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

Adam Adamson's film adaptation of C. S. Lewis' first entry in his classic Narnia Series starts off awkwardly like a combination of the "Wizard of Oz" and "Lord of the Rings." The filmmakers spend too much time early on trying to be cute and Disney-fy the product while clumsily presenting scenes composed of live-action actors and not-so-great computer effects. The result, not surprisingly is like an animated film with some flesh-and-blood actors spliced in. However, once you get used to the film stylistically, all is mostly forgiven.

The filmmakers finally find solid ground when they really start to dig deeply into the story and reveal the blending of nature-based neo-paganism with medieval Christian mythology and wrap it up nicely into a children's fairytale. It's when you start to realize the white witch (played effectively by the always somewhat creepy Tilda Swinton) represents the old pre-Abraham polytheism demanding animal and human sacrifice for appeasing the pantheon of gods/goddesses and the lion king, Aslan, represents the Christian view of one self-sacrificing god that you remember the brilliance of Lewis' source material. And while it isn't terribly well executed, the epic "Battle-Beast" style showdown at the end is pretty entertaining from a visual and imaginative standpoint.

I thought this a very well done film indeed. I will say the film looks just splendid, especially the scenes in Narnia, with beautiful snowy sets (some looked as though it had come from the LOTR trilogy). However, some of the scenes looked as though they had been computerised, such as the scene with the children and beavers running across the ice. There were also some attempts to put some humour into the story like the professor's line "ah yes, the weeping one" in reference to Lucy and the beavers especially, but because the director had taken liberties to make the story darker, the humour didn't quite work. However there are a number of positives, like the spirited performances of the children, Georgie Henley especially, better than Sophie Wilcox's rather goofy portrayal in the 1988 series. James McAvoy is charming as Mr. Tumnus, and Liam Neeson was majestic as Aslan. But the acting honours go to Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, even with her calmness she dominates the screen, in a sometimes chilling portrayal as the character. The film was fairly faithful to the book, but the added scenes and dialogue failed to engage as much. All, a flawed but enjoyable film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is an extremely enjoyable filmization of CS Lewis's magical childhood epic. The story expertly weaves in childhood themes with a modern day Christian plot line (including a slightly grisly 'crucifiction' scene) to create an enchanting motion picture. Tilda Swinton is superb as the sinister White Witch. The children are average though young Georgie Henly stands out. The Special effects are more than adequate, with a specially impressive rendering of Aslan. The film moves slowly initially and its epic nature become apparent only towards the end with a vicious (but bloodless) final battle. All told, a pleasant surprise indeed!

Overall 8/10

With an appeal to both adults and children, the British author C. S. Lewis wrote seven books in his Chronicles of Narnia series. The stories are rich in mythology and religious symbolism, drawing upon archetypes from the Norse, Greco-Roman, Persian, medieval chivalric, and Judeo-Christian traditions.

Now comes this wonderful film of the first chronicle, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." The beautiful cinematography and the terrific performances of the children make this film outstanding for family viewing. As integrated with the live actors, the colorful animal characters, especially the Lion (Jesus), reveal brilliant technical film-making as well.

Lewis's books are not overtly allegorical. Rather, the symbols and the messages are subtle. The four children in the story (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) were inspired by the actual children evacuated from London during World War II, who spent time in Lewis's home. Lewis wanted his books to be enjoyed by young people who would later in their lives draw the spiritual meanings from the stories. In this area, the film is enormously faithful to the original book and would have made the author extremely proud.

Rewatching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe reminded me why it's such a timeless movie. It still gets me every time, especially the lullaby scene with Mr. Tumnus, played beautifully by James McAvoy, who is one of my favorite actors. Liam Neeson's voice as Aslan is inspiring and adds so much gravitas to the character. But for me, the standout is Tilda Swinton as the White Witch. Her performance is chilling and commanding, making her one of the most memorable parts of the movie.

The production is top-notch. The visuals are stunning, especially considering it was released in 2005, and they mostly hold up well even now. The costumes and set design are fantastic, capturing the magical and otherworldly feel of Narnia. The soundtrack is another highlight, adding emotional depth to key moments and making the experience even more immersive.

Based on the beloved novel by C. S. Lewis, the film does a good job of sticking to the important plot points while making the story accessible to a new generation. Of course, no adaptation is perfect, but this one stands on its own as a great piece of fantasy storytelling. It's not just a movie; it's a journey into a world full of magic, courage, and redemption.

This movie also feels like the perfect pick for the holiday season. It has that warmth and wonder that makes it ideal to watch with family at Christmas. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe remains a classic, and I can't recommend it enough for anyone who wants to experience a bit of magic.