Movie Night, *****Narnia Trilogy

There are some very wonderful trilogies that have presented important works of literature.  Recently we enjoyed the J.R.R. Tolkien Trilogy "Lord of the Rings."  Another of those has to be the Narnia series, which for now stands at three movies, although I understand there are more to be made.  I watched the PBS series as a youth, and enjoyed the show, but was always troubled with the Lucy character.  She was just too chubby, or snotty or something.  I think she may have had a speech impediment which made it even worse.  I am so glad the Narnia movie fixed that problem.  The four young people selected to portray Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy do a fantastic job. The second two movies I watched via Netflix DVD, and the first we have in our home collection.
*****The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. This is a beautiful introduction, and in so many ways symbolizes the life of Christ it is hard to miss.  We have a deep freeze (apostasy) caused by the wicked witch and her powers.  It has kept a winter of 100 years without Christmas upon Narnia.  However with the coming of the children of Adam and Eve, Aslan is on the move.  Edmund is deceived by the witch, and in being deceived betrays his siblings, as well as others.  He is betrayed by a lust for power, and fulfilling physical needs, warmth and drink and food.  These are tools Satan also uses, physical gratification, pride, power.  Because of this treachery, Edmund becomes subject to the Witch.  He is in need of a savior, and Aslan takes this part, and also resurrects, and provides a resurrection of sorts for those the Witch has frozen.  In the end good triumphs over evil, the Witch is undone.
*****The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.  A year later in their own lives, but 1300 years later, in the world of Narnia, our heroes are called back,  In Narnia a group of humans has somehow gotten into the world, and taken over, and banned the Narnian's to the forests, who are then just a thing of legend and folklore.   Prince Caspian, is the son of the king who has been killed, and the kingdom taken over by Prince Caspian's uncle, who when he has a son, has no more need for Prince Caspian.  Prince Caspian makes an escape from the Uncle's guards, and makes his way to the forest where he meets the Narnians, but also calls back our four young kings with Susan's horn.  Then begins the conflict between the Narnians and the Telmarines.  The Telmarines have greater technology, catapults, as well as greater numbers.  Lucy sees Aslan, but cannot convince his siblings, and such, he does not come to help them until they are desperate, and Lucy has been sent on a mission to find him.  And so the gospel parallel, is that we only find Jesus when we truly seek Him. Some of the special effects were almost corny--particularly the water, and so this movie was not quite as good as the first.
*****The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader  This movie introduces us to a cousin, who through the course of events changes from a twit to a hero during this voyage.  There is a great evil which has gotten loss on the land.  Everyone must face their own selves, and their worse fears become reality.  Peter and Susan are not part of the adventure, as they now live in the United States.  Lucy, would like to have the looks of Susan, and casts a spell, which basically changes herself to Susan, and Lucy disappears.  She quickly repents.  King Caspian, and Edmund bicker over power, and Edmund is still drawn by the Black Witch.  The cousin, Eustace Scrubb, because of his greed, is turned into a dragon.  However the dragon also helps them with his strength and fire.  The cousin finds courage with the help of Reepicheep, a heroic rat.  They face their fears, and in the end fight a sea serpent.  It is the cousin, who meets Aslan and is healed.  Getting a new outlook for himself, he sets in motionthe cure to the evil.  The rat, Reepicheep, who has befriended the Kings, and proven himself in battle, travels to Aslan's Kingdom.  King Caspian stays behind, to lead his people.  He learns to appreciate the things he has, rather than seeking those he has lost (his deceased father.)