'The Chronicles of Narnia' Remakes: Are the Original Movies Better?

It's sad but true: You know you're getting old when you start seeing remakes of movies and TV shows from when you were younger. I've had this revelation numerous times, but it always hits me hardest when a new Chronicles of Narnia movie hits theaters. And with Voyage of the Dawn Treader opening on Dec. 10, I'm having one of those moments again.

Growing up, I was always obsessed with Narnia. I read all the books... many, many times. So the first time I caught the movie version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on television, I was awestruck. Lucy, Peter, Edmund, Susan, The White Witch, Mr. Tumnus the Fawn, and of course Aslan, had come to life before my very eyes. Back then, this 1988 BBC adaptation (now out on DVD) was mind-blowing. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver were walking, talking animals (who knew that beavers could really talk!?), the creatures of Narnia flew across the sky during the final battle at Cair Paravel and the White Witch turned disloyal Narnians to stone right in front of me.

Years (many years) later in 2005, Twentieth Century Fox released their version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Initially, I refused to watch it. I already knew what the Pevensie children looked like and I didn't want these new actors clouding my original ideas. But then my boyfriend challenged me to a Narnia duel of sorts. He, being a big fan of this new version, would watch the BBC version with me, and I, in turn would give in and watch the remake with him. Then, we could really debate which was better.

We watched the Fox version first and at the beginning I was extremely stubborn and defensive. "CGI beavers? Really?" I'd say. But what happened next amazed me. Though to this day I will blame it on exhaustion from having to watch two long movies (which were essentially the same movie) in a row, I did start to see why the new version was so lauded. Deep down, I knew that Fox had really brought Narnia to life in a new way. The special effects were incredible. As we watched the BBC version, I realized that people dressed in beaver costumes weren't as exciting as the new beavers. The obviously-cartoon creatures weren't as realistic as the CGI ones. And so, though I wouldn't admit it that night, I did think the remake was kind of cool.

Of course, I can't give in that easily! The BBC original will always hold a special place in my heart. Though the effects may be more enticing in the remake, the actors from the BBC will always be who I think of when it comes to the Narnia characters. Sure, the modern version may have bigger names attached to it (like Tilda Swinton and James McAvoy), but when I think of the White Witch and Mr. Tumnus, the faces of the much lesser known Barbara Kellerman and Jeffrey S. Perry will always come to mind. They're the actors who originally brought Narnia to life for me, and great special effects or not, it's the characters who are the real heart of the movies.

Do you usually like the originals or remakes of movies better? Chime in below!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/chronicles-narnia-remakes-are-original-movies-better/1-a-301633

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