Mostly harmless

Rating: 7/10 (14 December 2005)

You really need a tally-sheet to review this movie; so many Great Expectations!
Truth to the original story: really close, 9 out of 10.
Let's start with: they did the right story first! The fad, lately, of numbering the books in historical order (starting with "The Magician's Nephew") is just inexplicable, must be due to someone who hasn't actually ready them. The stories don't even make sense in that order! That the movie crew began where Lewis did is a very great credit to them.
There were two things missing, though, that are actually quite important to the book: Edmund's inner dialog, and the rather parental voice of the narrator ("how silly it is to close yourself into a wardrobe", "that's the problem with magical food"). These really are missed; without them, the tale takes on a very different character, and perhaps even point.
There were three things added as well: a long preamble showing what Lewis' oh-so-brief "because of the bombing" really means, a substantial Peter-Jackson reference in the battle scene, and an Exciting Adventure Involving a Waterfall. These are a mixed bag: I think by now, over fifty years after WWII, most folks alive need a bit of explanation as to what "the bombing" really meant, and the work here is really, really good. The spectacular battle scene, though, does not so clearly carry its weight: as an attraction for the SFX fans, it's pretty lack-luster; as a fixture in the myth, it's a bit distracting from the important points (though they're all still there). And the bit with the waterfall ... what was that all about? Revolution in the writing squad? "We must put in one original idea of our own"?
Quality of the Effects: by modern standards, pretty mediocre, 5 of 10. But then again, even what is here begins to distract from the story as it is: it's not really an SFX vehicle, despite the talking animals.
Acting: there's a lot of debate about this, and I'm torn. Part of the debate though, I think, is from folks who haven't read all the books, and don't know how these children will age: some of what seems uncomfortable here is supposed to!
Character development: not too much, 4 of 10. Then again, that's the way of it with the books, too; some Narnians show more character development than the Pevensies.
Tagging up on all the key ideas, images, plot points, metaphors, characters, and other details: really, really good, 10 of 10 (except as noted above). But it did seem, occasionally, to be doing just that: "ok, now we have to have THIS happen, because it's in the book."