Magical Fun!

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2005)

Narnia can be summarized by two words: magical fun! As a kids movie, it was nearly perfect (if I were a decade or two younger ), but as a complete movie that stirs the soul, I can only give it an 8 (which is a very good score in my book!). Before I say anything, Tilda Swinton was simply BREATHTAKING (no pun intended) as the Witch in this movie! Her every move, every look, every gesture was pure art, grace, and *evil*! She literally stole the show and carried the movie, both at the same time.
Otherwise, the story was fun if you watch it from a child's point of view. The special effects were done quite well (except for maybe a couple scenes here and there where you can tell it's a blue/green screen), and the child actors weren't too bad either. The little girl was definitely my favorite out of the 4 kids. Of course, there are many comparisons to Lord of the Rings, and I find myself thinking "Gandalf!" when I saw Santa Claus, or "Galadriel" when seeing the witch... Also, for fellow RPG geeks out there, my friend and I thought that Peter must have walked around in the same place to "level up" so that he went from not knowing how to use a sword to killing minotaurs...
There were some concerns about heavy handed religious overtones in the movie, but that wasn't a problem at all. It was handled quite well and fit the story.
All in all, great movie! Allow yourself to live your childhood again and you'll be immersed in the wonderful world of Narnia.