Watch It For The Entertainment Value, December 11, 2005

By 

B. Merritt “filmreviewstew.com” (WWW.FILMREVIEWSTEW.COM, Pacific Grove, California United States) –

  

  

  

Young Lucy Pevenise, along with her older brothers Edmund and Peter, and her older sister, Susan, are in London during the initial bombing raids of WW II. And like many families of the time, the parents decide to send them to the country for safer keeping. Peter, the oldest, is told by their mother to “watch over them” and make sure they stay safe. And although this seems like a fairly simple request, Peter’s ability to protect his siblings will be put to the ultimate test. But not by WW II, but by an amazing secret discovered by young Lucy.

Soon after being spirited into the company of a hermit-like professor’s care (Jim Broadbent), they decide to play hide-and-seek, and it’s during this game which Lucy discovers a mysterious wardrobe. She tucks herself inside and backs to the rear of the cabinet …only to discover herself in an entirely different world. Here she meets up with Mr. Tumnus, a strange half-stag, half-human creature who explains much about the wintry landscape Lucy now finds herself in. The place is called Narnia, and it’s been locked in winter for over 100 years by someone known as “The White Witch” (who claims to be the Queen of Narnia).

Lucy, excited beyond words, rushes back to “the real world” to tell her brothers and sister about what she’s discovered and, of course, they don’t believe her …until they all get into the wardrobe one day and find out she’s been telling the truth.

Soon a prophecy is revealed to the two brothers and two sisters: it is said that when Aslan returns, two daughters of Eve and two sons of Adam will come back and reclaim the four thrones of Narnia. But first they have to battle The White Witch, struggle with the internal dynamics of sibling rivalries, and face the death of the very creature who helped create this strange world.

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Comparisons abound between NARNIA and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. And why not. Both are fantasy tales. Both authors (Lewis and Tolkien) were friends during the same era. And both stories have recently made it to the silver screen. And although my heart still rests with THE LORD OF THE RINGS, NARNIA deserves much praise.

But this praise doesn’t necessarily come from me…

I went to the theater today (a weekend) and it was packed with children (ranging in age from their teens to five years old), and while watching it I noticed something intriguing: not a single interruption occurred during the entire 140 minutes. No crying child asking to go home; no temper tantrums; no shushing of mothers and fathers to their kids. I think this speaks pretty highly of how engaged this film kept its intended audience. I will say that when Aslan became “injured” there were gasps of dismay from a couple of kids behind me and they quietly asked their mother if “Aslan was going to be okay” (I have to admit, that was pretty cute).

Georgie Henley (Lucy) was exquisite as one of the prime characters (move over Dakota Fanning). Her acting was spot-on and brought a lump to my throat several times. Liam Neeson’s Aslan voice was also perfect with its deep resonance that seemed to echo through the theater (must’ve been a good sound recording). Tilda Swinton was also excellent as the sinister White Witch who rules Narnia with a cold, iron fist. And James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus was also pulled off very well.

There’ve been several reviews (professional) that have been critical of the film’s Christian-based theological leanings. Well …yes. That’s true. It does have that, but so did C.S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles novels. So did this bother me? Not at all. I don’t prescribe to any particular faith, and if you go into NARNIA with an anti-religious chip on your shoulder, I’m sure you could rip the film apart. But if you go into the theater strictly to enjoy good storytelling and for entertainment, you’ll probably delight in NARNIA just as much as the ten-year-old who sat behind me quietly throughout the entire movie.

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]]> http://www.mickeynews.com/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-lion-witch-and-the-wardrobe-widescreen-edition.html/comment-page-1#comment-8598 Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:17:07 +0000 http://www.mickeynews.com/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-lion-witch-and-the-wardrobe-widescreen-edition.html#comment-8598

A magical adaptation of an even more magical story, April 3, 2006

By 

Daniel Jolley “darkgenius” (Shelby, North Carolina USA) –

  

  

  

If you’re going to bring a beloved classic to life, you had better do it right – and director Andrew Adamson did just that, largely because of his own special memories of reading the book as a child. The timing for this film was also right – not only because it follows in the wake of the masterful Lord of the Rings series (and there will always be comparisons between Narnia and LOTR, despite their vast differences) but, more importantly, because this film really could not have been made any earlier. I wasn’t a big fan of CGI when the technology emerged; I thought it took away from the purity of the medium and, of course, it was oftentimes obviously not real in those early days. When you watch The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, though, you see the undeniable magic that CGI has now opened up. This film is heavy with computer animation, and its integration with real actors and sets is virtually seamless. Aslan, by way of example, may well be CGI’s highest achievement to date. For one thing, he looks bloody real in every scene, but what is truly amazing is the depth of feeling and emotion that comes through in his face and gestures, particularly during the scene at the Stone Slab.

There’s really far more to praise about this film than I have time or room for. I’ll just say the cinematography and music are masterful, and the creation of the different creatures (be they computer-generated or wonders of costuming) are incredibly detailed and realistic. I just want to hurry up and talk about the children playing the Pevensie siblings. Do they give awards for best casting? If they don’t, they certainly should, and this film would take that prize hands-down. They boys (William Moseley as Peter and Skandar Keynes as Edmund) are excellent, but the girls are nothing short of perfect. There’s just something about Anna Popplewell (Susan) that I find blissfully charming. Her character is basically the smart and careful one of the bunch, and Popplewell just radiates nobility and a maturity beyond her years. Young Georgie Henley, though, takes the proverbial cake as little Lucy. I tend to think of this story as Lucy’s for the most part. It is she who first takes us into Narnia, and we see that enchanted land primarily through her eyes. Aslan is the central character, but Lucy is really the audience’s link to everything that happens. I think you can experience Narnia just by watching Lucy – the childish wonder, the joy of the land’s magic, and the heart-breaking sadness of the White Witch’s most evil deeds. If you listen to the children’s commentary on the DVD, though, you’ll be even more impressed with these kids. Georgie is the quintessential child, a fountain of unbridled energy and unabashed honesty, but she also asks the director some incredibly insightful questions about some of his directorial decisions. All of these kids are smart as a whip, but that Georgie truly is something special.

I’m assuming you already know the story here, so I won’t go into plot details. What makes the story resonate so deeply is the myriad of interpretations you can take away from it. Clearly, there’s a strong Christian allegory at work here, primarily in terms of Aslan, the rightful king of Narnia, but you don’t have to view the story in that way at all – although the moral implications of this classic contest between good and evil are obvious and beneficial to all. Your interpretation, in fact, may very well change with each viewing. Children can just enjoy it as an adventure with talking animals, but as they come back to the film over time they will begin to pick up on the deeper meanings of the story. This is one of those rare films that gets better and better with each viewing.

You have to love the bonus features on the two-disc collector’s edition. We’re talking hours and hours of behind-the-scenes footage and insights into the whole Narnia experience (and a few bloopers). I really love the Kids and Director Commentary, and I would heartily encourage you to watch that. Filmmaker commentary (and there’s one of those here, as well) tend to be rather boring. I got more out of the Kids Commentary than I would normally get out of ten filmmaker commentaries. You also have the option of watching the film with interesting facts about Narnia popping up from time to time. If you really want to know how in the world this incredible movie was brought to life, you’ll relish Disc 2 and its hours of interviews and film prep featurettes on the casting, design, costuming, creature-making, etc. You can also find really nice information on the different creatures you’ll meet in Narnia – and you can even explore Narnia’s most important locations and hear a little more about what happens in Narnia after the story of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ends. The Special Two-Disc Collector’s Edition of this movie is truly the complete package – and a…

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