“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”
(Walt Disney Pictures)
Back in the 1950’s C S Lewis wrote a series of novels which were called “The Chronicles of Narnia”. One of the most popular was “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” This story has now been brought to the screen and it is full of action, adventure and amazing special effects.
In the film the four Pevensie children are living in London with their mother during World War II. Their father is involved in the war effort. In order to protect her children against the constant bombings, Mrs. Pevensie sends them into the countryside to live with Professor Kirke (Jim Broadbent) until the war is over.
Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) try to make the best of their situation but they miss their mother and their home. One day they play a game of hide and seek in order to pass the time. Lucy opts to hide in a wardrobe she discovers in an almost bare room. Once inside the wardrobe she stumbles into the land of Narnia where she meets a creature who is half-human and half faun. His name is Mr. Tumnus (James MacAvoy).
Mr. Tumnus tells Lucy all about the land of Narnia and the ferocious White Witch (Tilda Swinton) who rules there. She is being challenged by Aslan, a magnificent lion (voiced by Liam Neeson), who represents all that is good in this world.
Eventually all four children end up in this magical land and they help Aslan fight the White Witch. There are battles, betrayals and sacrifices that occur. Each child plays an integral part in helping the land of Narnia be restored to a place where goodness reigns.
Neeson is a wonderful choice to provide the voice of Aslan. He gives the lion the right mixture of goodness and courage. The computer-generated effects utilized to bring this creature to life are stunning.
Many think of this story by Lewis as being an allegory for the story of Christ, and there are certainly parallels that can be drawn. Members of the audience can see as much Christian symbolism in the movie as they want to see, or it can be viewed just as a child’s fantasy adventure.
One of the problems with the movie is that it starts off slowly, and during the ensuing events the story drags from time to time. The four children are not particularly dynamic and they never involve the audience emotionally. Without an emotional link the story never takes off.
The film is rated PG and that is surprising. This movie contains scary sequences such as the killing of a major character. There are also battle sequences that might frighten younger members of the audience. The movie should have been rated PG-13.
Many will want to see this as another “Lord of the Rings” franchise but the magic that was in the “Ring” movies is never approached here. At two hours plus in length the smaller children for whom it is obviously aimed will not be attentive. This leaves the older children and adults who might be turned off and tuned out by the only mildly entertaining story.
“The Chronicles of Narnia” has a glossy look and some good special effects but the emotional magic of the movie is lacking.
I scored “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” an allegorical 4 out of 10.
