Made me feel like a child again

Rating: 8/10 (18 April 2006)

Growing up, my favorite films tended to involve ordinary people thrust into unordinary situations. Part of the fun was the hope that someday, somehow I would become one of those people and explore places that were deemed impossible to exist. As I got older and became an adult, I accepted the harsh realities of the real world and that I would never end up like the heroes that I cheered on screen. The innocence and the warm feelings of my youth became extinct.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe brought those feelings back, if just for the two and a half hours of the film's running time. This is the best fantasy film released since 1984's The Neverending Story. Any relation to the real world and the logic we have all become accustomed to should be discarded upon viewing, because that's not what the film is about. The audience is in the shoes of the four main heroes of the film as they explore and discover all the wonders of this new world and its strange mysteries for themselves.
The story is often hailed as a representation of the Christian belief and is well-acclaimed by its followers. However, there is no reason for Atheists to discard this film, by any means. It is not a retelling or adaptation of the story of the life of Jesus Christ. It merely makes references and borrows ideas from the bible to help develop their own characters. And it all works. By the time the film ends, the audience will care deeply for the heroes and cheer for them all the way through the many exciting turns and situations they encounter.
Terrific film. Highly recommended.