Not just the best movie of the year but the best film all round..

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2005)

Let me start off by saying I'm a fantasy geek; I love the Harry Potter films and the Lord of the Rings films and was very excited when I heard Narnia was being made. Because of this excitement I was a bit sceptical about going in and being disappointed when I came out. I wasn't; I was surprised it exceeded my wild excitement.
The CGI is fantastic; much, much better then how it looks in the trailer. I forgot all about Aslan being CGI and he really became the Aslan you see in the book; and as if it couldn't get better Liam Neeson does a kick-ass job as his voice too. The four children were fantastic, much better then the usual fare of confused kiddies that are awed at but not applauded at. Skander was the best as Edmund I thought but Lucy was excellent too. They all did a brilliant job though and so did all the other actors (Tilda Swinton deserves an honourable mention for embodying the White Witch in all her evil glory).
The story flows really well and even if your a die-hard books fan you won't be disappointed. The only niggle was the part about the children being a lot more important then Aslan but it doesn't throw it in your face and Aslan is still a figure of much respect and awe.
The religious undertones are there and are as present as they are in the book; many Christians will find the Stone Table scene very heartbreaking as I did and its easily the best scene in the movie.
The music is sensational. I loved the Lord of the Rings soundtrack but this is much much better and different. Its all down to taste in the end but I found it more to my liking. The music at the start with the train is especially beautiful.
What else can I say? The beavers were a definite highlight for me being both funny and serious; the fox also was an excellent addition although he wasn't very present in the book but he fits in very well with the story and makes sense. The wolves had the best CGI, next to Aslan, and though Maugrim was menacing you will probably find yourself awing at them despite them being villains. If I had to put in any bad points it would be that some parts are a little odd; for instance the scene after Aslan pounces on the White Witch made me think Peter was having an acid trip of some kind and the White Witch's dwarf also said the strangest things which will probably have you wondering if you heard him right. These don't distract from the viewing though and the Dwarf's weirdness is actually quite funny at times. First Class film and definitely one I will be re-watching for years to come.