The famous Chronicles of Narnia series of books has been enjoyed by genarations of readers. In the late 1980's-early 1990's, BBC made film versions of some of these books. Four out of seven books were made into film and a cartoon version also (in 1979, I believe) came out, but no more live acting was to be seen...until many years later.
In 2006, Walt Disney Entertainment and Walden Media released a wonderful movie version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. While making minor changes from C.S. Lewis' book, the movie was largely true to the original story. The cast includes Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan and Tilda Swinton as the White Witch.
SUMMARY
The story begins with a scene of London being bombed by Germans. The four Pevensie children and their mother rush to shelter. The next day (presumably), the children are sent away to the countryside for safety. They then arrive at the manor house of an elderly Professor.
While playing hide-and-seek, Lucy hides in a wardrobe. To her surprise, an entire snow-covered world is on the other side. She meets a Faun creature named Tumnus. The two of them become friends and he tells her of the eternal winter cast on the land Narnia by the evil White Witch.
Tumnus escorts Lucy back to the lamppost at which they met. She returns to our world and tells her siblings what has occurred. None of them believe her and the oldest siblings (Peter and Susan) consult the Professor.
Eventually, Peter, Susan, and Edmund (the third sibling) make it into the wardrobe. In there they find out Tumnus has been arrested. After this, they meet Mr. and Mrs. Beaver who take them to the great lion Aslan.
Unfortunately, Edmund is with the White Witch, who wants all four siblings dead so that she may continue her unlawful reign. Towards the end of the film, the good Narnians battle the evil forces led by the White Witch. As with all good stories, good ultimately wins over evil in the end.
CONTENT
The violence in the film is probably not quite enough to change the PG rating to a PG-13 one, but young children may be scared by the Witch's minions, her wolves, and the battle scenes. In the opening scene, London is bombed and this may frighten younger viewers.
There is a battle towards the end of the film. There is not too much violence in these scenes and there is no blood, except that Edmund is wounded and I recall seeing some blood (not to an extent of overkill). Most of the casualties brought about by the enemies are when the Witch freezes creatures to stone, using her wand.
In one scene, the Witch stabs a character (this is implied and we are only shown the character's face). The creatures that serve her in this scene are creepy and will likely frighten younger viewers. Most of the other parts in the movie are enjoyable for all ages.
I enjoyed many things about this film, especially in how it stayed rather close to the book. As it is similar to the book, Christian themes come out throughout the movie (though I doubt the director meant for that...). Aslan is resurrected after dying, reminding us of Christ. This does not mock Christianity, though, because the character of Aslan is the mighty protector of Narnia. Without him, the battle would have been lost.
Moral lessons such as loyalty and forgiveness are also good aspects of the film. For instance, though Edmund strays from his siblings and joins the White Witch, he is forgiven when he returns. With aspects such as these, the typical Disney film's lesson of "follow your heart" or "trust in your heart" did not make it into The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
I think this is a great family film, no matter your age. Though some parts will likely frighten younger children, the majority of the film is fine. There is no profanity and nothing inappropriate. I enjoyed this film, as I did the two following ones (Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and would love to see more made in the future.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Length: 145 minutes
Rating: PG (for battle sequences and frightening moments)
Director: Andrew Adamson
Producers: Mark Johnson, Philip Steur
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
Year of release: 2006
Audience: Family
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