The Mouse does the Lion

Rating: 7/10 (12 December 2005)

Some suits at the House of the Mouse had this idea of bringing to film this fantasy epic on a mystical world, based on a well-known book series and have it done by a Kiwi director. That's great, but the problem is, this idea has been done already. Even though "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" is actually a good movie, the concept is lacking in freshness.
There's not a second in the movie we can't shake off the sensation that we have seen something like this before, and better executed. It's also hard to forget Disney's marketing has more influence in this movie than its artistic merits.
The Jehovah's Witness-y side of the story is also a marketing element well implemented. People tired of getting hardcore Christan culture constantly shoved down are not going to be bothered by it, and Bible-Belt families will be delighted.
Again, this is a good picture. A great live-action debut by the director and a bankable new franchise for Disney to milk. Until the public gets tired of the literary-fantasy-epic trend, (which could be not that far in the horizon).