do not have any way to communicate changes as the raid progresses, thus causing its demise.

Neither will take responsibility for the mishaps that result from the lack of communication, and so Caspian storms off into the How--where Nikabrik is waiting. Even with his wish that he had not called the ancient Kings and Queens fresh on his memory, Caspian is wary of the White Witch, as he should be. The noise attracts Peter, Edmund and Lucy. Why Susan is not here is a mystery, but fits with how she has been throughout the rest of the film. Nikabrik nearly kills Lucy, but, instead of Nikabrik's killer being an unknown, Trumpkin kills him to save Lucy, a turning point in Trumpkin's character.

Meanwhile, Peter pushes Caspian out of the sphere of the Witch's influence, only to fall into the same trap. If it was not for Edmund, the White Witch would have someone in her control, but Edmund breaks the ice with his sword, breaking the spell. When the ice falls, he is standing before a bas relief of Aslan. Coincidence?

Peter and Caspian look at Edmund, then look over at each other, suddenly realizing that they are both fragile humans, and neither of them has the strength to do this alone. Their reconciliation shows throughout the rest of the film, and when Peter leaves...well, perhaps my good friend Elisa explained it best when she said,

The first time I saw the movie, I left happy and satisfied, and the second time I saw it, I left with a smile on my face, humming the words to "The Call", that beautiful song that plays at the end of the movie. If anything, that song reminded me of why I love Narnia so much. It's not because of the action or the battles or even necessarily the people, but the fact that Narnia is my "special" place, the place I can go and be in a different world and see so many different people and places, all while seeing the truth in life mirrored there. The fact that I can go back there anytime I want, whether it be through the books, or the movies, or even just in my own imagination, is special, and these films that they make just intensify that feeling. And the best part is, there's still more coming...we get to go back in two years! And how fantastic is that?

Very.

Now we're back to the beginning,
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet.
But just because they can't feel it too
Doesn't mean you have to forget.

You'll come back when they call you,
No need to say goodbye.
You'll come back when they call you,
No need to say goodbye.



P.S. I think this may fall alongside Yoda's Theme from Star Wars as one of my personal themes.

Aslan Returns, Part VI: CG Characters

For any of my following statements to make good and perfect sense, we must delve into one of my favorite areas of film making: computer generated animation, otherwise known as CG fill-in-the-blank.

As could be expected, the CG characters were wonderful, and were carried out perfectly. The movie, as was previously mentioned, begins in Narnia, and it isn't long before we see a computer animated figure in Trufflehunter, the badger that lives with Nikabrik and Trumpkin. Keeping--and even surpassing--the high standard that has been set for computer generated characters, Prince Caspian hits every note that was laid out in the book. the characters move flawlessly around, the stilted movement of early animation from the BBC version completely lost. The mice are mice, not puppets. And Aslan is larger than ever, just as Lewis had noted.

And boy, does it ever enhance the film. Trufflehunter is vaguely reminiscent of the Beavers, being of the same approximate shape and height, and the centaurs are--well, some of them are just darlin'. There are some smaller centaurs, including a child centaur, which I later found out was one of Tilda Swinton's children. More about that when we hit "Rumours."

The river god is amazing. I think the only thing that could have improved that segment was to actually mist the audience with water when the river god charges. The river god is not, as I had orginally thought, a nyad (the water version of dryads) sort of creature, but is actually a mass of water in and of himself, and quite reminiscent of the water horses in Lord of the Rings. The water is not static, but moves within the form. Unfortunately, he does not speak to Aslan as in the book, but that is definitely not the animator's fault.

And yes, Reepicheep is as cute as all get out.

Aslan Returns, Part V: Susan

Lucy believes. Peter fights. Edmund grows. Caspian learns.

Susan doubts.

I never quite understood why Susan does not come back to Narnia with the rest of the Pevensies. I once read a very cynical explanation that C.S. Lewis thought that seven kings and queens of Narnia sounded better then eight kings and queens of Narnia.

That wasn't a very satisfactory answer.

I have heard others say that this was a refutation of the once-saved-always-saved belief. So why couldn't Lewis have picked someone like Eustace? He's not really a favorite of the series.

