Narnia is going to Netflix |What I hope to see in the new adaptations!

Greetings readers!

A few months ago, I saw the BEST NEWS I COULD HAVE HOPED FOR!!

I’M SURE ANY OF YOU WHO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM WOULD HAVE SEEN ME YELLING ABOUT IT!!!

THE NEWS

The Chronicles of Narnia being made into new movies by Netflix https://t.co/B1CWT2ltM4

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) October 3, 2018

I’m telling you all I lost my sh*t that day. Like I was on the floor. Where was I when I saw the news??? I don’t recall, I just remember losing my mind.

I AM GETTING MORE NARNIA MOVIES AND TV SHOWS

THANK YOU, NETFLIX.

But of course, as much as I am enthusiastic about this movie/TV news, I have about the highest of the highest expectations. I don’t expect them to ever replace my love for the 2000s films, nor do I necessarily think Narnia *needed* another adaptation. I’ll be honest, it’s had its multiple runs and there is only so many times you can remake a story.

Yet, these adaptations are still going to happen and over the months I have been mulling it over in my head, how we can make the story better, different, unique and yet stay true to it’s magic and message.

Naturally, I write a blog post because zat ees vwat I do! *zis eez my Fronch accent!*

So What Do I Want From These New Adaptations?

Chronological Order please!

Can we not start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?

People, I adore LWW, but there is so much context that is given in The Magician’s Nephew that I really think can change up how viewers watch LWW. I mean A) Professor Kirk’s adventure in Narnia is pretty darn cool, B) We get the origins of Narnia, the wardrobe and the White Witch and C) Those origin tidbits can then feed into LWW’s adaptation!

Can we also not stop at LWW?

There is so much story to explore after the Pevensie’s leave Narnia. I mean the world needs to be exposed to Aravis Tarkheena’s greatness!

Jill Pole’s snarkiness.

The Final Battle *sobs*

There is so much more that needs to be seen!

It Has to Make Sense

If you are gonna go a mix of TV Shows and movies Netflix, you are gonna need to come out with a set plan. A list of how exactly these shows/films will be produced and released. I do not want, for example, a movie of one of the books to come out mid-season of the show adaptation of another one of the books *although this would make sense for The Horse and His Boy* ANYWAYS. I just want clarity.

I know seven books is a lot, and I WANT all seven books to happen. I need you to really think this through Netflix and let me know how exactly this is gonna work.

Diversify

I *think* it is safe to say we have had plenty of Narnia adaptations with little, white kids. And we should all know the very obvious racist views of Mr. Lewis in the Caloremen and others. Like it’s no good.

So clearly we gotta make an old man roll in his grave and change the story to make it less harmful and more inclusive, especially for a wide range of kids today to appreciate the magic of Narnia.

I’m sure there were all kinds of kids carted off during the London raids, that weren’t necessarily Caucasian. Not every new kid that is introduced, nor does every adult, much less every Narnian or Telmarine etc. has to be white. The treatment of the Aravis and Calormen as a whole has to change, away from all the Orientalism and other tropes.

And of course these characters of colour can’t simply be token, they have to have substance, background and acknowledgement of their individuality like any character should have.

And yeah, people will be angry about it. But you know what? They can literally watch any of the other adaptations if they want a full white, straight, able cast!  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I am open to animation…but like the cool kind.

I feel like the best way to get all the magical effects is through animation because their is just so much that can be explored. I’m willing for a 2D or a 3D animation, it just has to be COOL. Like stay away from the animators of The Dragon Prince. No offense, but y’all that shows visuals are so plain.

But of course if we are gonna do this live-action, effects have to be on the pointiest of the points! Costumes and make-up have to square up! It has to be visually stunning to match the magic and adventure of the story!

Please do not make it gritty and dark and such

Netflix has a knack for taking things to a really dark level. *See Sabrina the Teenage Witch* and I really do not want that. Which is so contradictory because you all know how much I adore Dark Fantasy, but Narnia is not the story to fit that bill, in my humble opinion. I want it to be whimsical and I want the creators to be able to garner the suspense, action and intensity and tie it with whimsy.

DO I EVEN MAKE SENSE? Look, I don’t know how they are going to go about doing that. I just don’t want it to get all angsty, gritty dark. Please.

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Let me know what you think! Are you looking forward to this new Narnia adaptation? What are your hopes? What are your fears? What book(s) do you think Netflix should adapt?

Happy reading!

~ Rendz

Disney Channel Halloween Movies Tag

Greetings readers!

Continuing with the #Spooktober theme I have been tagged by the amazing Sha and Mandy of Book Princess Reviews to do their very own, original DISNEY CHANNEL HALLOWEEN MOVIES TAG!! I ADORE Disney Channel Movies in general, but the Halloween ones are just so, so, so good AND spooky! I am incredibly excited to do this tag so I will not delay any longer and get right into it!

