Faithful, But Dull

Rating: 2/10 (28 December 2005)

I loved these books when I was a kid, an I was really looking forward to this film. Sadly, however, there's a workmanlike quality about this film - the acting is fine, the locations attractive, the CGI effects ranging from the fairly ordinary (the beavers) to the very good (Aslan). It's all very "worthy" - it seems everyone is aware they're making the film of a classic novel, and the result is strangely lifeless and unmoving. It's very similar to the series of filmed Shakespeare the BBC produced in the '70s - it's a straightforward version to show in classrooms, with not a hint of originality or any particular vision. For a fantasy film the art-department is depressingly literal, with the entire film grounded in a leaden visual style that never grips the heart in the style of - say - early Gilliam.
The pacing and plotting are slow and cumbersome, but this stems from slavishly following the book. Possibly the episodic structure of the book is only really suitable for television. This film may be suitable for less-excitable children, but adults should give it a wide berth.