But, I have finally come to understand. In Prince Caspian, a small scene was inserted when we should hear Trumpkin snoring (he didn't, if you were wondering). Here, Susan tells Lucy that she was just getting used to being in England again, and now everything has been turned topsy-turvy. She acts as if she is moving in a dream and wonders, however slightly, if Aslan even exists anymore. I think, in the depth of Susan's mind, she is "grown-up" enough to be able to live in one place at one time and do so without assistance. Yet, while Peter goes through the same thought process, he realizes as he tries to lead the Narnians, that he can't. Susan does not. She seems to move through the movie as if the only thing to do was to get everyone where they needed to be and get home. While the others learned a lesson during their first visit to Narnia, Susan did not. She is facing the exact same lesson again--letting go of full control of all events.

And she receives another failing grade.

To look on the other side of Susan, or rather, to look at Anna Popplewell, is another story. Anna says that she will miss filming, and plans to visit ("but now I have to fight my way through security...." sounds like trying to fly somewhere!), but feels confident that she is ready to move on to other things.

She is beginning to care only about lipstick and nylons.

I have found some interesting progressions in photos of Anna. At one point, Anna, who is undeniably very pretty, no matter how you cut the cake, seemed to shine, no matter where she was or what she was doing. I remember looking at one picture where she was windblown, a bit dirty, and probably sweaty, and thinking something along the lines of "wow, I wish I could look that way in those conditions!" But Anna does.

Then she discovered the lipstick and etc. Since the release of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Anna's lips have been slowly but steadily getting redder. Her neckline has been slowly and steadily getting lower (I hope it stops pretty soon.), and, while she will miss working with everyone on set, she says she is ready to move on to new things.

Just like...Susan.

Aslan Returns, Part IV: Caspian

The first question that will appear in many minds is "why on earth is she looking at Caspian before finishing the Pevensies?!?!?!?"

I have a reason, and, hopefully, after reading this, you will understand why.

Andrew Adamson's Caspian, and Ben Barnes, have had an uphill battle with me. When I first heard who, well, after I first saw a picture of who, would be playing Caspian, I had a very cynical outlook on the entire film, which was, in part, justified. Being a die-hard C.S. Lewis fan, and having been very happy with the first movie's adherence to the books, I was unhappy with the difference in the age of Caspian in the book and Ben Barnes, and I was also unhappy with how different he looked from Peter. C.S. Lewis had specifically noted that Caspian was a boy like Peter. In fact, I even quipped to one of my buddies that it wouldn't have been bad at all if Ben Barnes and Orlando Bloom were cast as Caspian and Peter, which shows my utter dislike of the differences. While I did not expect Disney to come up with a carbon copy of William Moseley for Caspian, I still wanted something a bit closer.

But then I sat down in the theater.

Ben Barnes' performance blew me away.

Everything I had ever expected in Caspian was there on the screen before me. He was a young boy, but he was also a man. He was fighting for a throne, yet he knew how inadequate he was to hold it. I was so stunned that someone had to point out to me how his accent came and went before I realized it.

My skepticism about the differences between the book and the script was pretty much completely healed with Caspian. The writers had reached into the book and pulled out the heart of what C.S. Lewis had written about in Prince Caspian, and they built a story around it. This covered a multitude of sins, including the romance angle between Caspian and Susan. But even with the heart of the book in their hands, the movie would have been terrible--except there were some actors who understood the spirit of the story.

The Caspian that Andrew Adamson built had the spirit of the books, even though it lacked the exact details that were given by Lewis. Caspian is at the same brink in life as Peter is: he is no longer a boy, but he is not quite a man. Yet, he reacts in a much different way than Peter. Instead of looking inward and trying to use his own strength to conquer, he looks out, first to the Narnians, then to the ancient kings and queens, and then finally to Aslan himself. When he does try to work in his own strength, during the night raid, the raid is botched, but he seems to slowly begin to understand that it was, partially, his fault, and that he can't control everything by himself and still make out alright. In fact, he even trusts Peter and Edmund so much with the outcome of the duel that he is gone for a large portion.

Caspian's growth and change mirrors that of Peter's. The power play is truly a power play. Caspian knows that the kingship is his by right, and the concept of having a high king over all kings is foreign to the Telmarine mind, however different Caspian's personal views may be. While Peter is fighting the fact that he will not be returning to Narnia, Caspian is fighting for his rights. As Peter begins accepting the fact, Caspian begins to realize that a kingdom is not a right, even for a prince. It is something to be earned, and even then, the kingdom is not his--he is only the steward.

