The issue with Eustae's transformation stems from reports we had awhile back that they fully intended to have Aslan transform Eustace back into a boy for his courage in fighting the sea serpent. Reportedly one of the executives from Walden objected strenuously, maintaining that it would seem as if he were earning his redemption. Yet now we see Eustace still gets to be a real boy directly after the battle with the sea serpent, with some reports indicating that he's mortally wounded and the transformation is what saves his life. It's not so far off from the worst case scenario I posted months ago here. The key will be the dialogue of course. If Aslan shows up and basically says, "Omigosh!! Eustace U were like so totally brave!! I'm going to make you a real boy again because U saved the day!!", then they completely missed the point.

I see what you mean Bookwyrm about the reports. Whilst I can't find old NarniaWeb news articles, let alone link to them, I did take a look at that Scholastic VDT teacher's resource noted earlier in the NarniaWeb news, however, and have also noted that such teaching kits are being made for distribution to pastors. The material included an adaptation of an adaptation which went up to that big sea serpent battle and then advised the teacher to show the DVD at that point.

This mini script was interesting. It suggested that Lord Rhoop lobbed a sword at Eustace who was attacking the Sea Serpent, in the meantime yelling 'Begone evil dragon' or something to that effect. I expect that Eustace found such cutting remarks very wounding. Far from 'earning' his undragonning I think he asked for help.

On the whole I consider such Scholastic information as more reliable than the reports you mention. Why?

1.Teaching kit material has to be relevant to the resources being used. That is to say, if you have a resource on Captain Cook your teaching material must be about the Captain Cook DVD or Video you are using.

2.Colleges, Schools and Churches have to pay considerably more for electronic resources used for group viewing than for versions for private viewing. This is so that such resources can be legally shown in classrooms, in church, or to groups anywhere. I wonder if your videos/DVD's have disclaimers on them right at the beginning, such as advertisements warning about being party to pirating new films. There are also restrictions on how to lend out teaching resources in libraries, and who to lend to.

3. If Scholastic is distributing VDT kits to pastors they would have got a religious advisor to check whether the doctrinal material in the DVD/movie is suitable material. It is also important to know that however jaundiced people might feel about VDT the movie, a Religious Minister would surely take a dimmer view of doctrinal lapses like the reportedly "earned undragonning".

These are big firms. They cannot afford to get it wrong. Isn't Scholastic the same publisher that was involved in producing the Harry Potter books so detested by Laura Mallory?

No, the double standard part comes in when you tell people not to make judgments about the film before they see it, but you do the exact same thing and somehow that's okay.

Well at least we are agreed on one point. Neither of us have seen the film. As Bookwyrm says, a lot depends on what is in the film, which not only includes what I know to be glorious scenic effects but also dialogue, and events we haven't seen yet. What you have seen in trailers etc has led you to believe the worst and what I have seen has strongly suggested otherwise when I have also compared it with the book, which I have been consulting along the way.

I agree with you and Bookwyrm that a lot depends on the acting and dialogue, and whether or not the circulating rumours are correct. We are told that Will Poulter has put in a fine performance as Eustace, and it seems there is general approval of it. I agree though we don't know how Will Poulter has played Eustace, and what is involved in what the character does in this film. I'm interested for myself in the Australian actors since they are familiar television names to me, Bruce Spence in particular. And I want to see how the final screening compares with the BBC version.

If I go and see the movie and it is just as bad as you insist then I am wrong and you are right and I have done my dough. I would cheerfully say you told me so, and cough up on the bet. After all, another day and another dollar.

But at least I have exercised my right to make my own review and have my own informed opinion of the film. Then having disliked the movie, there is no reason why I should invite relatives along to the theatre party for a repeat screening, buy the DVD, let alone cadge it on a Christmas wish list. And if it comes on television later, I am not the driver of the remote control or the decider of what is watched here on TV. If it still makes it into my living room then I can still make myself scarce. Moreover, having an informed opinion about the movie, I am in a better position to say what I think of it, at work and elsewhere.

But for me to simply take your word for it that it looks like a bad movie is tragic. And here it is tempting, because I am on a site which should know what it is talking about, being NarniaWeb, especially as you are wisewoman. You could still be right, but the way I would know, is that the local newspaper reviewers would have agreed with you and said so, having actually watched the movie to review it for the papers. Not that I trust their opinion so much. Often they are too world weary and cynical, especially about PG movies, fantasy, and things Narnia.

In fact if this movie bombs, then the reviewers are going to give it one very big shellacking, especially with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 coming out in a couple of weeks. Laura Mallory will be mentioned, for one thing, you can be sure of it. Walt Disney will be cheering over their decision to ditch the series and then there will be no further Narnia films, good or bad.

But what if you are wrong, and then I find out years later that by listening to your your opinion of the movie, I have allowed myself to be influenced by someone's no better informed opinion to miss something valuable I have wanted to see for a long time? That would make me feel a lot worse, quite frankly. In that case I haven't used my right to have my own informed opinion. Worse still, I might never get to see it or its sequels in my lifetime, and then I will never know if it really was a good adaptation or not.

Besides there is something about seeing a film in the cinemas in its first glory. Even a good movie never looks anywhere near as good on TV, especially when interrupted by commercial breaks and husbandly interruptions. Furthermore, I really hate to give into that wretched spoil sport schoolmate I once had, who used to tell me that the Spanish rice or spaghetti served at dinner was chopped up worms mixed with blood. Or let myself be rattled because I still like the Narnia books.

I think what Josh was trying to say is that it is rather ironic that the very picture that GP chose to use as an object lesson that the movies were forsaking the book was an picture of something from the book.

Not quite. What I was saying is that the film cannont be prejudged to be good or bad by the trailers as we do not know the full significance of the changes that are shown.

On the other hand, one of the reasons I am optimistic about the film is knowing that the Estate approved its final script after some serious discussion.

At this point in time, I see very little reason to leave this thread open. It's no longer seems to be about whether or not the filmmakers are giving us the best quality film possible, but rather a circular argument on whether or not people should have the right to judge a film before seeing it.

And as I am getting more and more concerning comments and PMs from various people that even though the line of respect may not have been crossed in words, I worry it is rapidly heading that way in attitudes... from BOTH sides, not just one.

And if I am misinterpreting everyone's posts, I apologize, but I'm not the only one with those concerns and I also don't see that there's much left to say that hasn't already been said.