The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Film Review

C.S. Lewis’ classic book series, the Chronicles of Narnia, has been a steadfast favorite to both children and adults since they were written in the 1950s. In the The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the second book in the series, Lewis introduces Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy â€" four children who discover a magical passageway to another world. Adventures ensue, complete with strange creatures, moral dilemmas, and one terrible witch.

Many Christians had doubts about Disney’s most recent film adaptation of the book. Would it be too secular, straying away from Lewis’ obvious Christian themes? Would it be too “Disneyesque?�

Under Andrew Adamson’s direction, Disney has produced a visually stunning film. The opening scenes set in London during World War II are realistic and captivating, immediately drawing us into the frightening and harsh world the four children face. The world of Narnia is also amazingly realistic, the obvious advances in CGI technology creating a near-seamless distinction between the real and the imagined. Half-way into the film, and its easy to completely forget the fact that lions do not normally speak.

The movie follows the book closely, eliminating a few details and adding surprisingly few embellishments. The addition of the London scenes are excellent additions to the plot-line, giving us a reference to that period in history (allowing us to experience the terror of the bombings and the heart-wrenching separation of children and their parents). All major characters from the novel put in appearances, including Mr. Tumnus (played convincingly by James McAvoy), Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, and the White Witch (Tilda Swinton gives a chilling performance). The four children are acted effectively, especially Georgie Henley, who plays the youngest child Lucy. Her wide-eyed excitement doesn’t seem contrived, but is natural and refreshing. William Moseley who plays Peter, the eldest of the siblings, also puts in a realistic performance -- his physical resemblance more than once reminding me of Prince William of Wales (that’s the real prince, not of Narnia). Aslan is a true-to-life representation of the Narnian King, with Liam Neeson providing a strong voice to the character.

The film carries over many of the moral dilemmas presented in the novel, including Edmund’s continuing struggle with honesty and loyalty, Mr. Tumnus’ decision to change his allegiance, and the battle between good and evil exemplified by the White Witch and Aslan. Disney kept the centerpiece of the story, Aslan’s choice to save Edmund, true to Lewis’ vision. Lewis meant for the character of Aslan to mimic Jesus, although he didn’t explicitly write that into his novels. Disney keeps that same ambiguity, allowing the viewers to make their own connections, Christian or not. Some critics believe that this ambiguity has been a very clever marketing ploy, allowing Disney to market to both the secular and Christian markets equally. Whatever the case, the movie is enjoyable on many levels â€" its beautiful film-making, the believable characters, and the strong faithfulness to the original book makes it a film that wide audiences can enjoy.

For younger views, some scenes are quite intense, especially the battle sequences at the conclusion of the film. The wolves, the witch, and other horrible creatures can also be intimidating in their realism. The film’s PG rating for some violence is appropriate â€" some younger viewers might find some scenes too frightening.

In the theatre where I saw the movie, there were many children in the audience, but a surprising amount of adult-only groups. This speaks for the enduring story and characters that C.S. Lewis has created, and that Disney has brought successfully to the screen.

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