A steward is much different then a king. A king rules supreme. A steward is entrusted with duties, but is accountable to the king. Caspian first understands being a King of Narnia as something where he is the only ruler--a Telmarine mindset. As he watches the Narnians and the ancient kings and kings, he begins to understand that the Pevensies were untrusted with their rule by Aslan, and just as Aslan called them into Narnia, he called them out. And he begins to wonder if he has that sort of strength, to be Aslan's steward for so many people. But he begins to understand. A mark of his understanding, as well as his respect for High King Peter, comes just before the Pevensies leave.

Peter gives Caspian his sword. But Caspian does not take it as a gift. He simply says "I will keep it for you." He claims it not as a king, but as a steward.

It is then that he becomes the true King of Narnia.

Aslan Returns, Part III: Ed

Edmund has clearly learned his lesson from the first story, and is not about to make the same mistake twice. When the others don't believe that Lucy saw Aslan, Edmund does. Edmund's faith is as sure as Lucy's is, but Edmund is growing during this adventure in Narnia. There are two instances that show Ed as a changing man.

The first involves the White Witch. Now, it is interesting to note that Tilda Swinton did no actual filming for this segment of the film. But that is beside the point. While both Caspian and Peter seem to fall under her spell, Edmund doesn't. He makes sure to stay out of her range of influence, and, like he once shattered her wand, shatters the ice of the spell. He knows the strength of the spell, but instead of backing up and leaving, he stays to deliver those who are afflicted. It is interesting to note that, when he breaks the spell, he is standing right in front of a carving of Aslan. Perhaps a flashback of Aslan's deliverance of him? Who knows.

While Peter is taking the "King" thing too far, Ed is learning to know the exact bounds of his authority. When he is sent with the challenge for the duel, Miraz addresses him as "Prince Edmund." Ed looks up at him, then says quietly, "Actually, it's King." Miraz is shocked, so Ed repeats himself, then explains that Peter is the High King, but he is a King, and he expects Miraz to deal with him as he would another King. He is not arrogant, nor prideful, but he is confident.

This confidence, combined with his faith, shows a new dimension of his character. While Peter feels he must take all responsibility on himself and be victorious without Aslan, and Lucy only looks for Aslan's arrival, Ed combines the two. He has faith in Aslan's arrival, but he also has confidence that he is doing as Aslan wants him to. He is ready and willing.

Shouldn't we all be?

Aslan Returns, Part II: Lucy

For all the threats, fears and doubts that harass Susan and Peter, Edmund and Lucy have few. For all the responsibility Edmund picks up, Lucy carries little. But it is not because she is the youngest. I think her siblings learned that lesson last time. Instead, it is because of her faith.

Lucy, in a way, is the most static character in the series. While she does have the child-like faith that Aslan knows exactly what he's doing and will, in his own way, fix everything, she rarely feels challenged in her faith.

As the younger of the two Pevensie girls, Lucy serves as an open ear to Susan's doubts and fears. When Susan wonders why Aslan is not appearing, or if he even exists anymore, Lucy is quite confident that Aslan will appear, and will set everything right. When Susan continues to question, Lucy points out that "maybe he wants us to prove ourselves to him, first." This seems to be an encouragement to Susan, who promptly rolls over and goes to sleep. Lucy, on the other hand, has her first encounter with Aslan, which has a very dreamlike quality to it. While it seems real, when Aslan she and Aslan begin to speak, she suddenly wakes up, once again. It is upon her going to investigate, and Peter following her, that they discover the Narnians. But if her dream was a dream or not is for us to decide, as she and Aslan have a nearly identical conversation in a nearly identical setting later on.

Other than that, Lucy plays a very minor roll among the Pevensies, until the duel, in which, to note, Peter's shoulder is dislocated, whereas in the book he sprains his wrist. But Lucy is not there. She has gone into the woods. The original intent of Lucy's departure is undefined, but it seems she is going to get help. Whether she is looking for Aslan or not is unclear, but, she finds him, after an extended chase in the woods, that includes the famous picture of Susan and Caspian on a horse together.

