A Visual Feast... Mesmerizing

Rating: 8/10 (7 December 2005)

Having not read any of C.S. Lewis's fantasy novels, I was wondering what sort of magical world I would be entering upon viewing The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Like the world of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, Narnia is a fantastical place, where animals speak, centaurs and satyrs roam the lands but is divided by good and evil. Four London children escape the wrath of World War II and go to live in the countryside estate of an eccentric professor (Jim Broadbent). There, while playing hide and seek, they find a wardrobe chest that leads to the snowy land of Narnia. The evil ice queen (Tilda Swinton) has a hold on the land of Narnia and turns anything and anyone into stone that tries to up rise against her. The land is a never ending white Winter. The children join forces with the creatures of Narnia, led by the leader of the pack, the lion Aslan, to defeat the evil White Witch and her quest for ruling the land.
The Chronicles of Narnia is a visually impressive feat of Winter Wonderlands, Ice Castles, talking animals, mystical creatures, and a battle between good and evil but one of the most magical effects is that of Lucy, the youngest of the four children, who first enters the land of Narnia. Emotion as such cannot be created by any CGI. Disney's reported $150 million gamble hits the right notes for a successful franchise from the 55-year old book. To some, the story could be an allegory of the story of Christ but I didn't find that the film was arching for too many Christian themes. There are some bloodless, but violent scenes but as most children stories go, good always overthrows evil. Not only will children be thrilled by The Chronicles... adults, too, will be mesmerized.