Allegory blowback and a few other issues, but still worth watching

Rating: Null/10 (9 January 2006)

Sorry, but I don't have a totally glowing review of Narnia. Given the response among my pals and me here in Taiwan, I'm sort of curious what is going on in the minds of the folks' who check in to post these 20-thumbs-up reviews.
One local response in particular summed it up: One of my buddies said he's getting sort of tired of the relentless barrage of Manichean sensory overload flicks. I can see his point. They may have a cuteness factor to soften them (e.g., cute Hobbits in Ring, or the kids in Narnia), but the big thing now seems to be starkly dualistic fantasy white-hat/black-hat CGI-enhanced action.
That said, I understand that the Narnia books were supposed to be a Christ allegory, and can see the attempt to set forth at least the basic ideas that shape and inform the plot development, especially the one involving Aslan and Edmund.
Before continuing, I should point out I didn't read the Narnia chronicles, though I have read Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce. And I've seen both the BBC and American productions of Shadowlands.
It seems that even someone as capable as C.S.Lewis can't recast a sacrifice myth so that it makes sense.
It's going to be interesting to see how American fundamentalists (in particular) will respond to this. When the White Witch refers to the universal moral principle to which even Aslan is bound, won't they flinch at this as a usurpation of God's sovereignty; a kind of "cosmic muffin" pantheism? Then the problem enters in that, if the moral principle is truly universal, it applies here on Earth as it does in Narnia. If we can't (and don't) transfer honorary debts here on Earth, how can Aslan take Edmund's lumps for him, romantic though it may seem in a parallel universe, in living color, and on the big screen? And, to the best of my knowledge, these elements are the crux of the prevailing Christ myth espoused by most folks that call themselves Christian. In general, the net effect of the scenarios with a spiritual payload suggest to me more of a Hindu/Buddhist message e.g., where the illusory treats the White Witch manufactures for Edmund are the Hindu "maya." Moving on, a few more observations.
Other commenters have kudos for the kids' acting, but I remember the palpable relief I felt when Jim Broadbent hit the screen, and I got to see a little *real* acting for a change. The kids were OK, but really that's all. Well, perhaps except for Edmund's character (see below).
I thought Peter's character transition was mismanaged. He starts out as this hapless kid with a dazzling sword thrust into his hands and then suddenly is supposed to be a formidable foe to enraged, strapping, battle-hardened, armor-encrusted, chimerical beasts. Perhaps this is where my unfamiliarity with the original books has me at a loss; it may be that Lewis more carefully crafts this transition, and makes it more believable. Perhaps this was a tricky thing to engineer in the screen writing, so they just hoped the viewer would obligingly bridge the gap. Well, it sort of stuck out for me, so there you have it.
Much else in the movie is great. I really liked the way Tumnus the faun was understated; nicely directed and acted. The sets were fantastic, both in Narnia and Earthside. The music was good, though I didn't care for the selection that ran during the opening sequences/credits; that blockbuster-requisite one-style-fits-all guaranteed heartstring-tugger sound felt out of place for the period and situation; no doubt the product of a session between the producers and industry consultants. It sort of started me off with a bad taste in my ear. Too bad! You'd think I wouldn't care for the heavily produced images, but they were so very, very well done that they generally didn't feel "imposed." Excepting the allegory blowback issue mentioned above, a lot of the story and character development is great. I love Edmund; he's a great character, and his contrast with the other characters gives a great illustration of venality, and makes that love that accepts him and shepherds him to a better spiritual place all that much more deep and truly loving. His character was well directed and acted, especially in light of the fact that it was so difficult.
OK, enough for now. Thanks for reading.