The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (USA) (Disney/Buena Vista) (2005) ***1/2Year: 2005iMDB
Director: Andrew Adamson Cast: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy
With the great success of the Harry Potter movies many were wondering what are the chances of turning into a success another set of famous books that centers around (British!) children in magic lands. The answer is very simple however - if you make a good movie, it will be successful. And the first part of the beloved Chronicles of Narnia series is certainly a success.
I would even dare to say that visually and soundtrack-wise I found Narnia to be a more immersive experience than the latest Harry Potter movie. However, Narnia's story, at least as it was shown in the movie, since I have not read the books, is truly a children's story. Even with the obvious Christian messages, there is not much for adults to appreciate in the story. Furthermore, again without knowledge about how these things are presented in the book, while the story pacing and the introductions are great for the most part, there are moments that simply make no sense in the movie and they could be so easily explained. Santa Claus's appearance made everyone that I saw the movie with look at each other with an expression saying "Okay... that was random! Glad it made sense for them...". Also Peter's transformation into a valiant fighter overnight could be easily explained by the fact that he discovers different abilities as he enters this magic world. However, most of the time he seems as hesitant as you'd expect him to be, except for the final battle where all of a sudden he turns into a true hero.
But the one thing that makes all these questions go away as you watch the movie is young Georgie Henley who plays Lucy, the youngest of the four siblings. Her genuine, innocent look convinces you that she believes everything that is going on in the story and is excited by it, and as long as she believes it, then I gladly believe it too.
Posted by TheCasualCritic on December 11, 2005 06:26 PMThe appearance of Father Christmas (aka Santa Claus) was a significant sign that the spell the White Witch had over Narnia was fading - it was always winter but never Christmas (I think this was mentioned sort of casually by Tumnus, so easily missed). I think this is one of those things that got lost because of the time constraints of the movie. In the book, there is a scene where a group of animals is having a merry Christmas dinner, and the Witch and her sleigh stop to demand what they are doing. They blurt out that Father Christmas stopped by and gave them presents, and she turns them into stone.
About Peter turning into a warrior - that's also not that well explained in the movie. It could become an issue in future movies if they continue the series. In the books, Narnia has a mysterious effect on the human children that go there - they become stronger, braver, than they are back home. You are even supposed to see this in their physical appearance. That would be a bit hard to do in a movie I guess.
(I have a rather long review of the movie on my site from a devoted long-time reader of the books :) http://www.makikoitoh.com/archives/2005/12/a_review_of_nar.html
)