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Film Review
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| Director |
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Andrew Adamson
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| Cast |
Georgie Henley
William Moseley
Skandar Keynes
Anna Popplewell
Tilda Swinton
James McAvoy
James Cosmo
Jim Broadbent
Elizabeth Hawthorne
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| Distributor |
Buena Vista Pictures
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| Running Time |
140 Minutes
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| Certification (UK / US) |
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PG / PG
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Reviewed By
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Albert Koleba
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THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE (2005)
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Many film critics, when reviewing a children's film, love to use the phrase, "...fun for the whole family...". It could be the most overused phrase in film reviewing history, and what's really annoying about it, is how often it's just not true. Usually it's just fun for the kids and misery for the parents who are forced to sit there and feign enjoyment. The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe however, is, for lack of a better phrase, fun for the whole family.
Director Andrew Adamson previously directed Shrek and Shrek 2, two movies which I thought were pretty good but definitely aimed at the younger audience. Narnia however, is a beautifully crafted and highly entertaining film which works on two different levels. Obviously it's a children's film at heart, but it does have some seriously dark elements as well which should keep the more mature fantasy fans happy also. It's extremely well made, has some good action sequences, and also features an excellent, big scale final battle.
I must admit, that I hadn't read the C.S. Lewis novel of the same name for which this movie is based upon. Yes, I've heard how it's supposedly such a beloved classic, but honestly, I don't care. I could watch about 6 to 10 movies in the time it would take me to read a book depending on the length, so I don't read books that often. However, I have read a little bit about C.S. Lewis and how he had a very strict, religious upbringing and that the book has some deep religious overtones because of this. The film has the classic good verse evil elements to it, and it does deal with death, sacrifice, and resurrection, but these elements don't overshadow the fantasy and adventure.
Besides the expert direction, and fantastic special effects, the movie's other main strong point is the wonderfully wicked performance by Tilda Swinton as The White Witch who portrays the evil hag with absolute perfection. She completely devours every scene she's in and makes the movie even more fun to watch. Another standout performance is delivered by James McAvoy who plays Mr. Tumnus, The Faun. There is a certain intangible quality to his performance that really made his character all the more interesting to watch, plus he's just a really good actor, who's playing a funny half-human, half-animal character. The rest of the cast is very good and well directed. The Pevensie children were also perfectly cast with a relatively unknown group of kids who will no doubt have very bright futures thanks to their strong performance.
There are some slow moments in the movie, and it takes a little while for it to get really started. There are also a few scenes that feel a little forced and cliched. Most of the special effects are great, but there are a few slip ups that fail to convince and take you slightly out of the movie but overall, The Chronicles Of Narnia is a very good movie that both kids and adults can equally enjoy. I'll take a stab at creating some new phrases. It's good times for all your relations. No? How about, it's great for you, your kids, and your pets too! Might as well stick with what works. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is fun for the whole family. I feel so dirty!
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Score
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8 / 10
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