A disappointment, but an entertaining one

Rating: 6/10 (1 January 2006)

I have been looking forward to seeing this film since I first found out it was being made. I'm a huge fan of fantasy literature and the Narnia books are some of my favorites. That being said I was hugely disappointed in this film. I felt that much of the CGI in the film looked forced and horrible fake. The performances of the young actors was one dimensional, and the ending, the four siblings as grown Narnian kings and queens hunting the white stag and then finding their way home to England, a beautiful and funny passage in the original novel, was clumsily handled and not well explained. It did not show that many years in Narnia passed and yet when the children returned to England they were still just that, children. The character of Aslan seemed to me not to be the central figure of this film, as he is in the novel. The film's focus is much more on the children, less on Aslan. Their relationship with the great lion is shown, although it is hard to show on film with the necessary detail the feeling the children are supposed to get from Aslan.
With these criticisms aside, I have to say that The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is an extremely enjoyable film. Although badly animated the animal characters, especially a fox who lays down his life for the safety of the Pevnsie children, and the beavers who escort them to Aslan, are extremely likable and fun. Also I enjoyed the performance of Tilda Swinton as the White Witch. Early on in the film she sugar coats a sweetness to entice Edmund to her side, and you see why he is attracted to her, although we as an audience already know she is evil. When she becomes entirely evil I found myself getting chills. And although I felt that the three older children gave dull performances I did enjoy the youngest Georgie Henley, as Lucy Pevnsie. She was adorable and perfect as the innocent little girl who finds the magical land, and introduces her skeptical siblings to it.
This is far from a perfect adaptation of LWW, but it is enjoyable, and the story has so much heart and beauty in it, it is almost impossible to hate. I recommend seeing this film, but be warned of its pitfalls.