Then the Lion roars, the trees awake, and Lucy sets to work beside Aslan. Her faith never falters, she never stops and looks back. She only asks Aslan for more courage.

And she is a lioness.

Aslan Returns, Part I: High King Peter (the Magnficent)

In light of the recent release of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, I have been hurled back into the world of blogging. My notes on my initial viewing of Prince Caspian will be cataloged in the series "Aslan Returns." All posts will have some spoiler content in them.

The movie begins in Narnia, and then transfers over to England, where the four Pevensies are getting ready to go to school. Lucy runs up to Susan and demands that she comes with her, then leads her older sister through a throng of school children, finally coming to the middle, where Peter is in a fight.

Thus we see the High King for the first time.

Peter's character progression is very pointed and complex. He is still turning from a boy to a man, even though William Moseley is 21. But I desist.

There is, as was surmised by certain smart people who enjoy spoilers, conflict between Peter and Caspian. The very first time they meet, Peter and Caspian fight, and are only stopped from killing each other by Lucy. Once the Narnians begin forming battle plans, Peter and Caspian clash again, often looking to throw the guilt of all mishaps on each other. After the night raid, Lucy, who did not accompany the others, asks, "What happened?" to which Peter only says, "Ask him," jerking his head in Caspian's direction.

While it is true that Caspian is at fault for the mishap, Peter has his own guilt in the matter. But most of the conflict comes from a sort of power play between the two. Peter is still playing the part of High King Peter The Magnificent (which is what he introduces himself as to Trumpkin). Throughout the entire film Peter is fighting, and then slowly accepting, that he is not coming back. William Moseley noted in an interview that he went through the same process, first resisting, then regretting, and finally accepting that he would never play the part of Peter again. A mark of Peter's knowledge, acceptance, and the passing on of leadership, as well as his respect for Caspian, comes just before the Pevensies leave.

Peter gives Caspian his sword.

Three Days

In three days...what will happen in three days?

In three days, it will be Friday.

In three days, the work and school weeks will be over.

In three days, Oklahoma will open.

Our Lord rose on the third day.

What makes the third day so special? Well, first of all, and probably the most obvious, is that Friday to Sunday is three days, so in American culture, we value those days as our days of freedom--not having to work for anyone else, not having to get up at any set time, not having to do anything on anyones schedule but our own.

To Christians, the third day is special because it was over three days that Christ was crucified and rose again. It is significant to note that our redemption does not come just by Christ's death, but by his resurrection. He could not have conquered hell and grave unless he rose from the dead, becoming our salvation not only by taking on our sins, but conquering the eternal consequences.

To debaters, the third day is very important. Why? Because that's the day we get to find out who goes to nationals. ;)

But this week, the third day is also special. Prince Caspian comes out on the third day.

Be watching for spoilers here.

Revisiting the Untitled Rodent Project

I saw it again.
Gasp.

And I discovered the one minute-thirty long bit that changes a whole lot of the movie.

Its not as sweet anymore.

That one minute-thirty second part was when Remy let the entire rat colony into the kitchen to raid the fridge. Linguini had realized he shouldn't have gotten mad at the rat for wanting Linguini to say that the great cooking wasn't "just in my blood, I guess" but was really from a little chef who pulls on his hair like stings attached to a marionette. But because Remy had decided to retaliate and raid the fridge, their relationship got worse. Linguini got mad at Remy for stealing, and Remy got offended that he had been told that he was doing something wrong.

Sure, it all worked out in the end, but that change the whole perception.

I suddenly can identify more with Linguini. How many times have I gotten mad at someone for something that wasn't major, and been ready to make up, only to find out they've done something twice as bad to me?

I can also suddenly identify better with Remy. How often has someone forgotten about me when they suddenly got good at something? How many times have I looked for a way to retaliate before either of us had time to cool off?

Speaking of cooling off, my grandmother just died. Do not expect too much updating during the next week.

~Dresden

Runnin' Just to Catch Myself

Please grab a piece of paper and a pen. (Yes, for the two of you that think pens do not need to be in existance, grab a pen. That's the round thing that doesn't have an eraser on the other end.)

