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Which was your favorite performance and why?

Past, present, and future.

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Georgie Henley as Lucy
7
37%
Skandar Keynes as Edmund
2
11%
Anna Popplewell as Susan
0
No votes
Will Moseley as Peter
0
No votes
Will Poulter as Eustace
4
21%
Ben Barnes as Caspian
0
No votes
Tilda Swinton as The White Witch
0
No votes
James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus
1
5%
Liam Neeson as Aslan
4
21%
Other
1
5%
 
Total votes : 19

Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby fantasia » Jul 22, 2012 12:56 pm

I think we've had this thread before but it's closed now so I'm gonna start one again. Out of all three Walden Narnia movies, which performance was your favorite and why?

I think mine had to be Georgie Henley as Lucy cause I felt she just embodied that character, at least in LWW and PC. A little less so in VDT, but that's not Georgie's fault so much as it was the script. My favorite scene in the movies is still when she enters Narnia for the first time and meets Mr. Tumnus. :)
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby Louloudi the Centaur » Jul 22, 2012 1:00 pm

I voted Liam Neeson as Aslan. His rich, deep voice just makes me really think of a powerful yet gentle Lion Aslan is. :)
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby Varnafinde » Jul 22, 2012 5:17 pm

I voted Other - my choice is Sergio Castellitto as Miraz.
It helped his performance that his part was fleshed out more in the film than in the books - but he played his role very well. He made Miraz a more interesting character. Not necessarily a more likeable character, he was still a villain - but an interesting villain.
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby SummerSnow » Jul 22, 2012 5:57 pm

I thought Georgie Henley was good as Lucy. She was sweet and acted fairly well. My favorite scene is when she first went into Narnia, through the wardrobe.

I also liked Edmund and Eustace, who were both good at being annoying and then turning into good characters.
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby Aslanisthebest » Jul 22, 2012 8:11 pm

I'm going to have to say Skandar Keynes as Eustace. Remembering all the films, I think his acting is stellar for each one of them. He's perfectly awful before his redemption, but his physical appearance visibly changes after his encounter with Aslan. I think that most of the time in the second two movies, he's had dialogue and certain parts that did not display his skill to its maximum or altered it, which is a pity, because all in all, his performance was great.

Second, I'm going to say Will Poulter as Eustace. It's such a shame we'll never see him as Eustace in TSC, when he'll have a larger role. His acting was my favourite part of VDT. Though I initially could not imagine Eustace and therefore kind of imagined him kind of like Skandar (kind of like Skandar and the boy who played Lucien in Treasures of the Snow), now Eustace will definitely be Will Poulter to me. (except, with black hair, since that's how Pauline Bayne's illustration came off to me. ;)) ) His acting as a snobbish, rude child was believable and great and his acting as a changed character was equally believable. I was greatly impressed with his deliverance of the role, especially at the farewell scene.

And Liam Neeson as Aslan, of course. I can't think of what other actor they would have chosen. His voice as Aslan was warm and rich and perfectly Aslan-like.

EDIT:

And I must add Georgie in LWW. She played the part so naturally, responded so acutely to every emotion and every back-and-forth with the characters. She was the most adorable Lucy.
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby De_De » Jul 23, 2012 2:05 pm

Oh defiantly Liam Neeson as Aslan. From the moment you hear hфs voice everything within you comes to life. His voice is almost magical and you can really feel the power, yet gentleness in it.
Second comes Will Poulter as Eustace. I personally think that he is a very talented actor, and is probably the one of the only things I like in VDT.
I really like Georgie as Lucy in LWW and PC, in VDT I feel that there was something lacking. Her performance wasn't so strong, and there was just something missing.


Aslanisthebest wrote:Though I initially could not imagine Eustace and therefore kind of imagined him kind of like Skandar (kind of like Skandar and the boy who played Lucien in Treasures of the Snow), now Eustace will definitely be Will Poulter to me.

You know, I also imangined him as kind of a mix between Skander and Lucien. I remember when I first read VDT Eustace reminded me a bit of Lucien :D
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby MountainFireflower » Jul 23, 2012 8:56 pm

De_De wrote:Oh defiantly Liam Neeson as Aslan. From the moment you hear hфs voice everything within you comes to life. His voice is almost magical and you can really feel the power, yet gentleness in it.
Second comes Will Poulter as Eustace. I personally think that he is a very talented actor, and is probably the one of the only things I like in VDT.
I really like Georgie as Lucy in LWW and PC, in VDT I feel that there was something lacking. Her performance wasn't so strong, and there was just something missing.


Oh my goodness, yes. I'm just going to ditto everything you said, De. ;))

In addition to what De wrote, I really liked Edmund as well. His performance in LWW was impressive, as he really strove to take on the emotions and feelings of the "black sheep" in the family. I love his dark expressive eyes, as several people from the LWW Movie Companion would agree. ;))

In PC he was good as well. He wasn't quite as dynamic, but his comic timing was great. ;)) Also, in LWW we mostly get to see him in his traitorous state, but not so much his redeemed state. However, in PC, he was completely changed, and I loved seeing the contrast to that. The only thing I wish is that we could have seen more of him.

As for his performance in VDT, I'm torn. There were some scenes where I loved him (such as the scenes where they first enter Narnia, and his scenes with Caspian, as well as the end) and some scenes where I felt it could've been better. However, I'm wondering if the lackluster performances were due mostly to the script. I read somewhere once that even the most talented actors can only work with what they've got, and if the script is mediocre, the acting may be mediocre as well.

