Visualizing Spare Oom

Okay, so there's this big movie arriving in theatres today. A movie that some of us have been waiting a long time for. I'm excited, but I'm also concerned.

I'm concerned about what they're going to do the story. If anyone has seen the trailers, you've seen what animals the White Witch uses to pull her sledge. That wasn't in the book. I know they are going to take more creative license then perhaps is necessary, so I will probably struggle with the fact the movie will not be faithful to the book.

But of more concern to me, is the actual prospect of seeing this story come alive. That sounds vague I know, so let me explain. Ever since I first read these books in elementary school, I have created Peter, Aslan, King Caspian, Reepicheep, Bree, the Marshwiggle and other characters IN MY MIND. If you asked me what Reepicheep looks like, I'll tell you he looks a lot like Ralph from the Runaway Ralph books. I'll tell you that I envision Bree to look somewhat like a Clydesdale. However, I feel that my imagined characters will disappear once I see the movie. Tumnus the fawn has already been mostly lost as he has been prominent in all the trailers. My fear is that once I see what has been created on the screen, that will replace what's been in my mind all these years. And that kinda saddens me.

I suppose that is the price of progress. I'm excited that this movie has made it to the big screen so that a ton more people, children especially, will be exposed to this series. Nothing would delight me more to have a generation of children raised with these books, as opposed to whatever passes today as children's literature. So I am willing to accept the compromise required in bringing these books to the big screen. It will be hard not to complain, and find fault with the movies, but I'll try not to.