Okay, this is what I would like you to do. Listen to the song (you can watch the video too, but I'd like you to also listen.), and write down what it makes you think of. This can be a list of words, simple phrases, people that you think are perfectly described, anything.



Please post what you came up with!

(Hint: Your posting will help me in my creation of a post, and I don't mind crediting people in the least.)

~Dresden

Support yer low-cal sheriff

Support yer low-cal sheriff! He's always got some weight-reducing food on hand, and is always ready to jump you through the hoops of your exercise regimen. What would the sheriff say? Go, go, go, go!

And then the temptation of Krispy-Kreme? Well, the last one in the valley just closed, and the good ol' sheriff will be more than happy to point at your gas gauge and remind you that gas is about $2.75 a gallon right now. Why not get out and take a brisk walk to the nearest jamba-juice? And make sure you get the protein boost! No, don't turn in at the starbucks. You need to be able to sleep tonight. Jamba's just up ahead...there we go.

Augh!!! NO!!! Do NOT even THINK about getting that bready item! It has sugar in it! You are simply to get a 16-oz Jamba with a protein boost. And not that dream-sickle one. Get the green tea one. That'll boost your imune system. There we go...see, its almost ready for you. Now all you need to do is walk back home and scrub the kitchen.

VIGOROUSLY! We want to clean up you! The Sheriff in Support Your Local Sheriff cleaned up the town. I'm here to clean up you! We need everything to be nice and in order so that your little house will run just as well as that little town ran under the Sheriff. And that's what I'm for! Clean! Scrub! Exercise! No coffee, no caffine, no soda, no junk! Slim down and clean out!

Don't hear it? Well, it's time to rouse your little Sheriff...Where did mine go?

Okay, let's quit being silly.

Support Your Local Sheriff is an older western movie (not too old, as it is in color) that is...pretty good, actually. The movie has a good mix of shootin' and rough-housin', along with some idiotic scenes that should make you laugh.

Story line is simple enough: Gold rush in a town, the whole world comes over to speculate, the bad guy's family takes 20% of all the gold, since the gold has to be shipped through their territory, town needs a sheriff, and James McColough just "happens to be passing through on my way to Australia." Which, he claims, is the last real frontier country. He ends up becoming the sheriff, and after lots of bang! bang!-s he defeats the bad guys, explodes Madame Orr's house (completely by accident. He didn't know the cannon was loaded!) gets married, and never makes it to Australia.

Wonderful movie. I feel a top 10 list coming on...Ought to think about that one....

Pirates of the Caribbean III *SPOILERS* Part 6

Technological Critique

I know, this is terribly overdue. The movie isn't even in theaters any more. But that's okay, 'cause it means I can get the multi-disc soon...Which will tell me all about how they made it, which is really really cool. * thinks about inserting a jab about OB in here, but decides that T&M won't be reading any time too soon, so it isn't worthwhile. *

Anyways, we can start out looking at the soundtrack. Very well done, very expressive. Even though I do not care for some of the pieces as stand-alones, they represent the film very well, and complement the corresponding scenes.

Next, all our computer animated friends, including Davy Jones, with his forty-someodd tentacles. Very good, looks like real things, and the parts between Davy Jones and Tia Dalma were very good. Those scenes brought out some sort of human connection for our dear departed friend, and made a bit more sense out of the nonsense parts in the second movie. But I digress.

Camera shots were quite good, although in a few places different angles may have provided better views, such as with the section about the freeing of Calypso.

I feel like an idiot...the rest of this post is delayed until I can watch the movie with a notepad and pen in hand.

Untitled Rodent Project (Working Title) *WARNING: SPOILERS*

"Drama Queen said... Hi! im hollys friend, and i LOVED your POTC 3 review! i found it helped me understand it better."

I'm glad somebody like it. DQ, you made my day. I'll make sure Hol's nice to you in the Touche stories. I will, I will, I will. :)



Well, I have just returned from the theaters. Despite the fact that Pirates 3 is still showing, I did not go and see it again. Instead, we went and saw Ratatouille(Rat-a-too-ee). Ah, what a wonderful ratfullness that movie had!! Since it is much less complex than movies like Pirates, one post will do.

