Movies

Prepare to enter another world when Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present C.S. Lewis's timeless and beloved adventure. With the stunningly realistic special effects, you'll experience the exploits of Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter, four siblings who find the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of "hide-and-seek" at the country estate of a mysterious professor. Once there, the children discover a charming, once peaceful land inhabited by talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs and giants that has been turned into a world of eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis. Aided by the wise and magnificent lion Aslan, the children lead Narnia into a spectacular, climactic battle to be free of the Witch's glacial powers forever!

I honestly cannot remember if I ever read these books as a kid. I, like many, have felt a slight itch to read them now, since the movie release was somewhat of a reminder that the books even existed. I wanted to see the movie first, though. I wanted watch with attention devoid of geeky "this-is-nothing-like-the-book" bias.

As I lay in bed on my lazy Saturday afternoon watching The Chronicles of Narnia, I definitely had the longing to be sitting in a dark movie theater, losing myself in the action on the giant silver-screen. Seeing it on DVD was not a bad thing, but I think if I had taken the time to see it in the theater it would have definitely been a good thing.

In the "books we read as children turned movies" category, The Chronicles of Narnia was geared more towards children than Tolkien/Jackson Lord of the Rings movies.

In the "books my children may or may not have read turned movies" category, The Chronicles of Narnia may have even been a little less sophsiticated than Harry Potter. Forgive me for saying that in The Chronicles of Narnia it seemed that a few more things were a little far-fetched. I know it seems ridiculous that I say that a young boy, his brother and sisters leading a war against an evil witch is far fetched, though the fauns and centaurs they lead into battle and a completely different story about an entire school of young wizards were completely acceptable.

Some of the effects were flawless. The CG lion was masterfully done, as were most of the panoramic views. There were so many beatiful scenery shots, but some appeared lazily done. Maybe the design team had to cut a few corners, but the kids looked too blatantly super-imposed at times. This is a petty complaint, and my only one really.

I had fun watching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I enjoyed it thoroughly and recommend it to anyone with young kids who are yet to go through the phase where they repress their imagination or anyone who has already come out of it.

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