Didn't live up to the hype

Rating: 7/10 (12 December 2005)

I've been hearing a lot about this movie for quite some time, mostly surrounding the fact that it's supposed to be the "new" Lord of the Rings, or replace Harry Potter and give something back to people who remember Narnia more favorably than Hogwarts from their childhood readings. I've actually never read any of the books except for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, so I was looking forward to seeing the film. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed.
The story itself was well-told, and it remained true to C.S. Lewis' writings. Unfortunately, the child-actors were a bit on the weak side and didn't really add to the drama and epic nature of the film. Also, the CGI work was very disappointing- I expected much more from such a high-budget movie. You could most definitely tell this movie was directed by the same guy who did Shrek, a lot of the animals and larger scenes of the encampment looked fake and cheap.
Everyone seems to be up in arms over the religious overtones/undertones (however you like to perceive it). I myself being a Christian didn't go to the movie looking for it, I just wanted to enjoy a good movie. However, the allegories are pretty hard to miss for any educated adult who has knowledge of Christianity. And yes, some pastor's have used that too their advantage, and rightly so - that's their job. But in all honesty, if you were looking for a strong film to formulate a message from, I'd go with something that had a better quality to it.
The movie is indeed a fun film, full of adventure and wonder. Not quite on the epic level of Lord of the Rings, so don't get your hopes up. For kids and teens, I think its an excellent movie that might inspire some kids to pick up the book when they get home. It's a good thing too, because I think the book captures the imagination much more than the movie did.