The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (review)

The movie is actually better than I thought it would be. I went to the theater waiting to be disappointed with the film. Yet, I was truly surprised that the movie was pretty good.

The film opens up with a compelling battle set during WWII, when German bombers raided Britain, bombing people’s homes and killing many civilians in the process. This interesting scene grounds the movie in reality that not even the LOTR could gather. Because of the war, four children are sent to a Professor’s manor and are watched over by this guy. The movie drags here somewhat with still scenes and dull dialogue from the children, but Harry Gregson Williams’s work here helps the poor pacing right along. Come on, we’re not here to watch the children sit around and talk; we want to see the other world.

When the little girl enters the wardrobe “gateway”, that’s when the movie finds its creative legs and we are drawn into this strange world called Narnia. When the girl runs into a strange little goat boy, I, at first, felt a little freaked out, thoughts of Michael Jackson ran through my head. But, their relationship actually works.

I should note that the Christianity elements aren’t as bad as some are led to believe. I will go as far to say that it makes the movie better in many ways. The entire Aslan /Jesus Comparisons actually work for me as well. When you place religious issues in a fantastic setting more people will go along for the ride, this is something C.S. Lewis learned and mastered, while Anne Rice hasn’t.

Overall, the movie does work for me despite the weak acting by some of the children in the early scenes in the movie. The CGI is very convincing and the CGI characters actually are better actors than the children and are treat to watch. Harry Williams’s music works well except when he goes into his Harry “Metal Gear Solid” Williams mode during the battle. The huge battle isn’t as good or dramatic as Peter Jackson’s vision, but this is a PG movie after all.

Grade B

~The glance at the young WWII soldiers by the oldest son is a nice touch on the issues we have today with so many of our young people dying in a war with no end.

~Liam Neeson once again plays another “father” figure, yet now he’s a Lion.

~I loved the talking beavers in this movie, and the fox was a pimp.

~I didn’t care for the New Age music at the end of the film.

~Mr. Tumnus, please put on a shirt, because that scarf just doesn’t cut it in the 100 year winter.

~Uh, Santa Claus (AKA Father Christmas) still rubs me the wrong way when he shows up in the film, but I’ll take this Santa over our fat, lame Santa any day. Why? Because, this Santa carries weapons in his bag. (Hey you got an AK-47 in that bag?)