Not perfect, but good enough to start a potential franchise

Rating: 8/10 (8 January 2006)

I admit I have never read a single "Narnia" novel (although I've read a few chapters of C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity"), but I did get excited about "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" getting its cinematic treatment considering the great awe I had for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, of whom the author of the novel it was based on - J.R.R. Tolkien - was a good friend of Lewis.
The first part of what could be a new installment in the fantasy genre tells the story of four Pevensie children - Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy - who are brought far away from London to an old country house to escape the perils of World War II. During a game of hide-and-seek, Lucy stumbles upon a seemingly ordinary wardrobe in an otherwise empty room. She hides inside only to realize she is transported to the perpetually snowing land of Narnia, a land where animals talk and the evil White Witch rules causing the winter spell.
Soon, all four of them get to enter the land and they learn of Narnia's history: the great lion Aslan is the true guardian of the kingdom and has been absent for many years but is "on the move again." It is also prophesied that when four children are to take the throne, the witch's powers will fail.
As I've said, I've never read the book and was not sure what to expect when I came to watch the movie, other than it was set in Narnia, that there was a lion, there was a witch, and there was a wardrobe. And from the plot summaries at the back of so many versions of the book, I also knew there were four children. But after watching it I'm now thinking of catching up on what I missed on my reading list during my childhood years. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" presents a variety of messages, both within the Christian context (which should be obvious) and the world in general.
I don't know how much liberty was done with the book but I like the direction director and co-writer Andrew Adamson and screenwriters Ann Peacock, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely took the audience on. Adamson has accomplished to retell a story that includes talking lions, beavers, foxes, fauns, centaurs and other fantastical creatures which could have been otherwise ineffective, and maybe even unintentionally funny. His experience with Donkey and Puss in Boots may have helped.
Adamson succeeds in all this while the script provides it with humor. It is also filled with impressive visuals, peppered with good soundtrack. The film also boasts of first-rate CGI but unlike "King Kong," where CGI was used in an over-indulging fashion, Adamson uses it to perfection. Through all this, he works with a cast of mostly first-time actors, especially the children. The performance in particular by Georgie Henley as Lucy, is sweet but never cloying. Tilda Swinton as the White Witch provides menace to her character.
I think it has enough charm and enough depth to stand quite well on it's own. I guess it depends on how the viewer will react to the thematic story beloved by many (unread by me) in this Disney interpretation. Perhaps a lot of people will be inclined to dismiss it, partly because the religious theme may turn them off, partly because they hate Disney, and partly because fantasy is just not their thing.
While I would not say this movie is better than other fantasy films of the contemporary era, it certainly does bring a positive outlook for what's to come to the series or even to the whole genre. "Lord of the Rings" has attained such great heights and even the "Harry Potter" has elevated itself so much that, personally, this first installment of "The Chronicles of Narnia" finds itself a little wanting. Still, it is well-made, and that says a lot for a first installment... that is, if it IS the first installment.