Rules:

1. Tag the creator (bookprincessreviews) of the DHM Tag.
2. Thank the person who tagged who.
3. Answer the questions.
4. Tag five more people.

Halloweentown: Where is your favorite place to go for Halloween or a place you want to go?

On Halloween I usually like to stay at home (since I have outgrown trick-or-treating sadly 😦 ) I love to stay in and watch…well umm…Disney Channel Halloween movies…..BUT I have always wanted to go to an old castle in Europe and stay over night. (They have tours like that, right?) I mean 1000% I would freak myself out, but the experience would totally be cool!

Under Wraps: What’s something that used to be scary to you and then you realized it wasn’t just the mummy in this movie?

Something that used to be scary for me…hmmm….I used to be afraid of big roller coasters. I only did the kiddie rides until I was about 11 or so and said to myself “Rendz we have to suck it up and be brave” so I went on my first big kid roller coaster and it was THE BEST. Now I LOVE roller coasters! The higher, the better! The faster, the better!

*If you are ever on a coaster yourself and hear someone shouting a “Hail Mary” as you go up the mount, know that that is me.

Tower of Terror: What is the scariest place you’ve ever been?

I avoid scary places…oh gosh…ummm probably the small auditorium I was in when I did a speech competition in French. I am frickin traumatized. I tried to put my introvert self out there…but nope nope nope not for me!

Twitches: If you could be any supernatural creature, what would you be?

WITCH. GIVE ME ALLLLLLL THE MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t Look Under the Bed: Were you scared of monsters when you were a kid? When did it stop?

Hell yes. Ghosts especially. I was that kid who would run up the stairs from the basement once I turned off the lights. If there was a dim light in my room, I would NOT open my eyes for fear of seeing something scary in the dark. My arm or feet could NOT hang off the bed for fear of something coming out from under my bed to snatch me. My imagination ran wild and I would hear whispers of my name when I would be in a room by myself.

When did it stop? I still run up the stairs from the basement.

Phantom of the Megaplex: Do you watch scary movies? If so, what is your favorite or the one you got most afraid of?

Hell NO! I watched one scary movie with my sisters once, gosh I don’t remember what it’s called. *Quick google search* Oh it’s called The Haunting which starred Liam Neeson a.k.a Alsan a.k.a the reason we watched it. Anyways it freaked me the f*** out and NEVER AGAIN. But dumb Rendz tried to watch The Woman in Black once, during daylight and I JUST CAN’T.

The Scream Team: Who would be on your dream team if you went on a ghost/supernatural creature hunt?

Carswell Thorne so I could hide behind him and cuddle close when something freaky starts happening. And maybe Nedra from Give the Dark My Love because she’s a necromancer and has good control.

Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire: Have you ever witnessed something/someone that could only be explained by the paranormal? If yes, what/who?

I don’t think so……maybe I have but I am too traumatized to remember…?

I Tag…

Raes Reads and Reviews

Journey Into Books

Ryann the Reader

Emily Kate Reads

This One is for the Books

*All these fabulous bloggers that you should definitely check out!*

Let me know what you think! What is your greatest or scariest Halloween memory? Which Halloween movie is your favourite (Disney or otherwise!)? Will you be dressing up this year?

Happy reading!

~ Rendz

Beauty and the Beast (2017) Movie Review!

Greetings readers!

Today is going to be a little different. Only ever so slightly. We are talking movies.

And not just any movie.

THE movie of the year.

That’s right you know (it is in the title of the post!)

Beauty and the Beast

credits: Disney

A Disney adaptation of their 1991 adaptation of this tale as old as time….

Like most kids, in today’s age, yesterday’s age and tomorrow’s age, I grew up with Disney movies, but most fantastical of all I grew up with Disney Princess movies! A company which has graced us with a total of thirteen (or fourteen? correct me if I am wrong) Disney Princesses, which have been enjoyed by children everywhere.

Growing up, I watched Disney movies non-stop. My favourite (cliche…but oh so true to myself) is Cinderella. I’m telling you, I had that movie m e m o r i z e d. But today we are not here to talk about Cindy! This is all about Belle!

When I first heard they were making a live action Beauty and the Beast I flipped out! (Really I get excited over any Disney movie) I had been a fan of Beauty and the Beast as a child, it did not share the same grand love as I had for Cinderella, but still! A LIVE ACTION film! Considering, I really enjoyed the live-action Cinderella from 2015, I was so excited for this one and my expectations for it skyrocketed.

This movie had to be amazing. It could be nothing less than dazzling!

I was not disappointed!

What I liked:

The Backstory:

YES! YES! YES! In this film, we get to see the Beast become a beast as well as reasons behind why the town has no idea of this mysterious palace in the woods. All our Whys? are answered. We get to know more about Belle’s backstory with her family. There are new characters introduced that fill in the missing holes from the 1991 version.  I really liked how they explained why the things became the way they were. It made sense and added the extra depth the original adaptation was missing!

