A decent start; I have high hopes!

Rating: 6/10 (16 December 2005)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrode, is a decent start to the Chronicles of Narnia movie franchise. I was sufficiently entertained that I will watch it again when it comes out on DVD, and I am looking forward to the next Narnia movie! This movie falls short of excellent because it tries too hard, and the strain shows. The film-makers were in the unfortunate position of having to convince the studio execs at Disney and Walden Media that they could do a good job making The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrode. The problem is, I am not a studio exec. I want an excellent movie, regardless of how much money it might make.
There are only a few changes made from the book. They shortened up the timeframe a little, showed things that are only hinted at in the book, and increased the tension and drama in a few scenes. None of these changes were bad decisions, but many of them weren't integrated into the plot very well. Rather than feeling the added tension and drama, all I was thinking about was that the screenwriters had made these changes purely to try to make the story better. On a micro level, the movie delivered excellent individual scenes and characters, but the elements didn't quite connect together to make a great movie.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrode hits one of it's most emotional notes before it even gets to Narnia. The movie opens with warplanes bombing the city of London, England, terrorizing its inhabitants. Fearing for the safety of the children, the citizens of England have implemented a program whereby children are sent out of the city to live where they will be safer. This dramatic scene introduces us to the four Pevensie children, played by four superb young actors.
In spite of great source material and a very handsome budget, the quality of the acting is the main strength of this movie. The children's performances are so very sincere and whole-hearted that I didn't even think about what an excellent job they were doing until after the movie was over. Peter is the perfect older brother left in charge: not quite sure of himself as a leader because of his youth and inexperience, but absolutely determined to follow in his father's footsteps and do his best to keep his younger brother and sisters safe. Edmund is the surly younger brother, chafing under Peter's authority and trying desperately to validate his own worth. Susan is the older sister, mothering the two younger ones the best a 15-year-old can, and cute Lucy, so adorable, yet brave and adventurous, is the youngest, for whom any one of her brothers and sisters (except perhaps Edmund) would lay down their life in an instant.
Another excellent performance is put on by the actress playing the White Witch/Queen of Narnia. When I saw previews for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrode, I wasn't sure if I would like the way the White Witch was played. I thought she looked too much like an actress in glamorous make-up. But the full realization of her character, in the context of the movie, was completely satisfied convincing.
The Witch's general, a minotaur, and her captain of police, a wolf, were developed into more complete and satisfying characters than in the book. There is an added scene between Peter and the wolf captain that makes their second, climactic meeting more meaningful because of the relationship the two enemies have developed.
There was a lot of talk on internet discussion boards to the effect of "they'd better do a good job with Aslan's character." As with the rest of the movie, Aslan is good, but not excellent. He looks like a real lion, he is majestic and interacts with live actors well, but he doesn't feel quite as alive as he should. If he were a human actor, I would say that his make-up and costume are excellent, and his voice is good, but he's just not that great an actor. I applaud the film-maker's efforts though, and with this experience, I am sure they will do a better job with Prince Caspian.
Andrew Adamson and his fellow film-makers have showcased an impressive array of talent in making The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrode; now if they can learn to work together a little more fluidly, and the studios give them the opportunity, the big screen future is very bright for The Chronicles of Narnia.