The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Starring: Georgie Henley, Skander Keynes, William Mosley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Liam Neeson (voice), James Cosmo, Ray Winstone (voice), Rupert Everett (voice), Michael Madsen (voice)(uncredited)
Directed by: Andrew Adamson
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
2005

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: Four children (Georgie Henley, Skander Keynes, William Mosley, Anna Popplewell) travel through a magic wardrobe to the land of Narnia, where they join the lion Aslan (voice of Liam Neeson) to defeat the White Witch (Tilda Swinton).

Review:

Tim: It was quite an achievement to bring this fantasy epic to the big screen. It really is a sweeping tale, and looks impressive. The movie is somewhat flawed, but is still enjoyable. The pure scope itself is reason enough to watch the movie. Make no mistake, this is not The Lord of the Rings. It's not close. But, it's still good.

I am not sure how I feel about the four Pevensie children. The actors aren't bad, but I wish they were more effective. They aren't exactly impressive on the screen. Tilda Swinton is good as the White Witch, and I enjoyed seeing James McAvoy, even if he doesn't have a great deal to do. Liam Neeson voicing Aslan was an excellent choice.

The movie starts out slow and moves along at a plodding pace. The film's battle scenes near the end are quite impressive. You have humans and beasts of all types engaged in a massive war. This is fairly amazing. However, it takes far too long to get to this point, and while impressive, it isn't the show stopper that it needed to be.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is impressive, and probably as close to the scope and size of The Lord of the Rings as anyone is going to get in the coming years. This is the start of another huge fantasy franchise, but you have to hope that it gets better from here.

*Update- almost two decades later, I returned to Narnia, this time with my 9 year-old son along. We'd read C.S. Lewis' first novel and a few months later, got around to seeing the film. It was definitely a different experience watching this after reading the book. I was impressed how well the adaptation followed Lewis' words and I had a newfound appreciation for the casting. They generally got all the right people to bring these characters to life. For my third time with this movie, I felt very similar to my previous watches- it's a really good film, solid visuals, entertaining story. This movie (and subsequently, the overall franchise) never did get better than this first film. It'll never be included in the all-time films, but it's an enjoyable journey.

It was fun watching this film with my son (my 6 year-old daughter watched a bit here or there, but wasn't a big fan of the White Witch, so didn't finish the movie). To see the movie through his eyes- the excitement, the tension, he had a blast watching it. He absolutely loved the climactic battle at the end- it was likely the biggest war scene he'd ever seen in his life. I truly appreciated this film for bringing a battle like that to younger viewers. Director Andrew Adamson did an excellent job of delivering an intense, exciting, memorable battle that also managed to be appropriate for younger audiences. This was no easy feat and it's definitely the highlight of the film. I also appreciated watching this film with a better understanding of the Christian allegories Lewis used, especially with Aslan. I thought these were fascinating- obvious if you're looking, but not so overt as to distract from the narrative being told. I thought it added a nice depth to the story.

My thoughts on the cast are spot on- the Pevensie children aren't great actors. None of them. Contrast the casting here with another franchise like Harry Potter or even the hobbits in The Lord of the Rings. We know all those younger actors- they've gone on to have long, successful careers. I still don't know the names of any of those four actors. I recognize their faces from this franchise, but they aren't especially noteworthy. Getting average actors for these roles definitely hurts the movie. Liam Neeson is incredible as Aslan, Tilda Swinton is fantastic as the White Witch. Like I said, I love James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus. It's humorous to have followed his career and then go back and watch him in this smaller supporting role. He's an especially strong actor, and he brings that talent to the role.

I'm definitely a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It's visually impressive and a fairly faithful adaptation of Lewis' classic children's novel. The movie is exciting and entertaining enough for viewers of all ages, and I truly appreciate getting to watch this film with my son. I wouldn't be opposed to watching the film again someday, but three times is a lot for this adventure. Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter franchise