Wonderful fantasy adventure, yet there are some flaws

Rating: 7/10 (22 December 2005)

I have never read the original artwork by C.S. Lewis, so my review can by no means assess how true the movie actually is to the original.
The movie itself does have some weaknesses, fair enough. I am used to rating movies due to their logical coherence and substantial quality, and both is to be criticized here. Yet the actual transformation is only one aspect. I approve of the underlying themes and the messages that are conveyed, and this makes me award Narnia with a solid 7.
The story is simply outstanding and inspirational by all means. This is of course due to the books and not something that can be credited to the movie's producers. The fantasy and the power of magic that pervades the story might make any child's eyes gleam in admiration and amazement. This needs to be appreciated and makes Narnia a nice Christmas movie.
The characters are somewhat indifferent, save for little Lucy played by Georgie Henley. The two male actors in particular seem a bit overcharged with the movie's scope. They act decently in a way that would definitely suffice for a movie of lesser dimension, but they lack to vitalize their characters with the emotional depth and convincing authenticity that would be absolutely necessary for the audience to establish some sort of relationship to them as characters. This is probably due to a lack of sophistication in terms of the kids' acting skills. Maybe the casting department should have chosen more experienced actors instead of utter newcomers.
Okay, having criticized this aspect I have to say some good things about the visual accomplishments. The movie is an eye-catcher in terms of wonderful visualizations. I think it is fair to say that the visual outfit does justice to Lewis' perception of Narnia. The creatures are wonderfully designed and seem so vivid as they could have possibly been.
The real reproach of my review is the coherence of the storyline though. I do concede that it is a challenge to process something as huge as Lewis' Narnia, but the story lacked considerable logic sometimes and was sort of elusive. It seems to me that the producers wanted to jam as much input into the story as possible, which hampered the natural development of the plot. How can you expect the two boys being good at fighting with their swords in a huge battle? Why are the main characters rejuvenated when they re-enter the wardrobe? In addition some scenes were indeed very corny and too stereotyped for my taste - even young kids can expect a bit more. The deep emotions were not really convincingly conveyed, which brings me back to the unexperienced actors.
The reason for giving Narnia a 7 is the magic of the whole movie. Talking animals, magnificent landscapes, funny dialogs, themes of redemption and courage - this is something to be appreciated, as it might inspire children and adults alike. The whole movie might have been a bit too childish, okay, but it is not that bad as a whole.
Still, there would have been many ways to make Narnia better. It is a pity that both the cast and the producers were not really able to live up to the scope and the possibilities this unique story provides.