Less than the sum of its parts - Very slight spoilers

Rating: 7/10 (1 December 2005)

The Chronicles of Narnia  The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is the latest film adaptation of the C.S. Lewis book that kicked off the Chronicles of Narnia series. Set in World War Two, the story begins as four children are whisked away to a big old estate far away from where the Huns are raining bombs upon London. The Pevensie children, Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan discover a wardrobe that leads to a kingdom called Narnia clasped in the grip of a century long winter.
The frigid spell is the result of the usurped rule of the Witch, who has declared herself queen of Narnia, when in fact the true rulers are foretold to be two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve. Local talking fauna are convinced that the quartet of Pevensie siblings are the prophesied revolutionaries who will be instrumental in restoring Narnia to it's former self, leading them all on an adventure revolting against the evil pretender to the throne.
Unlike Tolkien, Lewis's works are intentionally analogous to Christianity. Aslan, the lion found in the title, is a Christ figure. He is good and just, hated by the wicked and loved by the righteous. The book deals in themes of truth, honor, duty and sacrifice in barely disguised allegory to the Gospel. One wondered if Disney would leave those themes in place, or would the Witch Queen of Narnia be recast to represent George Bush, the Wolves his Texas Oil Buddies. Would Aslan become the heroic transgenderd heroin addict who rallies Narnia's bohemian community to wage peace against the forces of intolerance and corporate greed? To my joy, the Gospel themes are intact, and I daresay, quite forceful and explicit. The movie is at its strongest and most resonate in the scenes that depict Aslan's character doing what Christ did. The creators deserve credit and accolades from Christendom for resisting the temptation to water down a powerful story. Unfortunately, those same creators deserve a severe beating for chaining a gigantic steel ball to the leg of the movie. Great jumping catfish, just how long do you need to dwell on scenes of children traipsing through snow? I had loaded up with a big soda before the show, so I sat watching uncomfortably for fear of missing something big. I needn't have suffered so. The way the action has been paced, there were no small climaxes on the way to the big one. A good storyteller will traverse peaks and valleys on the way to the big mountaintop, but director Andrew Adamson makes the trip such a long slog that you are not excited by the big finish so much as relieved.
The child actors elucidate the famous British understatement, even the precocious Lucy. When a Limey from that era says "things are a bit sticky" he is likely armed with a teaspoon and surrounded by 100,000 angry Zulus. While I find that aspect of the classic English character charming, the surrounding action has to step up and provide a context that makes the understatement work. None of the main cast are particularly lively, with the exception of the animated ones who provide welcome relief along the grueling plot.
I will say that the animated creatures, particularly Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, are delightful, and the combination of Liam Neeson's voice and a fantastic animated lion make Aslan majestic and noble. When Mr. Tumnus and Lucy relate that Aslan is not tame, but is good, the description is well befitting the character we've watched on the big screen.
TCON was written before the hand-wringing era of Dr. Spock and Teletubbies (In my day an alien flying saucer would be surrounded by tanks and infantrymen, by gum!). The Pevensies are given arms, and prepare themselves for medieval combat. These lead to some intense scenes, and I could see where less mature children might be distressed by seeing peers on screen in peril. I don't recall any blood or flying parts, but the implication is there. People and anthropomorphic critters are being bludgeoned, slashed and impaled. For my own part, I think we have given children the false impression that there isn't evil in the world that seeks to destroy them, but parents who think otherwise are hereby duly cautioned.
Chronicles of Narnia  The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe seems to want to be Lord of the Rings but the story's shoulders are not broad enough to handle all the majestic shots and lingering views. While parts of the movie are wonderful and moving, the sum of those parts are plodding. As a Christian, I am grateful and encouraged that a major studio not known for being friendly to my faith made a faithful rendition of a cherished allegory. The movie lover in me knows that it's about 20 minutes of scene-eating too long, and is disappointed.