Chronciles of Narnia:The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe - movie review

It took me awhile before I could write this review of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe so that it didn't become a babble of awe. As well, I needed some distance to determine the Narnia-esque elements amongst the flash WETA effects that are now synonomous with Lord of the Rings. But two years after the last Tolkien epic hit winter screens, the first in the rival series is released. And, honestly it doesn't disappoint.

The Narnia series has often lived in the shadow of the infamous trilogy - perhaps due to its child protagonists and obvious christian overtones. Narnia has been called Tolkien-lite and recent reviews of the PG-rated/Disney-released film have echoed this sentiment. As well, with the arrival of Harry Potter many believe the child-focused magical story slot to be filled. However, one viewing of Narnia clearly shows that it is no light-weight and that there is a perfect place between HP and LotR for the series to flourish.

It is pretty well accepted that children who grow up in reading houses are likely Tolkien or Lewis fans (the derivative HP excluded). I grew up a Narnia girl and I've waited most of my life to SEE Narnia. I saw the movie with my mom who had introduced me to the series and is a bigger fan than I. Much of the joy in watching Narnia is about observing the details and this is rewarded because it is in the details that the film excels. The direction of Adamson (who previously oversaw the 90-minute Shrek) is too broad in this 2.5 hour adventure. The opening section drags and the emotion is drained in a compressed denouement. But these pacing issues are the sole blemishes (but will definitely impact the pleasure of non-readers for sure!) and the goods are plentiful.

The core of the film (as with the books) is the Pevensie children. Thankfully, Narnia took the HP route and cast unknown and British children in the roles of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. The results are wonderful. In spite of some wooden delivery that can be discounted as youthful inexperience, the children are excellent in their roles and capture the distinctive elements of each one perfectly. They also look like a genuine family due to an entrancing resemblance based on bright eyes and freckles. Seriously, the freckles are brilliant. Lucy and Peter are standouts of the quartet with two moments being noteworthy: Lucy's first meeting with Mr. Tumnus captures fearless kindness in spades and Peter's devastated reaction to the fall of Edmund is pure emotional strength and marks the young actor for great things.

The remainder of the performances are dominated by voice-work for a variety of creatures. The voices are strong and add much to the film but occassionally the "who is that?" game takes over the mind while watching. But two "acting" parts must be noted: Mr. Tumnus and the White Witch. Oh, what to say? Both are perfect. Both exist as if conjured right from the pages themselves. James McAvoy portrays the conflicted Mr. Tumnus with dignity from his hooves to his red scarf. As everyone's introduction to Narnia, he succeeds at being both magical and "human". The casting of Tilda Swinton as the White Witch is, of course, inspired. Originally, Nicole Kidman was to fill the queen's shoes but she could not have compared to the iciness that is SO natural to Swinton. She is breathtaking in sculptured gowns (including an incredile chain mail one!) and, where a lesser actress may have gotten lost in her wardrobe, Swinton holds your attention in every scene. Avid movie watchers (such as myself) may find her performance to strongly resemble her turn as Gabriel in Constantine last summer, but if one knows the constructs of Narnia - this comparison is most fitting.

Which brings us to the effects themselves. Narnia is a world populated with talking animals, mythical creatures and elaborate scenery. Is it saying enough if I tell you that I almost cried SO many times in this movie because the effects were so beautiful? That the gryphons, unicorns, and centaurs were presented as ripped from my own imagination? What about the fact that the lamppost, the witch's castle and stone statues, and the final battle are depicted directly from the drawings in the book. As I mentioned before, Narnia succeeds in the details. There is even the hiss of the flame in the lamppost! And that phoenix? Wow! How cool was that? The last triumph of the effects is the animation of the animals. It is one thing to generate "imaginary" creatures and another to create Mr. and Mrs. Beaver or the menacing wolves of the secret police. All are impeccable. The film achieves seamless transitions between its real and CGI animals and expertly presents some of the best hair effects seen on film yet. WETA should be proud. It is obvious the lessons learned on LotR have been applied to Narnia to the audience's benefit.

Lastly, there is the presentation of Aslan. Admittedly, the most difficult part of any Narnia adaptation as Aslan represents SO much to the story itself and the audience. Thankfully, the "reveal" of the great cat is spectacular and appropriate. The two important Aslan attributes - his eyes and his mane - are given the attention they deserve and the lion is solidly in the picture. However, whereas the film succeeds in its depiction of Aslan, it falls short on his portrayal. The voice of Liam Neeson is a strong choice but I cannot shake the feeling that I should not able to recognize Aslan's voice. As well, the film fails to secure the true power of Aslan's presence. He is majestic and powerful, but the rapture felt by those around him is never realized. His scene at the stone table suffers because of this treatment. Although strong (and the christ parallels have never been more clear), the devastation of the action is insufficient. Aslan means MORE than this film realizes.

Still, in conclusion, Narnia is a solid beginning. I have no idea how the filmmakers will adapt the series as it is not linear in the same way as HP and LotR. The Narnia series, although an easy read, had a narrative chronology that Tarantino would admire. In fact, the children introduced in this film disappear for five books! Can the movie-going audience accept an ever-changing cast? Can they grasp that the true focus of this series in the land of Narnia itself? I hope so.