For a movie about cooking, it was quite exciting. Where else can you get washed through a drainage system on a cooking book? Wake an old lady up with saffron? Like the bad guy 'cause he's so short that he has to carry a stepladder around with him to see what everyone is doing? See a kitchen get taken over by rats--and produce the best meals in Paris? Okay, that was a bit interesting...For those of you that have rats (Ahem, Hol) you may want to start training them. Of course, the movie wasn't all wonderful. You can't seem to have a movie made by Disney or Pixar without having the Dad be wrong. Ratatouille was no exception. Dad was wrong. If Dad had just let Remy follow his dreams, everything would be fine. But, this was only a slight undertone, and didn't detract too much from the film as a whole.

The movie, of course, is completely animated, and very nicely, I must add. Directed by Brad Bird, the movie is quite funny, but not dirty, even though it is about rats. It deals with success, and encourages Remy to follow his dreams. After meeting Linguini (whose name sounds oddly like something that would be served at an Italian restaurant), the two pair up and work up becoming the best Chef in Paris. Toward the end, Linguini forgets the importance of his rat friend, but quickly remembers when things start going wrong.

The movie starts with Linguini getting his head banged against the wall by aliens, then switches to Remy. Remy and his brother cause some trouble, which makes the whole clan have to leave their home. Remy gets separated from the rest of the rats because he tried to save Gusteau's cookbook from the house. He succeeded in saving the cookbook, but as a result got separated from his family. He ends up floating off to Paris, and then...He falls through a roof into the kitchen of the famed deceased Chef's restaurant. After a mad chase through the kitchen, Remy is about to escape through an open window, when he realizes that Linguini has made a mess of a soup. He quickly begins to fix the soup, and ends up making a creation of his own. Everyone thinks that Linguini made it, and the head chef, who has no use for Linguini, tells him he will have to recreate the soup.

Then they find the rat. After a mad chase, Remy gets captured. Linguini takes him out to throw him in the river, but starts telling the rat his woes. After realizing that the rat can understand him, the two form a pact, in which Remy will learn to control Linguini's cooking by pulling on his hair.

About this time, the rest of the rat pack has also found its way to Paris, and the family is reunited. However, Remy's Dad wants him to give up cooking, and Remy wants nothin' doing. Remy begins stealing scraps and feeding his brother and some friends the food.

In the next few days, Remy finds that the door to where the food is kept is locked. In his hunt to find the key, he finds Gusteau's will, and a letter explaining the Linguini is Gusteau's heir, and the restaurant is supposed to be given to him. Remy takes the papers to show to Linguini, but Skinner, the head chef and the man that should have owned the restaurant in the case that no heir appeared, finds him and makes a mad chase to catch the rat. Remy, however, escapes, and Linguini is put as the rightful heir just two days before the date that would allow Skinner to own the restaurant.

Then, of course, Linguini and Remy have a falling out, but when a prominent food critique comes to the restaurant, the two straighten it out. But, unfortunately, that means that Linguini ends up losing all of his kitchen crew, including Colette, who has been falling in love with Linguini, and visa versa. But, as Colette goes home, she sees Gusteau's book, "Anyone can Cook" in the window of a store. As she thinks about it, she decides to turn around and go help Linguini. She returns to find the kitchen overrun with rats. Remy had decided to do something to help Linguini, so while Linguini waits tables on roller skates, several hundred rats do the kitchen work (Remy being the conscientious rat he is, makes them all go through the dishwasher before cooking). Colette, after a moment of repulsion, immediately jumps in and starts to work. The prominent food critique absolutely loves the food (Remy had given him a special version of Ratatouille), and wishes to see the cook. At the end of the evening, he is introduced to the rat behind it all, and, surprisingly, rights a wonderful review about it.

One thing I didn't mention, though, was the health inspector had shown up in the middle of all the rats cooking. The rats had tied him up until the evening was over, but as a result of seeing all the rats, the restaurant was closed down, and the food critique lost his reputation. However, he decided to invest in a new restaurant ran by Linguini and Colette, called La Ratatouille.

Happy ending, everybody cries.

~The City

"I hate to be rude, but...we're French!" ~Colette

Something Snappy needs to go Here (Or, A Day in the Life of a City)

It does. It really does.

But my snappy ran away. Can you help me find my snappy? Perhaps it fell into One Night in a Museum. Or, perhaps I could say,

"My dinosaur, Rexy, ate it."