The Oldies & Newbies: 

Alongside the original characters there were also new characters introduced. Let’s start with the old characters. Emma Watson’s Belle was (as expected) ever so clever and bookish. She has a grand affiliation with Romeo and Juliet in this movie, so be prepared to listen to a bit of Shakespeare. The Beast was just as hard-headed, stubborn and barbaric like the original. I mean, on the inside he is a softy and Dan Stevens did a great job of playing him. Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs. Pots were just the same. Nothing changed too much about them and I loved that! Then there are the new characters! Such as Cadenza and Agathe who added more humour and insight into the story! Some of the original characters got bigger roles in this movie like Madam de la Grande Bouche and Plumette. I really enjoyed watching their characters be involved more in the story and on Belle’s journey.

Also Chip is the cutest!

The Be Our Guest Scene:

This was probably one of WAS the most important scene in the movie for me. I loved, LOVED, the 1991 version because of A) the song and B) the animation. It has so much colour, fun and magic that I was worried about how they were going to replicate it to look more realistic. THANKFULLY, IT WAS AMAZING! Thank the Lord for technology and animators and colours and magic! It was a great replication of the old song. It was just as fun and fantastical. The song was changed a little in that they slowed it down in some parts, but I still really loved it!

 

The Cast:

Belle: Emma Watson, although not my first pick as actress, did a splendid job of acting as Belle. She was smart and brave just like Belle should be.

The Beast: Dan Stevens, did a great job as the beast. The voice was on point! The transformation is always a little odd to see because I am so used to seeing the beast!

Gaston: Luke Evans was perfect for this role! I really enjoyed his portrayal of Gaston. Evans does justice to his cocky, brute and selfish personality.

Le Fou: Once again. Perfect casting for this character. Josh Gad was amazing. They did change his character in that he had more of a conscious and was actually able to think for himself and not simply  be a fool. I really enjoyed that bit.

Mrs. Pots, Lumiere, Cogsworth: JUST PERFECT!

The rest of the cast was great too! I really enjoyed the acting and portrayal of all the original characters and the new ones as well.

The Animations:

A huge congratulations to the animators of this movie. This film required a lot of hard work in animation and special effects. From the Beast, to the live kitchen and house hold items, these people had a lot of work ahead of them. They did an enchanting job! There were so many elements that were executed perfectly and they really enhanced the beauty of this movie. (i.e. the be our guest scene)

The Music/Soundtrack:

I know that Disney released the soundtrack on YouTube before the release of the film, but I didn’t dare listen to it. I wanted to be surprised. Okay….maybe I listened to one song. But it was sung by Josh Groban and not a replication of one of the original songs. ANYWAYS….The music was amazing! Watching the film and hearing the melodies of the songs I knew gave me chills! I didn’t know all the words, but I knew enough to silently sing-along to myself. The music had a little old-french flare as well, so that was neat to hear! The only tiny thing that maybe bugged me a little was that everybody sounded a teeny bit auto-tuned……I understand that not all actors are singers and that Watson, Stevens and the rest of the crew only had a few short months of training, but still. I could tell.

The soundtrack has some extra songs that are not in the movie but still related to it! I have some favourites that I would love to share with you:

1. Days in the Sun sung by the cast (New song added to the movie that makes me tear up)
2. Evermore sung by Josh Groban (So good)
3. If I Can’t Love Her sung by Josh Groban (Can you tell I have a thing for Josh…)

It is still A Tale as Old as Time:

Despite the changes made, this film was true to the 1991 version. It was magical, funny, romantic, and adventurous. The changes that were made did not take away from the story and I really enjoyed them. Watching this movie literally gave me chills! That is a good sign.

What I Disliked:

There is just one, that probably you will disagree on with me…but I speak my mind so…

THE DRESS WAS NOT UP TO STANDARDS!

As soon as I saw the movie poster, I already did not like it. Belle’s dress is one of my favourites and the version they made for the live-action is nothing compared to it. Sorry Emma Watson, but I did not like it.It is a pretty dress, but it is not Belle’s dress. It does not have the same poof, sway and pick ups. The neckline is wrong and those layers on the side are not the best, in my taste. I did like how they added extra shiny designs to it and the making of the dress was magical in the movie. However, it did not change my mind about it.

Feast your eyes on what it should have looked like…

All that poof and swoop and sway….

But in reality they made it look like this

credits: Entertainment Weekly

via Pinterest

It is nice, but it was just not up to my standards of dress.

*End of rant*

Overall, this movie was great! I really enjoyed and I would love to watch it again. Of course, it will never replace the 1991 version, but it still gave me chills and nostalgia from watching it!

4.75 Stars! (0.25 knocked off because of some audible auto-tuning and the dress)

I’m not even gonna say I recommend it because I know EVERYONE is going to watch it. AND EVERYONE MUST WATCH IT!

So, GO ON AND ENJOY! Let your inner child come out and savour this movie that takes a childhood classic and brings it back to life!

Happy watching!

~ Rendz

*All gifs via giphy.com*