What happened, where did the magic go?

Rating: 2/10 (8 December 2005)

I have been looking forward to this film for months. Every time a trailer has played before another film, I have become more and more excited about it, I've hyperventilated, I've been counting down the days, I even persuaded my boyfriend to come and see it with me - I was really really looking forward to it...
...And I was so disappointed. I wanted to cry halfway through, and not because the film was 'moving' me in any way at all. I don't mind changes being made to the book so long as I can understand why the changes were made. I agreed with all of Peter Jackson's changes to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I just wish that the same discretion and consideration had been taken here. Parts of the book were needlessly cut, whilst others were added and didn't even make sense  for example, was the scene with the river and the wolves really necessary? Other than to make us all question why they didn't die of hypothermia? I was also looking forward to Tilda Swinton as the White Witch. I really believed that she could carry it off and believe me she was trying, but a really bad script didn't help her; there was no space for her to even attempt evil and scary (Barbara Kellerman did much better in the TV series). It's also hard to be afraid of someone with extra shoulders and back built into her dress.
The pace of the film was too fast in my opinion, leaving no time for the audience to really care about the characters. The script was lacking tending too much towards clichés and flippant comments. The music seemed to me to jar with the scenes. Even the direction was questionable. I feel cheated, this was meant to be perfect, a new 'Lord of the Rings' for 2005 hopefully leading to a new series, something to look forward to every Christmas. I don't think I'll be going to see any of the others if they get made, not if they are like this.
The saving grace of the film and the only reason it has two stars rather than one is down to two things. Firstly the acting of the children  especially Georgie Henley and William Moseley. Also the location and scenery was really well chosen making Narnia a real country. Other than that, I don't think I have been more disappointed by a film in my life.