Excellent

Rating: 8/10 (19 September 2008)

In truth, I've never been a big fan of such fantasies, although I knew the general plot outline for the Narnia series. I've seen all three LOTR films, including the 1970s cartoon version (which was superior to the live action version), read only The Hobbit in high school, have not read any of the Harry Potter books, but thought the first three films in that series were superior to the vastly overrated LOTR trilogy in almost every way. As for Oz, I've, of course, seen the 1939 Judy Garland film classic, but only read the first two books of the several dozen in the L. Frank Baum series. I do, recall, however, an early 1970s cartoon film of one of the later Oz books that had Liza Minelli voice Dorothy. Yet, none of these film versions, at least, equal the current film version of the first of the Narnia books: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. In fact, if the book is anywhere near as good as the film then even Lewis Carroll's mighty Alice books and Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio might have to move over as the reigning titans of children's fantasy literature. Yes, I know many J.R.R. Tolkien fans will object to the LOTR series being classified a children's fantasy, but too bad. Narnia is superior in virtually every way to LOTR, and Lewis wore the children's tag with pride. This is the result of a good screenplay, which is very hard to do for kids, for most children's films lack that child-like wonder, as if the filmmakers have forgotten what childhood was like. Cinematographer Donald McAlpine captures that point of view in many of the child's eye shots of vistas and the whimsy on the children's faces. The only downside to the film is that, like many fantasies, you have to suspend logic. For example, why does Aslan need to wait a hundred years to bring an end to the White Witch's eternal winter? He clearly has the power to do so at any time, but 'The Prophecy' has foretold that it can only occur when the four children arrive. But, this is part of the suspension of disbelief that all such tales require. The score works well, and never intrudes on the film, as it too often does in the LOTR trilogy, and the film's credits end with a terrific song by Alanis Morissette.
I hope that this film does well enough that the remaining six books hit the screen, for with the amount of dreck being foisted at kids, these films will prove a nice respite. If only the Alice and Oz books are next on the film franchise conveyor belt, rather than Shrek 13 or Ice Age: Revenge Of The Neandertals. Click the heels of your ruby slippers along with me. Please.