Tilda Swinton was also fantastic. She took every expectation I had for the White Witch and blew me away. Originally I'd expected Jadis to have black hair, extremely pale skin, and ruby red lips. Tilda Swinton was the complete opposite of that, and yet she was perfect for the White Witch. Her portrayal was chilling. (Ha, chilling—see what I did there? ;) ) Even now, pictures of her without the White Witch garb still remind me of Jadis. She was great.

Also. Mr. Tumnus. He also took my expectations and blew me away. He was perfect, and I adore James McAvoy's portrayal tons.

Overall, I absolutely love everyone in all the movies to some degree. ;))
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby De_De » Jul 24, 2012 5:48 am

MountainFireflower, I also agree with you that I love everyone in the movies to some degree. If I didn't like someone in one movie, then I like him\her in another movie. I aslo really liked Ben Barnes in PC. I was sooooo sad that they took his accent away in VDT. Grrrrrr :(
Oh, I remember there is one character I didn't really like at all. I didn't like Reepicheep, not in PC and not in VDT. Somehow the voices just didn't match. But then that's just my opinion
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby Anfinwen » Jul 24, 2012 6:21 am

I agree with fantasia_kitty. I love Georgie in LWW; she is so real.
But, in VDT she seems to have a little trouble acting younger than she is, something Will Poulter mastered. So, I picked Will Poulter. I think He really redeemed VDT. His character alone makes me want to see it again. I really liked Eustace even when he was annoying the others.
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby Narnian_Badger » Jul 24, 2012 7:06 pm

I voted for Will Poulter, as his acting was the most consistent, and he completely sold me as someone who could almost deserve the name "Eustace Clarence Scrubb." ;))

I feel a bit bad, though, for Skandar and Georgie: were it not for VDT (where both performances were predominately forced or lackluster), I would have picked one of them--probably Skandar for the top spot. They just didn't seem to have their hearts in VDT, which I can't really blame them for...

As to Aslan, he was quite sufficient in LWW, and he hardly had any voice-time in VDT so I can't call it either way there, but I felt that his performance fell flat in PC. *shrugs* Perhaps it was the scene with Lucy in the forest that bothered me the most... He just felt too much like a safe lion, even in the bridge scene, to me.
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby DamselJillPole » Jul 25, 2012 3:06 pm

Hands down Will Poulter. ^:)^

He was meant to play the role of Eustace and still is. Will really brought the book character to life.
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby Varnafinde » Jul 27, 2012 2:35 pm

For a second choice, I would choose Will Poulter as Eustace.

He was so wonderfully annoying before his change - and he showed some gradual change, too, as the Narnian world was working on him. You could even hear it in his voice. I particularly noticed when he first saw the magical map on Coriakin's island - there's warmth and wonder in his voice when he says something about it being good or beautiful - and then he remembers what reputation he tries to keep up and adds in a much colder voice, "for an imaginary map of an imaginary world, that is".

And then the change is complete (for all practical purposes), and he manages that transition to a nice guy for the rest of the movie - on the sea of lilies, and on the beach with Aslan, and in his room afterwards.

I really would have liked to see him in SC. I wish it still could be done.
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby Meltintalle » Jul 27, 2012 2:59 pm

I picked Georgie Henley as Lucy, I think mostly on the basis of her performance in LWW. That portrayal has influenced how I 'see' her character when I read the books or see other adaptations more than any of the others.

Skandar Keynes and Will Poulter were also very well cast, and I liked them in the movies, but I don't think I would necessarily go back to them as a gold standard for the portrayal of the characters. (But I would certainly vote for them if I were allowed more than one choice in the poll.)
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby GlimGlum » Jul 28, 2012 4:42 pm

This was hard but I ended up picking Skandar. For LWW it would be Georgie Henley as Lucy. I thought Skandar was just right in LWW as Edmund and did really well in PC in a smaller role and was good in VDT.

Wish that I could vote for more than one because more than one actor did a fine job in his/her role.
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby Lion's Emblem » Jul 28, 2012 6:04 pm

If I had to pick just one (who wasn't an amazing performer in Narnia?), like fantasia_kitty, I'd have to go with Georgie Henley as Lucy. There is such a natural and innocent quality to her perfomance (especially in LWW) that it's not so much acting as a genuine factor (it is as though we are seeing Lucy as she is, not an actress playing her). For example, at Lucy's first discovery of Narnia - we are not seeing an actress put on a look of wonderment, but rather an actual child with natural curiosity anticipating excitement. You just can't pretend or fake that sort of thing.
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Re: Which was your favorite performance and why?

Postby Narnian_Archer » Jul 30, 2012 10:05 am

This is a hard one to answer, because different performances by the same actor have varied from movie to movie. For example, in my opinion Lucy's acting was great in LWW, tolerable in PC, but devastatingly cheesy in VDT. Edmund's acting, in my opinion, was rather weak compared to his siblings in LWW, but grew and changed dramatically in PC. It could be age, it could be directing, I'm not exactly sure, but I can't really say there has been one outstanding performance that has remained outstanding throughout the "trilogy" (at least, the three books that have been filmed). All, that is, but Aslan.
I think the character of Aslan was drastically downplayed in both PC and VDT, and I likewise am inclined to conclude Aslan's CGI degenerated from LWW on. (He does not show nearly so much expression as we see him demonstrating in LWW). However, his presentation, his acting ability, his presence and diction started and finished with so much power, dignity, and honor...it's really just outstanding! There is just something about Liam Neeson's voice that blows your mind! It is so calm, so deep, so reassuring, and yet so full of power and authority! And that voice stays the same all throughout the three films. So I would definitely go with Aslan! :) :)
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