"That's a nice-a donut."

Saturday, May 06, 2006

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Based on author C.S. Lewis' classic collection of The Chronicles of Narnia fantasy novels, Walden Media clearly hoped to capitalize on the enormous success of the similarly beloved Lord of the Rings film adaptations with the first Chronicles story The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Director Andrew Adamson (who worked on Shrek and its sequel) and the filmmakers took advantage of the modest "big" budget to craft a solid family adventure. It doesn't come very close to matching the scope or artistry in Peter Jackson's trilogy, but should please fans of the books or those who are just looking for a more wholesome epic without bloody violence or any racy dialogue.

Set in London during the early stages of World War II, four children are sent to live with their aunt and uncle in a large home in the countryside. Bored one day, they play hide-n-seek and the youngest kid Lucy (Georgie Henley) stumbles upon a magical wardrobe. Inside, and out the back of the wardrobe leads her to the fantastic wintry land known as Narnia. There she meets Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy), a kind faun (sort of a half-human, half-deer) and just has the time of her life. Note the word "time" in that last sentence; when she returns back to the house through the wardrobe, she very quickly realizes that time has stopped in her absence. Nobody even knew she was gone. Her sister and two brothers don't believe her at first, but they eventually all end up in Narnia, and that is where the fun begins.

Younger brother Edmund (Skandar Keynes) makes a big mistake and leaves the group to search for the White Witch (Tilda Swinton), who he believes will make him the heir to the royal throne. So Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Lucy go off on an adventure to save him. Along their magical journey they meet many talking animals, life-threatening danger, and the lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) who may be the key to saving the kingdom from the witch's evil clutches. There are several Christian religious themes in the movie. Fortunately for the most part they sit in the background and won't be noticeable to many people, but at least one (involving Aslan) is very easy to spot.

The story stumbles a bit in the last act, with a battle sequence that is unnecessarily long and a confrontation between Aslan and the White Witch that is way too melodramatic. And, despite the fact that it's a fantasy, I couldn't help but feel that the kids accepted Narnia too quickly and got too unrealistically attached to a few of the characters they meet. Perhaps it's a needless and minor point, but there wasn't enough shock to their systems for being in such a foreign and absurd environment.

But the child actors all do a fine job. And amazingly they all have somewhat similar facial features, which is really rather rare in cinema for people who are supposed to be related. I also especially liked the comic relief and playful banter provided by Beaver and Mrs. Beaver - certainly much of the credit for that goes to the voice actors (Ray Winstone and Dawn French). Their act is of a long-married couple who bicker constantly yet care the world for one another, yet it somehow isn't thrown in just for comic effect, as their interplay is also important to the quest as well.

Some of the visual effects are rather uneven, with some creations being very impressive and seamless into the picture, and others being obvious computer-generated renderings, with the worst being almost cartoon-y. But by then end, I had a good time, and am certainly curious to see the results of the followup, Prince Caspian, if and whenever that shall be. At its best, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe provides some wonderful magical moments, inspired by great childhood fantasies and daydreams. All in all it's a pretty fun movie.

The Verdict: B.

Michael Bentley 6:33 PM

"That's a nice-a donut."

Saturday, May 06, 2006

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