A triumph. Even better than 'Rings' and miles better than 'Goblet'

Rating: 9/10 (8 December 2005)

Who could ever have believed Disney would do it? Make a faithful, magical, complex, touching, funny and exciting screen version of Lewis's children's classic. But they have. What is so terrific about this film is that the children--all portrayed with remarkable unfaked authenticity--beautifully portray the tensions and problems of any siblings. We feel their difficulties, their rivalries, their problems--not manufactured movie-type problems but the usual conflicts apparent in any family. And the tensions between them mirror the split in the magical world in which they find themselves. I never dreamed that one of the very greatest children's books could make it to the screen in such a consummate way. Tilda Swinton is superb as the White Witch and the story, built around a great human myth that is not necessarily or exclusively Christian, is simpler and finally more satisfying on a human level than 'Rings;. Oh and Harry Potter' pales by comparison. This is a hundred times more enjoyable and more original than 'Goblet'.