THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA 1:
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE(2005)
After a re-watch, I find that this is really a great
movie! You just gotta give it a chance! A
A review from Amazon:
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