Well Done Fantasy Film

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2006)

9 stars out 10
This film contains quite a lot of violence and dark scenes that are very threatening in nature. I would not recommend a very young child viewing this. I think it is too frightening and intense. A mature eight year old might could handle it, ten would be better.
There were things I most definitely liked about this story/film, and a few things I didn't.
They seemed to have a little problem with the way the wolves walked/moved, but over all, the special effects were brilliant.
I enjoy films that feature mystical creatures and beasts such as the minotaur, centaurs, fauns, unicorns and the like, as well as all the animals talking.
The story revolves around 4 English siblings during WWII, who accidentally discover the wonderful world of Narnia.
Narnia is in deep trouble, however, and therein lies both the source of an interesting tale and some clichés that we really need to move past.
I was pleased that a little girl (it's always a little boy) is the first to discover Narnia, even though the actress who played her was mud ugly, poor thing.
And I was completely delighted with the faun who comes into the picture early, along with the magnificent lion and all the other creatures.
However, I noted Mr. Beaver could have been a little nicer to his wife, there are some put-downs by him I could have done without.
We also have the old tired cliché of the wolves being the vicious bad guys, and the only powerful adult female in the film is, as so frequently happens, depicted as mean and evil. The fact two girls (sisters) are in the film, as well as their brothers, does off-set this some, I will admit.
Another gripe I have is the old cliché of the outsiders come to this troubled world and they are, of course, the only ones who can fix the problem. Then after they fix the problem, they are promptly fawned over as heroes by the entire population and raised to a very high social level.
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD:
While I assume Edmund learned his lesson, it would have been nice to have actually heard him apologize to the lion and to his siblings.
The lion sacrificing himself for worthless Edmund set very poorly with me, even though it turns out all right for the lion. I just didn't like that it happened at all.
I also felt the lion should have been the king of Narnia not a bunch of outside kids, and if there needed to be more than one throne occupied then make them be the lion, the faun, and the two beavers. Maybe they should make that five thrones, and include the brave fox.
Although the fox is killed I would assume he could be brought back since everybody else good that got killed or frozen could.