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From: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Newsgroups: net.movies,net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: THE BLACK CAULDRON (slight spoiler)
Message-ID: <618@psivax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-Aug-85 18:41:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: psivax.618
Posted: Mon Aug  5 18:41:10 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 00:45:15 EDT
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Reply-To: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
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Xref: linus net.movies:5590 net.sf-lovers:8233


	Well, since I have finally gone to see ,
and most of the other reviewers seem not to have read the books, I
will now make a few comments.
	For me the main disppointment was the *shallowness* of the
story developement compared the the books. I really enjoyed their
philosophical tone. Many of the more touching and significant
moments were either left out or distorted in the movie. For instance,
the basic points of how the sword was discovered were taken from the
books(except for being in the wrong castle), then Disney went and
ruined it all by allowing Taran(the Asst Pig Keeper) to actually
draw the sword(in the book only a person meeting a very exacting
qualification could draw that sword without being killed). Or the
incredible fanciful approach to magic, I mean making Eilonwy's bauble
*fly*, there is *no* valid reason to do that, all it does is provide
some cheap thrills(and only for kids at that). Of course, even worse
was turning the three "old ladies" into simple hyper-powerful witches!
Even the first time they are met in the books it is obvious that they
are something *quite* different than they appear, but just what is
unclear, this really intriguing bit of mystery is totally lacking in
the rather straight treatment they recieve in the movie. For instance,
in the books, while they are always *threatening* to turn people into
frogs, they are never *actually* seen to do so. As someone said, the
fair folk were too cute for words. I mean Doli as a klutzy, flighty
sprite with wings! Good points, well there were a few. The
characterizations of the main heros were actually fairly close to
what they were in the books. Yes, I can see the similarity between
Taran and Luke Skywalker, but Taran *predates* Skywalker, not the
other way around! And Gurgi, other than being to neat and clean,
was fairly well done(they actually *did* mention that he was
pungent).
	By the way, the movie was really only based on the first
two of the books( and .
Unfortunately, they closed off too many of the loose ends to continue
with the series!(Or perhaps fortunately).
-- 

				Sarima (Stanley Friesen)

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