Best adaptation so far!

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2005)

I have been known, both here and in real life, to be largely opposed to adapting books to movies, based on the notion that it cannot be done properly. I hated Lord of the Rings because of the many additions and omissions, I hated Harry Potter largely due to the same reasons and now here is Narnia. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is masterly done. With very few additions and omissions, this movie has become a near perfect adaptation of the book. There were some scenes cut short and some scenes added for a better flow but in nearly all instances, it has remained true to the book; both in spirit and in the accuracy of the narrative. It follows the movie almost fanatically. Albeit there are a few scenes which have been cut a bit short, it has left out no vital parts of the book and the few added scenes do nothing to ruin the experience. Many of the scenes, I think, that have been added, have been just that in order to convey some elements of the book. These elements are those, which are so typical of books that they cannot be successfully transported over the the silver screen without it seeming silly or even stupid.
I give it a 10, because the film leaves you with the exact same type of emotion as the book did (indescribable to those who have not read the book) and you leave the cinema with a sense of faith. The book had you believe in Narnia as a world that might - or even should - exist and the film has accomplished the same feat. This will definitely show others in the future how to adapt books to film; and it serves as big and hilarious "take this" to Peter Jackson, as he was not able to produce a film so captivating and beautiful as this. An epic and beloved tale springs to life in such an impressive a beautiful way, that I think C.S. Lewis would have shed a proud tear, had he lived to see it.