This was a good movie, but it could have been a great one.

Rating: 7/10 (17 February 2007)

Although I am glad that this movie was made, and I certainly think the result is a more than adequate family film, I can't help but feel disappointed by the result. In making the transition from book to film, it feels like the filmmakers jettisoned what they thought were minor details of C.S. Lewis' original work, and replaced them with typical Hollywood-style action sequences.
While none of this was bad in itself, many of those "minor details" were, in fact, central to the themes and ideas of the book. It's not that things were changed that bothers me. Some of the additions made to the story were quite good. What bothers me is that certain things were changed or deleted that shouldn't have been.
For example, the initial encounter between Aslan and the Witch was meant to demonstrate Aslan's absolute superiority over the Witch, and her fear of him. She was terrified of him, mirroring the way that, in C.S. Lewis' world-view, evil is absolutely inferior to good.
The film, however, was interested in making the Witch seem like a "credible" villain, and took away much of her fear in that scene. It's a mistake. C.S. Lewis' point- that evil is much weaker than good- gets lost, and very little is gained from the change.
Similarly, in the book, the Beaver specifically states that Aslan is neither tame nor safe. Lewis put this in to mirror his ideas about God. The movie, in the interest of keeping Aslan's status as a Lion as a surprise, drops this element, opting instead for a few seconds of surprise for anybody who, say, didn't read the title of the film (are we really supposed to be surprised that Aslan is a lion when "The Lion" is right in the title?).
There are numerous other instances of this. Please don't misunderstand- I'm not some mad purist who can't stand it when the slightest change is made transitioning to the screen. I don't mind changes per se, it's just that C.S. Lewis was a very talented writer exploring some very complex themes, and he didn't include small details randomly or without thought. In a nutshell, I feel that excellent elements have been removed and replaced with merely adequate ones.
This is not to say that this isn't a good movie. It's an excellent family film, and certainly ranks head and shoulders above most the the garbage people take their children to see. It's a rousing adventure story, the visuals are magnificent, and Lewis' works shines through despite the misguided changes. This movie is entertaining to both children and adults.
This is a very good film. That's too bad, though, because it could have been a great one.