A very faithful rendering of the book....

Rating: 10/10 (10 December 2005)

Chronicles captures the book well, including many of the important nuances. The entire effect of the film, however, will be to render even to the most faithful reader a better, more complete understanding of the book. Just great....kids should see it, young adults, and the old folks, too!
For those who have read the entire Chronicles, something that really matters is how well the movie provides insight into the characters of the four children. The real mystery child is Susan, and viewers should pay special attention to her actions and reactions. Viewers should also note the time slippage between Narnia and England, for that is key to understanding the other books.
There are two ways to read the Chronicles...in the order they were written or in order of events in Narnia, as they are usually arranged now. If you are intrigued by Narnia after the film, the Magician's Nephew, the first volume in the beginning of Narnia to end of Narnia sequencing of the books, will answer some key questions---like why that Lamppost is there?...And where did the wardrobe come from?...And why Professor Kirke is likely to believe the children? My bet is that there is going to be a whole lot of reading of all seven volumes of the Chronicles in the next year....The 50th Anniversary edition with colored versions of the original Paula Baynes illustrations is worth its weight in gold.
See the movie, read Lion Witch Wardrobe, and then reading the other six. Unlike Lord of the Rings, most of the loose ends are tied by the end of the read. If Hollywood undertakes to produce the other six books, there are some great motion pictures ahead, but they are going to need special effects that go way beyond this first picture, for the full magic of Narnia is only hinted at in LWW. You simply don't stop reading once you start because the magic just gets better and better.