Surprisingly Transfixing!

Rating: 10/10 (25 December 2005)

To any Hollywood executive reading this: PLEASE MAKE MORE MOVIES LIKE NARNIA!!! When I first saw the trailers to this movie I thought it would be a nice movie but it appeared to me to be more geared toward younger audiences. I thought that because of the apparent target age it might be somewhat slow and so I figured I might try to catch it on video and watch it when I had nothing better to do. As chance would have it my plans were altered and I ended up watching it at the movies on Christmas day and I must say I was on the edge of my seat from the very beginning of the movie until the very end! I now plan to recommend this movie to everyone I know.
The special effects grabbed my attention during the very first minute of the movie (the blitz scene was very well done) and I remained awed by them until the very last scene (the one after the credits started to roll). The battle scenes were astounding and the talking animals really did not come across as one-dimensional as they appeared (at least to me) on the trailer. The transition from reality to fantasy was gradual and easily accepted. After a few minutes of watching I actually found it easy to accept that the animals were talking! In short, the movie made it very easy for me to immerse myself in the fantasy world of Narnia.
Aside from the movie magic the story was nothing short of beautiful and was a *greatly* welcomed change from the despair-filled, over-sexed, foul-mouthed trash that Hollywood mass-produces these days. This is a wonderful story of hope, redemption, and forgiveness. I must say that if more movies like this were made I would find myself gladly returning the theater with more frequency. It would also be easier for me to pay the ticket prices these days if I knew that after buying a ticket for a movie like Narnia I would actually leave the theater with a feeling of peace and hope, and not filled with angst/despair.
The movie combines a beautifully meaningful story with remarkable special effects. The battle scenes were magnificent and I absolutely loved the storyline. This is a feel-good movie and I recommend this to everyone and anyone who loves watching *GOOD* movies!