Billy and Anne devoted themselves to watching the next two Narnia films, which had been completed ahead of schedule. Each film ran at least 120 minutes. For some time now, Billy had understood that no matter how difficult things were, nothing truly came as a surprise—everything felt precise, almost perfect. By his calculations, the work was nearly at the level of competing with the films of 2009. In its time, it wasn't a massive mega-production obsessed with every last detail, but it would age well. And later, with Lux Animation's open-source code leaving room for remakes done in their own way, he would be the judge of that.
-—I like the film. I still like the way they managed to make something look so…— Anne whispered. —I think it was Lewis's skill; he was very decisive. And of course, the hundreds of people who worked on it.—
For this project, between 20 and 50 people worked under freelance contracts for specific stages, some of whom were later hired by Lux Animation, a company that was notoriously difficult to get into due to its constant recruitment calls. After all that, they delivered a marvelous job that almost seemed to leap off the screen. It was incorrect to say that Anne was, day by day, developing a sharp eye for judging this kind of series—she already had one, and she was extremely demanding.
-—I don't like that—the difference,— Billy replied.
-—Why don't you like it?— Anne asked.
-—It's good, it's just that the third one only meets expectations, and I might have to touch up the fourth a bit. We might be heading into a downturn; it needs strength, and it shouldn't follow the map so closely—give the series some room to breathe,— Billy commented. He noticed the gaps between them and thought that perhaps he would need to watch each film carefully and speak with the team. The good thing was that each movie had an intimate atmosphere. He could sense the tenderness with which the films had been made; the graphic design was top-tier. Perhaps it ranked among the best sagas in history—at least for the coming days.
The Magician's Nephew
Digory and Polly discover that Uncle Andrew (the "uncle with the rings") has created magical rings that allow travel between worlds. By accident, they arrive in Charn, a dead world, where Digory awakens Jadis, an evil queen who will later become the White Witch. Life exists as pools, and those pools allow travel between worlds; each lagoon is wonderful in its own way. The witch follows them. They return and tell the uncle; however, in the next sequence,e they are pursued by the witch all the way to London. It is magnificent, in a way, because they used London's music as a central element—music from 1928, wonderful pieces. They used some composers who were talented but not especially famous, and followed it with a very Charlie Chaplin–like segment, which was fascinating. Billy was able to see, for the first time, a truly marvelous way of staging scenes.
They take her to the world of the pools, fleeing the White Witch, who is pursued by a man and a woman—a nurse and a cab driver—and they bring life with them, life that begins to take shape. As they escape, the children arrive in an empty world where Aslan creates Narnia by singing. Jadis introduces evil into this new world. Digory is given the mission to bring back a magical apple that will protect Narnia, but he must resist the temptation to use it for his own benefit.
The Lion, the Witch, ch and the Wardrobe
Four siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy—arrive at a countryside house during World War II. Lucy discovers a wardrobe that hides the entrance to Narnia, a magical world frozen in an eternal winter by the White Witch.
Edmund betrays his siblings by siding with the Witch, but later repents. The children meet Aslan, the great lion and true king of Narnia, who sacrifices himself to save Edmund. Aslan is resurrected, defeats evil, and the siblings become kings and queens of Narnia, ruling during a golden age.
The Horse and His Boy
Shasta, a boy raised in Calormen, escapes alongside Bree, a talking horse. Along the way, he joins Aravis, a fugitive noblewoman, and another talking horse, Hwin.
They uncover a plot to invade Narnia and warn the kingdom in time. In the end, it is revealed that Shasta is actually Prince Cor of Archenland, lost as a child. Aslan had been guiding him the entire time, even when he seemed absent.
The story of Peter's reign as king is also revealed, giving rise to the idea of a ten-episode series about the Kings of Narnia—one filled with wars, justice, and major conflicts. Because at first glance, life in Narnia is chaotic, with thousands of people and individuals arriving in Narnia, putting Peter's kingdoms to the test—kingdoms that undoubtedly left no heir.
Although it does not end there, they did remarkable work on the next film, which was already in production, along with the fifth one, The Silver Chair, redefining the darkest sense of home—something that might prove difficult.
Prince Caspian
The siblings return to Narnia, but hundreds of years have passed there. The kingdom is now ruled by the Telmarines, who have oppressed the old magical inhabitants.
Young Prince Caspian flees from his usurping uncle and calls for help by blowing a magical horn. With the siblings' help and Aslan's return, Caspian reclaims the throne. Peter and Susan say their final farewell to Narnia, while Lucy and Edmund may still return.
-—So you think you must,— Anne whispered.
-—It has to grow with each film, and the characters have to see that sometimes it's difficult to simply fight when there's no hope left, and to give that struggle meaning in every movie,— Billy replied.
-—Do you think it can be done?— Anne asked.
-—I think no one ever does their best work unless they're fully under pressure,— Billy answered simply.
-—You want to pressure them,— Anne said.
-—It sounds bad, I want people to think I'm wrong,— Billy replied. —I just want to motivate them to do better work. I want drama. I want a film to create images and be remembered by children.—
Anne weighed his words and could only shrug. How difficult it was to watch work that had been poured into with such effort be criticized in its own way—that hurt. And the fact that it hurtcame fromm someone who was, in so many ways, wonderful.
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