Sweet, Fun, Captures a Sense of Wonder True to Childhood

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2006)

"Chronicles of Narnia" is sweet and fun, and it captures that sense of wonder that's true to childhood in a way that many other, similar films have tried to do, but been unable to do.
I'm not a CS Lewis fan, and, given so-so reviews, I didn't expect much. The film charmed me, though.
Opening scenes were a bit slow and quiet, but the pace did pick up towards the end.
The production values of the film were excellent, from brief, early scenes depicting Nazi bombing of London during WW II, to the special effects in Narnia.
Lighting was lacking; Tilda Swinton was breathtakingly, marvelously, evil as the White Witch; she's in the same class, here, as Margaret Hamilton in "Wizard of Oz." But she's lit all wrong; her icicle crown never shines and sparkles as it ought. And she isn't given enough screen time.
I was really charmed and swept away by the magical animals of Narnia, the talking beavers, fighting bulls, etc. I've seen a lot of special-effects heavy films this year, but this one was the most fun, certainly more fun than the overdone "King Kong." Especially delightful was Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie. It's rare that I see a new star and want to become that star's groupie, following his or her progress. Georgie earned that kind of devotion and interest from me with her performance here. She distills the sweetness and innocence of a small girl, and yet she's interesting, more Haley Joel Osment than Shirley Temple.
Henley's chemistry with James McAvoy, as a faun, was instantly believable. You'd think that they'd been performing this couple in stock companies for years. I wish more on screen romantic couples had such great chemistry. I was put in mind of Judy Garland and Ray Bolger in "Oz." Aslan, the lion, voiced by Liam Neeson, was perfect. He was very beautiful, and imposing, and noble. A just gorgeous use of special effects.
The wolves, as the secret police, were very scary.
The White Witch's method of eliminating her foes, by freezing them, was beautifully handled.
Finally, I deeply appreciated the sense of childhood that pervaded this movie. It brought back to me the wonder that childhood can create (or discover), and the sense of children in the audience that the filmmakers exercised.
You can feel perfectly comfortable viewing this film with a child. It does not contain the kind of graphic images that many ostensibly "child friendly" films do contain, that can make a caring adult squirm.
Don't misunderstand -- this film does treat complex issues in a profound way. It just doesn't use cheap sensationalism to do so, as too many movies do.
Oh, one more thing. Some have voiced fear that this film will impose Christianity on them. That's nonsense. This film proselytizes much less than most politically correct movies, that jam their worldview down your throat and depict anyone who isn't onboard with them as Satan incarnate.
In fact, given that I haven't read Lewis' book, if I had not read the press coverage of the "Christian controversy," I don't know that I would have made the connection.
Lewis was an expert in, and a great fan of, ancient mythology, from a variety of cultures. "Chronicles" contains images and motifs that go back to Norse mythology, etc. This movie is not going to convert you to anything, except maybe to an appreciation of its beauty, and its respect for, and love of, children and childhood.