A new favorite for me...a good reason for other parents to pause...

Rating: 9/10 (10 December 2005)

I've been anticipating the arrival of this film since I first heard rumors it would be made. I became a great fan of the Lewis works as a teenager and have loved sharing them with my children as an adult. The film version was true to the novel - nothing seemed terribly watered down or removed as is so often the case with film versions of classic novels.
I was enthralled with the choices made for actors for all parts. Swinton (the White Witch) could not have been more aptly cast. The children all shouldered their roles with believability and grace.
The direction, art direction, score, and cgi were all first rate save two scenes in the film. There were two moments when my friend and I both agreed the combining of actors with background or scenery was less than seamless. There a few very minor details that are additions which are not in the book. But those add visually to the story and do not at all detract.
Lastly, I like to leave some information for parents trying to make a decision about letting children see this film. Spoilers will follow: There is one scene in this film in particular that I believe might be frightening to the point of worry for parents of very young or very sensitive children. The Stone Table scene where Aslan comes to the White Witch is imagined by Adamson in such a manner that the creatures loyal to the witch are quite grotesque and many may find them frightening. Some more conservative parents may find the battle scene between the armies of Aslan and the White Witch just a bit too realistic despite the absence of blood or gore. I personally have decided my children should wait for the small screen version (I think the large screen has a much more profound impact visually) and they are age 8, 7, 6, and 3 (I wouldn't let my 3 year old see it at all just yet). The Christian allegory is not altered or watered down by the film imagining. For non Christians the book and film version are amazing stories in their own right, and for the Christian the parallels between the story of Christ and this first of the Chronicles of Narnia are hard to miss (for those who do not know the story of how the Chronicles were first written, this allegory was intentional)
All in all, this film is magnificent. I absolutely loved it. It was so well done and well put together that I won't be surprised if we see Best Picture nods early next year. If you loved the book, you'll not be disappointed by this film. 9 out of 10 stars (with one deducted for 2 moments of less-than-seamless cinematography and cgi combination)