In case you're wondering, I saw One Night(Museum Version, not to confuse with One Night with the King) the other day. Perhaps I should tell the story of how I happened to see it before I talk about it.

A friend of mine happened to be having her birthday party Friday night. After arriving late, and finishing some birthday present scheming when the birthday girl wasn't looking, we all piled in to start One Night. We all became instant fans of the snapper, as none of us could snap. After watching the first fifteen minutes, it was time to go make our pizzas for dinner. Everyone made their own. In the old Sarge technique, I put lots and lots of cheese on, with other items. After the pizzas went into the oven, we all went back and watch fifteen or twenty more minutes of the movie.

After retrieving our pizzas, we returned to the couch to watch some more, wondering what on earth was up with this guy who decided to invent a snapper, as everyone could snap, even those of us who were sitting on the floor because we weren't smart enough to get a seat.

So we watched the movie, entranced by the wonderful performances. Everybody loves Dick Van Dyke, don't they? The old night guard was just wonderful. So nice to show Larry around, and help him feel at home. He also had enough humour, as we saw when he scared Larry with an Aztec (or something) costume. We thought it was great, and looked forward to spending a Night in the Mueseum with Larry.

But then the dinosaur went missing. Bad dino.

So thus, the adventures began. Besides Larry getting the nickname Dum-Dum from the Easter Island Head Guy, he met Jed and the Centurion. Jed and the Centurion were wonderful. Weren't they cute, so small and petit?(No e if it's for a guy.) They couldn't have been more than an inch tall. Rexy, with his dog like characteristics, would be a wonderful homework eater. Actually, Dexter (the monkey) would be a better excuse. Can't you just hear some little kid talking to his teacher?

"Dexter ate my homework."
"Who's Dexter?"
"The monkey where my dad works."
"Does your dad work at the zoo?"
"Oh no. He's the night guard at the natural and ancient history museum."

Anyways, Larry somehow survives his first night and promptly went to go read "An Idiot's Guide to Attilla the Hun"*

Because of his research (he read other books, too) he returned armed to the museum for One Night in the Museum, 2. Or, rather, his second night in the same museum, same movie. He's a bit more crafty, but makes the mistake of giving a lighter to the cavemen, who "light hair on fire." One of the cavemen wanders outside and gets caught out after dawn. Street sweeper comes along, and whoops!!! No more caveman. Larry gets in trouble again, and almost loses his job.

Night 3, Larry returns with his son. Excitement insues; the old guards have decided to steal the tablet that makes the museum come to life, and end up locking Larry and his son into the area where the mummy is.

Bad idea. Larry lets the mummy out of his casket, and the mummy sits up and pulls his facecloth off to reveal...a twenty year old boy, the owner of the tablet.

The whole museum gets on the search for the bad guys, but not until the Easter Island head thing proclaims,

"My Dum-Dum wants to speak." (Easily my favorite line from this flick!)

Eventually, riding Texas, Larry catches up with the lead bad guy. The used to be mummy and Larry's son are riding the dinosaur. They retrieve the tablet from Dick Van Dyke's character, who was really nasty to be so mean to Larry and try to frame him for stealing the tablet.

The world returns to beautiful.

Larry almost loses his job again, but through a twist gets to keep it.

The End of Movie.

We open cake and eat presents.

~A City

*More on that, tomorrow

Pirates of the Caribbean III *SPOILERS* Part 6

Actor Critques

Perhaps slated to be the longest of any of my posts. The main people who will get the brunt of my critique:

1. 1.Willy Wonka
2. 2.Queen Amadala
3. 3.Leglolas Greenleaf

Oh...Oops. Let me try this again.

1. 1. Johnny Depp
2. 2. Kira Knightly
3. 3. More Orlando Bloom
4. 4. Bill Nighly
5. 5. Geoffrey Rush
6. 6. Everyone else

Now...Johnny Depp...As usual, he did a very good job acting, although Jack seems to be getting weirder and weirder. I did, however, like his different renditions of himself in Davy Jones' locker and cell. No special odities or funny stories to go here. Sorry, mates.

