Disney and Walden Media do C.S. Lewis right.

Rating: 9/10 (27 April 2008)

The genre of fantasy has long been ignored for quite a long time in cinema (especially after a period of hit-and-miss entries in the 1980's), but now it has been heavily revitalized, thanks to the runaway success of both Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and the HARRY POTTER movies. Based on this, it is probably no surprise that another beloved fantasy literature series would get the big screen treatment. And what better choice than C.S. Lewis' enchanting CHRONICLES OF NARNIA? In a surprising collaboration between Disney and Walden Media, the first book in the series, THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, hit the theaters in 2005, and went onto become both a critical and popular success. The film may not be a replica of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, but that is hardly its purpose. All it has to do is bring this beloved tale to the screen with a touch of magic and heart, and thanks to the craft of highly advanced special effects and fine performances, it manages to do just that.
The story begins in World War II London, where four Pevensie children--Lucy (Georgie Henley), Susan (Anne Popplewell), Peter (William Moseley), and Edmond (Skandar Keynes)--are forced to live in the mansion of an enigmatic professor. During a hide-and-seek game, the children discover a wardrobe which turns out to be a portal to a mysterious magical world called Narnia, a land inhabited by talking beasts and mythical creatures. Unfortunately, this kingdom is under the rule of the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton), who has cursed the entire land to an eternal winter. Only the great lion king, Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson), and the children can put an end to her evil reign.
The story has been told several times before Disney's rendition. There was an animated feature produced by Bill Melendrez which aired back in the 1970s, and a three-hour long television adaptation courtesy of BBC. Both of these adaptations showed their age in production values, yet remained fairly faithful to the source material. For those of you who fear that Disney's acquisition of NARNIA means a "Disneyfication" of a classic story, DON'T. As with Jackson in LORD OF THE RINGS, director Andrew Adamsom shows tremendous respect for the source material, and does a first class job of transitioning it to the big screen without sacrificing its magic or substance. If you're expecting a totally literal adaptation, though, chances are you might be disappointed, because there are a few scenes from the book which are obviously shortened and/or altered, as well as some which were added in. However, none of these "changes" compromise the story in any way; the magic of Lewis' world is imperishable, and overall this adaptation is commendably faithful while adding to it in the same way that Jackson's LOTR did.
There are a few places where the visual effects, as produced by LOTR's Weta Digital in New Zealand, lack polish, but are otherwise breathtaking, particularly the talking animals (including a pair of gently funny beavers) and especially the climactic showdown. What ultimately makes this NARNIA are the sincere, believable performances courtesy of the excellent cast. Young Georgie Henley as Lucy, in particular, sparkles the screen with a radiant innocence and cuteness without being saccharine. Her siblings acquit themselves fairly well, too, although William Moseley's Peter is a bit on the wooden side. Liam Neeson has the perfect voice for Aslan, while Tilda Swinton oozes both evil and charisma as the White Witch.
I'm sure that the ages-old book vs. movie debate will last for eternity (in addition to comparisons to previous filmed versions), but this brand-new NARNIA is still most welcome. It doesn't have the depth or complexity of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, but it does have a special charm and childlike wonder which makes it a treat in its own right. It will be interesting to see how subsequent adaptations of the remaining books in the series will turn out.