Well, he couldn't talk as a dragon in the book either.

I really liked this way of doing the undragoning, with Aslan's paw in the sand rather than on the dragon (especially given the concerns about ratings mentioned above).

This is why I think they should shred that "PG only contract". Because if one of the most powerful and significant scenes in the series gets watered down to get a certain rating, then they are betraying the books just to make more money. Honestly, I don't think Lewis would mind a PG-13 film as long as the content was in line with what he had written.

I also think that maybe Walden knew there would be controversy about the rating and that they could be bringing up the rating as an excuse. I mean c'mon. They didnt even ATTEMPT to film the scene right. Who knows, maybe if filmed and edited a certain way, the MPAA would have given it a PG rating.

Sorry if I'm sounding like complaining a lot. I do like the movie, but the parts they got wrong just really bug me.

Josh, the PG only thing is what is probably going to get SC made if it does get greenlit. I would rather the scenes stay intact but if the job gets done in a way that insures the series survival, you shouldn't complain.

but if the job gets done in a way that insures the series survival, you shouldn't complain.

The problem is not everyone has that philosophy, some people would rather only see one film that was really closely adapted, that 7 that weren't. They don't want the general audience to get the wrong opinion of Narnia. Others like me (and I'm assuming you as well, but correct me if I'm wrong) would rather see them continue the series, because we believe that there's always the chance that the next one will come out intact. Both are perfectly well founded and neither is more right than the other...it's just a difference of philosophies...

I want the series to continue, but I just feel there are certain scenes that shouldnt be screwed with and this is one of them. Prince Caspian being my least favorite novel in the series and having no particular scene that I loved, made it a lot easier for me when they changed a lot of scenes for the movie. In fact I think I even like the movie better than the book. But for every other book in the series, there are a certain moments that I feel cannot be changes (and by change I mean significant, I know that dialouge needs to be shortened sometimes).

I think it was rushed, and that they could've done ALOT more with it, but ultimately it wasn't too bad aslan pawing the sand was a novel idea and a good solution to the ratings problem, which I give them credit for. my main problem with the sequence was the lack of Eustace trying to free himself. they did put in a line about that later, but I just felt it would have stretched the scene and made it longer and more emotional.

Well, he couldn't talk as a dragon in the book either.

Yes. I know. I was just wondering if that was changed because in the book we could hear his thoughts. They will probably have others say his thoughts.

I am one of those people who doesn't really want the series to continue if it is going to be more like PC. After PC which is one of the best books being treated so badly in some ways i would rather they just stop. VotDT is one of my least favorite books of the series, so i think it will be easier for me to deal with the fact that it is going to be not Narnia because after PC it just isn't Narnia to me anymore.

However, i would of preferred they wait until after the Dark Island sequence was completely finished, and then given the undragoning sequence the time it deserved, as i felt they didnt really have the time to do it justice in the current set-up

That's more or less my take on the scene as well. It felt like if you blinked, you'd miss it entirely and be left wondering when Eustace turned back into a boy.

As it stands, I don't see how they could have finished the Dark Island sequence without the undragoning, so I think I would just have cut back to Eustace sooner and done the undragoning in two parts.

No, sorry. The way it happened was better. They can't complete the Dark Island sequence until the seventh sword reaches Aslan's table, and, significantly to my mind, Eustace's fleeing to Ramandu's Island, and his undragonning is done before that last task is done. It could only be completed by someone who had already repented of saying how barmy the whole journey was.

Yes, but they could easily have changed the way the entire seven swords plot mechanism worked in order to better serve the undragoning scene. As it was it seemed the undragoning scene was subservient to the seven swords plot, when really it should of been the other way round.

Hmm! Maybe....But the problem with having it the other way around, with the Dark Island/7 swords/finding the seven lords mission being subservient to the undragoning makes it look like Eustace earned his undragoning. Whereas this way it doesn't. Especially as the vegetating lords at the table start looking like they are waking up after Eustace accomplishes his mission, and after Eustace has to battle against green misty stuff - which I identify as sin - trying to stop him from reaching his goal.

There is another point. Aslan's Table is separated from Aslan's country by the Dark Island where the action is. There is a field - sorry -sea of lilies to cross and Caspian takes them there, to ?Surfers? Paradise beach before returning to his ships. The Dawn Treader can go no further East at that point. By rights the undragonning should have happened on Dragon/Goldwater Island, with an extended stay there, but that would get the filmmkers back to episodic square one, with no highlighting of the importance of the dragoning/undragoning story.

Watching the BBC television version yesterday, I noticed that Caspian said that the mission had finished when they found the three remaining lords at Aslan's Table. Sophie Wilcox (Lucy) contradicts Caspian, by saying that the spell that they were under had to be broken first, a point confirmed by Ramandu's daughter. This is where the seven swords mission finally comes into its own in the Walden version, especially as in the Walden version the more dramatic rescue of Lord Rhoop hasn't yet taken place.

I still feel that the placement of the undragoning scene makes it seems as if Eustace earns it, that Aslan changes him back because he makes up for his mistakes and some more by fighting the sea serpetn. Even though Eustace later adds that he cannot change himself, the statement feels more like an afterthought than a confirmation. That said, I cannot see any other way of placing the scene. The film needs a climax, and to place the undragoning before the battle will considerably dampen the excitement of the movie. So I can definitely understand and accept this change.

Oh boy, Eustace 'earns' it?? Even if this is hinted at, it will ruin the symbolism of Aslan saving Eustace! Aslan is symbolizing Jesus Christ, and Eustace is us sinners who cannot earn our salvation! It is given to us by Christ! I am sure that C. S. Lewis meant for it to be given to Eustace, and he changes, yes, but that is not what earns his un-dragoning (or our salvation)!

Well Aslan would not have undragoned Eustace if he had been just as bad as a dragon as he had been as a boy. In the book he was undragoned when his heart was changed, and the only way we would know he was changed was by what he did. So he would have to prove himself before he could be changed into a boy, that is different from earning it.

Hm...now I wonder what the un-dragoning stands for...Eustace putting off the old man??

No Eustace did not prove himself in the book before he was undragoned. He was still lost and did not know what would become of him. All he did was finally realize that he needed others and finally realize that he was lost. Aslan came to him.