A great movie which will appeal to adults too

Rating: 10/10 (20 June 2008)

I intended to watch this when it was on the big screen but somehow never got around to it. Watched it on commercial TV the other night. Despite that huge handicap (incessant ads, banner ads etc.), I was totally enchanted by this movie, hence the 10/10 rating. Based on a series of books which I haven't read, I must say that as a movie, it worked wonderfully. In fact, it's even better than any of the Harry Potter movies I've seen (another book to cinema series of tales).
Set during World War II in England, at the time of the German air-raids, it's the tale of the Pevensie family. The children are sent to the countryside to avoid the worst of the blitz. The children comprise the elder role-models Peter and Susan, along with their younger brother and sister Edmund and Lucy. I must say that Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie is absolutely adorable. Don't let that description put you off...these are English characters, not those highly annoying 'cute' kids American popular culture likes to foist on us.
In this movie's favour is the humour...I was often amused by exchanges between the characters-like when Lucy first meets Mr. Tumnus.
Anyway, from the grim opening of this movie, it eventually explores the fantastic alternative universe that is Narnia...a land of mythical creatures, both good and evil. On that level, this movie is a great adventure with great spectacle and terrific CGI effects (computer generated special effects-of places and creatures).
Not exactly sure what age group this movie is pitched at, but I think it is a PG movie...perhaps a bit to dark for very young children-it does get into 'heavy' topics at times, which very young children might get upset by.
Another big plus for this movie is the complex depictions of the characters. The eldest children are sensible. Lucy is good and Edmund has a more interesting trajectory to follow. Tilda Swinton as the White Witch is brilliant-one of those 'complex' characters I mentioned earlier. She also happens to be more menacing than Darth Maul!
One very small gripe-a little annoyed at one of the mythical characters that made an appearance in this moviesomething for Virginia, perhaps?
Anyway, this was such a promising opening movie that I will definitely see the first sequel next week, at the cinema. Sometimes you watch a movie that you know will or may become a franchise. More often than not, you make up your mind to not watch anymore in the series. The sequel will have to be really bad to kill this franchise.
P.S. I've seen the sequel to this movie and will post up my review now.