OK but no great shakes

Rating: 6/10 (15 December 2005)

Was slightly reticent about seeing this as had seen a few clips already and had not been very impressed. However it wasn't too bad. The opening sequence showing German bombers attacking London and the fear of the Pevensey family as they scrabble for the bomb shelter was for me the most powerful in the movie. Scary stuff.
The rest was fine but not outstanding. Peter Jackson has raised the bar so high that any fantasy film now is going to struggle. LWW is a very different fish form LotR: Narnia, even under the White Witch's rule is a polished clean and beautiful land not the magnificent, majestic and troubled Middle Earth. Even the battles happen on glorious sunny days! This is amazing as some of the locations seem to me to be identical.
The story itself is very chauvinistic (as was LotR). Girls don't fight (much) but instead look after the dead and heal wounds. Boys look after their sisters in a sturdily British way and good triumphs over evil. Totally.
Much has been made of the Christian allegory but to be honest it's only there if you look for it. It's not overwhelming so don't let the US religious right's enthusiasm for the movie put you off. They're just clutching at straws in a desperate attempt to bolster their sagging moral position and shaky faith. Perhaps.
In brief: CGI animals - very good. The Gryphon led air strike on the Ice Queens army is the stand-out for me Green screen - some dodgy moments. Wind effects - not enough hair blowing given the speed they were supposed to be going at (a perennial problem for film makers)
Performances: Tilda Swinton: excellent. Although her costumes just were not "Ice Queen" enough for me Georgie Henley (Lucy) - very good indeed. one to watch? Skandar Keynes (Edmund) - good. just the right level of slappable snottiness Anna Popplewell (Susan) - the standout of the juvenile cast. She has the best line in the movie ("We're not heroes. We're from Finchley") but even aside from this obvious advantage she is, in every other aspect, way WAY better than... William Moseley (Peter) - Far too poshly camp to be anywhere near a convincing reluctant-hero boy-king. Can't hold a sword. Can't fight. Can't talk without lisping. Makes Daniel Radcliffe look accomplished.
Give it a shot by all means. Don;t expect LotR or even Harry Potter but if you're bored, it's raining and TV is driving you mad then there are worse things you could be doing of an evening.