movie review: Chronicles of Narnia

Published in The Post-Star (G11)
12/15/05

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe 2005. Directed by Andrew Adamson, based on the novel by C.S. Lewis. Starring Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy and Jim Broadbent. 140 minutes. Rated PG for battle sequence and frightening moments.

Think of it as "Lord of the Rings" meets "Full House" -- mythical creatures and a bloody battle, mixed with a healthy dose of hugs and moral lessons. Welcome to Narnia.

Children of the Christian subculture will be especially enthralled with this true-to-the-book adaptation of their beloved C.S. Lewis's most popular novel. Even if the Biblical references fly right over some viewers' heads, this fantasy film is pure entertainment.

Lewis always maintained he did not intend the series to be a Christian allegory, but rather a supposition: What would happen if a Christ-like figure entered another world? In Narnia, that figure takes the shape of a talking lion named Aslan.

The film begins as a realistic drama, set in England during World War II. Four British siblings -- Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie -- are evacuated from London to a rural country estate. They escape bombs, but not boredom. One day, things get so dull, they resort to a game of hide-and-seek, and Lucy (Georgie Henley) hides in a mysterious old wardrobe.

She tumbles through the back of the wardrobe into a magical, wintery world, where she meets a friendly faun named Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy). Her sense of childish wonder is very convincing, perhaps because this is Henley's first professional acting role. Viewers find themselves sharing her sense of righteous indignation when she returns to a bunch of skeptical siblings.

Soon enough, all four of the children are not only fully convinced that Narnia exists, they're caught up in a resistance movement against the White Witch/Ice Queen (Tilda Swinton) who rules the land. They learn that under her spell, it's always winter in Narnia -- but never Christmas. (Maybe that's one of the "frightening moments" referred to in the rating.)

The relationship between the siblings is one of the movie's central themes, perhaps even more so than in the book. When Edmund makes a stupid decision that puts his life at risk, his brother and sisters band together to save him. At the same time, each child is developing a stronger sense of self. They begin as reluctant young heroes, but by the end of the movie, they've grown into their crowns.

It might seem hard to believe that anyone out of their pre-teen years could enjoy a movie featuring talking animals, but keep an open mind. Thanks to computer graphics, Aslan's expressions are almost human, and the plot unfolds with surprising emotional depth. The only things missing are sex and swearing -- it's Disney, after all.
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