Kira Knightly...I had been afraid when I saw the second movie that Kira had lost the wonderful skill of portraying her character that she showed in the first movie. Thankfully, it reappears in the third, although she does have some moments when she lapses back, such as during the freeing of Calpso.

(More) Orlando Bloom...What can I say that won't drive certain persons nuts? Love the eyebrows and innocent looks....

Bill Nighly...Wonderful acting, and I still love the lip-pop noise. No matter how hard I or my friends try, we can't seem to duplicate it...Great facial, voice and everything else. I know that Jones was computer animated, but most of that actually came from Nighly's acting....

Geoffrey Rush...Dearly beloved, we are gathered here together in the sight of God and man....Very good, love it. I like the monkey, too!!! Eye rolls are wonderful.....Think I like the dot dots?

Everybody else...I like Tia Dalma's facial expressions, along with her accent. The cool thing about her accent is that it didn't vary, as some will. Calpso's exploding...was okay. The problem I had with that scene was I didn't really care for the score, and there were a few tech problems. Beautiful girl, what a goregous creature....wait....

Why am I writting about Pirates when I'm listening to Singing In The Rain?

Oh!!! The Commadore!!! Wonderful acting, you could see his thoughts on his face. Those cuffs were huge....

Ummmm....I like how the two English soliders reapeared in the last movie...I was sad when they didn't show up in the second one. I really thought it was funny when they turned into pirates.

"You may throw my hat."

"Now go get it."

Pirates of the Caribbean III *SPOILERS* Part 5

General Critiques, including discrepancies from previous movies.

This one isn't exactly the high point of my critique, but it will do.

Oh!!! And an announcement!!! Taking the place of my experience at the theater with this movie will be a very special post. It will still deal with POTC, but it will also be dedicated to a very special blog. Stay tuned for part eight. :)

Other than that...ah yes, critiques. Discrepancies:

1. 1) As previously mentioned, Elizabeth's hair changes.
2. 2) Will has an earring. Now, this especially irks me, because I don't really care for earrings, unless they are in very good taste on certain women. When anyone who does not fall in the category of a woman-with-earrings-of-very-good-taste gets an earring, I am hurt and offended. It just isn't right. Okay, I don't even wear the danglies.
3. 3) Barbossa's hat comes back. Jack had whacked it mostly to destruction in the first movie.
4. 4) Skirts on women appear and disappear. I think the same thing might have happened with some jewelry, but I'm not quite sure about it.

To note, some of my friends and I call this the "hat problem." This has a somewhat long story, so let me take you to another time and place that speaks of a man, like Jack, who had a very precious hat. This man, however, was an archeologist. His name was....drum roll, please....Indiana Jones!!!

In every fight that Indiana Jones gets into, his hat is (supposedly) never knocked off. When the films were made, lots of movies had hats getting knocked off repeatedly during fight scenes. So the producers decided that Indiana Jones' hat would not get knocked off.

So for some reason, when ever something appears and then disappears, we call it a hat.

So yah. There was a tiny bit of hats.

I was planning on sticking the following in Actor Critiques, but I'll stick it here because 1) This post isn't very long, and the Actor Critiques one will be, 2) I've been making fun of Orlando Bloom, so I want to even it out, and 3) I'm not really sure where this would belong anyways.

There is a scene where Will is on the Flying Dutchman, and is having tea with Lord Beckett. Please note for this scene that the boat is out of the middle of nowhere, and only because you've seen previous scenes do you know how he got here. Davy Jones doesn't know. But anyways, Beckett summons Davy Jones to the cabin, where he discovers dear old Will and Beckett having a nice tea together. Throughout the time in the cabin, Will mentions little odds and ends that are important to either Davy Jones of Beckett that they didn't know previously. Whenever he says something important to Davy Jones, Jones looks at him. Will, with a complete look of innocence on his face says,

"Oh...didn't Jack tell you that?"

Of course, Davy Jones didn't know that Jack wasn't in the locker anymore.

I know this wasn't the swellest post, but I would like to say one thing: For those of you who think Orlando Bloom can't act, hold your tongue until you see this scene.

Now tell me, could you do that? And make it look like you were just having a civilized cup of tea? And keep a straight face?

Chances are, you couldn't.

Sorry, S. Sorry, Boys.

I will now retire to my den and laugh evilly over the next post(s).

~Dresden