DVD Review - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Andrew Adamson's adaptation of the C.S. Lewis children's tale was a smash at the box office last winter so I was very curious to see what it was all about. I found it to be a beautiful looking spectacle but it lacked the zing of the Harry Potter films (especially the last two).
It is London during the Blitz and Mrs. Pevensie sends her four children to live in the country so that they would be safe. The children (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) will temporarily be living with the eccentric Professor Kirke and his nasty housekeeper. One day while playing a game Lucy wanders into a wardrobe. She becomes intrigued when she sees an unusual looking door and wonders where it will lead to. Before you know it she is in the magical land of Narnia. She meets a creature who is half man and half horse and they strike up a friendship. Eventually she goes back to her siblings and tells them what has happened. Not surprisingly, not one of them believes her. She eventually goes back to Narnia and this time Edmund goes with her. He strikes out on his own and meets the White Witch who promises him many good things but has something else on her mind. When Lucy and Edmund go back to the "real" world Edmund denies ever having been away. As time goes on all of the siblings wind up in Narnia because they were "chosen" for a very special mission.
We find out that the White Witch wants Narnia to always be in darkness and under her thumb. The four children have to help break this evil spell. But first they must meet the lion Aslan who will help them with the task.
The acting by the children is okay but not one of them really stands out. Liam Neeson perfectly voices Aslan and Ray Winstone is also very good as Mr. Beaver, another creature who helps the children. Best of all is Tilda Swinton as the White Witch. Ms. Swinton knows how to play it cold and her acting in this film is tops.
Many have said that Aslan is a stand in for Christ and I suppose that could be true because Lewis was a Christian. After Edmund betrays his brother and sisters and wants forgiveness Aslan tells them that what was done is in the past and that there is no point of ever talking about it again. There is also much talk of the prophecy and some other references to Christianity. But the film chose to showcase a big battle scene instead of focusing on forgiveness. And whether or not one is religious (regardless of which religion) spiritual or a non-believer forgiveness is one of the most important things in the world. And although I liked the film for what it was I think it could have been better if the filmmakers chose to use that as its main theme.
It is London during the Blitz and Mrs. Pevensie sends her four children to live in the country so that they would be safe. The children (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) will temporarily be living with the eccentric Professor Kirke and his nasty housekeeper. One day while playing a game Lucy wanders into a wardrobe. She becomes intrigued when she sees an unusual looking door and wonders where it will lead to. Before you know it she is in the magical land of Narnia. She meets a creature who is half man and half horse and they strike up a friendship. Eventually she goes back to her siblings and tells them what has happened. Not surprisingly, not one of them believes her. She eventually goes back to Narnia and this time Edmund goes with her. He strikes out on his own and meets the White Witch who promises him many good things but has something else on her mind. When Lucy and Edmund go back to the "real" world Edmund denies ever having been away. As time goes on all of the siblings wind up in Narnia because they were "chosen" for a very special mission.
We find out that the White Witch wants Narnia to always be in darkness and under her thumb. The four children have to help break this evil spell. But first they must meet the lion Aslan who will help them with the task.
The acting by the children is okay but not one of them really stands out. Liam Neeson perfectly voices Aslan and Ray Winstone is also very good as Mr. Beaver, another creature who helps the children. Best of all is Tilda Swinton as the White Witch. Ms. Swinton knows how to play it cold and her acting in this film is tops.
Many have said that Aslan is a stand in for Christ and I suppose that could be true because Lewis was a Christian. After Edmund betrays his brother and sisters and wants forgiveness Aslan tells them that what was done is in the past and that there is no point of ever talking about it again. There is also much talk of the prophecy and some other references to Christianity. But the film chose to showcase a big battle scene instead of focusing on forgiveness. And whether or not one is religious (regardless of which religion) spiritual or a non-believer forgiveness is one of the most important things in the world. And although I liked the film for what it was I think it could have been better if the filmmakers chose to use that as its main theme.
posted by Film Fanatic | 3:04 PM
1 Comments:
I agree with you: the film started out great, but the ending and, especially the battle, took away from the story.
I never read the story, so I don't know how Lewis wrote it.
Thanks for all your reviews.
I read them often and trust them more than the "official" reviews by people who get paid to write them.
All the best, E.M.
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