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C.S. Lewis's classic novel
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe makes an ambitious and long-awaited leap to the screen in this modern adaptation. It's a CGI-created world laden with all the special effects and visual wizardry modern filmmaking technology can conjure, which is fine so long as the film stays true to the story that Lewis wrote. And while this film is not a literal translation--it really wants to be so much more than just a kids' movie--for the most part it is faithful enough to the story, and whatever faults it has are happily faults of overreaching, and not of holding back.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe tells the story of the four Pevensie children, Lucy, Peter, Edmund, and Susan, and their adventures in the mystical world of Narnia. Sent to the British countryside for their own safety during the blitz of World War II, they discover an entryway into a mystical world through an old wardrobe. Narnia is inhabited by mythical, anthropomorphic creatures suffering under the hundred-year rule of the cruel White Witch (Tilda Swinton, in a standout role). The arrival of the children gives the creatures of Narnia hope for liberation, and all are dragged into the inevitable conflict between evil (the Witch) and good (Aslan the Lion, the Messiah figure, regally voiced by Liam Neeson).
Director (and co-screenwriter) Andrew Adamson, a veteran of the Shrek franchise, knows his way around a fantasy-based adventure story, and he wisely keeps the story moving when it could easily become bogged down and tiresome. Narnia is, of course, a Christian allegory and the symbology is definitely there (as it should be, otherwise it wouldn't be the story Lewis wrote), but audiences aren’t knocked over the head with it, and in the hands of another director it could easily have become pedantic. The focus is squarely on the children and their adventures. The four young actors are respectable in their roles, especially considering the size of the project put on their shoulders, but it's the young Georgie Henley as the curious Lucy who stands out. This isn't a film that wildly succeeds, and in the long run it won't have the same impact as the Harry Potter franchise, but it is well done, and kids will get swept up in the adventure. Note: Narnia does contain battle scenes that some parents may consider too violent for younger children. --Dan Vancini
Review
This noble adaptation of C.S. Lewis' classic novel is both graceful and fun, employing many of the epic themes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with a simpler, more child-friendly story. The studio may have shot itself in the foot when it went on a PR trip, extolling the Christian symbolism of the film's script in order to avoid a fundamentalist backlash against all subject matter dealing with magic. Without being forced to bear this apparent intention of the author in mind, the audience is in no way obligated to interpret the events of the film this directly. There is obvious spiritual and perhaps even moral subtext, but this is not a heavy-handed movie and the ultimate meaning is left up to the viewer. What is undeniable about the film is the fantastic depth of its young characters, sometimes surpassing Lord of the Rings in this regard, as Narnia doesn't require the intense mythological and historical backstory of Middle-earth, thus freeing up screen time for character development. Each of the film's young actors give performances that are real and organic, never relying on cuteness or sappiness for audience approval. This goes doubly for eight-year-old Georgie Henley, whose charm, talent, and ease could K.O. Dakota Fanning in a single round. Tilda Swinton surpasses already high expectations, playing the part of the evil White Witch with fascist sensibilities, narcissistic greed, and glam-rock style, so that both children and adults alike are likely to feel a combination of fear and hatred every time she enters a scene. A film adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia seemed like a natural step after the success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, since Hollywood loves to capitalize on a successful trend -- not to mention the fact that both works of literature were written around the same period of time, and that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were known to have been friends. The overall tone of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, however, is more suitable to younger viewers than the Lord of the Rings trilogy, containing far less violence and less generally dark material. The plot itself is also less complex, and the timeline is far simpler, but these changes do less to make the film unsuitable to adults and more to simply invite children to join its viewership. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
![The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Bilingual Edition) [Blu-ray]](http://img.amazon.ca/images/I/61Vqvjw%2B5HL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
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