A treat for the kids

Rating: 7/10 (24 September 2006)

As an adult, I found this feature pretty boring. But as I watched it, I had to remember something I forgot - and that was - what it was like to be young. The movies I found intriguing like "Clash of the Titans" and "Jason and the Argonauts" didn't do a thing for my parents, but they love me loving it. This is the perfect film for young people as well movie - full of fantasy, wonder and good special effects.
This is a film about children who find another world in their a wardrobe closet. This world, is fraught with problems, similar to the 'real world' the children come from. BUt in this world, they are the ones that can control the destiny. Huge wardrobe closets were abundant in my neighborhood and as a child, they seemed so big and had clothes that went on forever in them. Having siblings, it did present the perfect place to play or to get lost. I could have imagined that on the other side of this closet is a whole new world that to survive, needs my brothers and sisters help and as a family we'd have the power to save it. And we'd be the Kings and Queens of it. First, we'd have to be a tighter knit family to get it done, and that message is pretty clear in this film. Nice.
Beyond that, there's nothing more of this film. Yes, there are references to "the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve" as in reference to Adam and Eve from the Christian Bible - but that was really of no consequence to me. With all the things that were running around, you could have named the children "of anything" and it would have worked. I found no Christian religious beating over the head in this film. To be honest, this film is similar to the "Harry Potter" series to me, without a lot of the magic references, but with the same talking and human qualities given to wild animals and good vs. evil themes.
The White Witch was as mean as a witch would be from your childhood and the children and tweens responded to several instances in this film like...children and tweens would have in those situations. As an adult watching, I would have handled many of those things differently - tougher, more mature - but again, you have to keep in mind, these were children. And they did just fine for the material.
A nice film for older children and young tweens who like adventure and fantasy.