The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

This enjoyable story produced by Walt Disney Pictures is based on C.S Lewis books. It begins during German air raids over London in WWII. The Pevensie four children(Henley,Keynes,Moseley and Poppewell) are sent to live at the country house of eccentric teacher Kike(Jim Broadvent). Meantime they're playing hide and seek, Lucy encounters a strange wardrobe that lead the snowy land of Narnia . There, she finds a sympathetic but coward faun(James McAvoy). Later she returns at home and the others don't believe her at first, but soon are convinced. Then, all of them go throughout the fantastic world with fauns and centaurs and where animals speaking, a beaver( voice by Ray Winstone), fox(voice by Rupert Everett) and furthermore the Father Christmas(James Cosmo). This magic land with perpetual winter is ruled by the nasty White Witch(Tilda Swinton). But the children are the chosen ones, according an ancient prophecy, and they team up with Aslem, the mighty Lion and real king of Narnia , fighting to defeat the evil witch in an epic finale battle.

The pic is a magic story with rip-snorting adventures, exciting fantasy, sensational scenarios and good feeling. Plenty of action and emotion and with an incredible battle scenes similar to ¨Lord of the Rings¨. Provide enough amusement to keep the chat rooms humming until the epic ending comes out. In spite of overlong runtime and the difficult of adapting, the film still managing to keep a quick enough pace for those unfamiliar with the lengthy literary and highly detailed work by C. S. Lewis. This two and a half hour movie stays closer to the original work than any of the former efforts, mostly animated. The film displays a colorful and evocative cinematography by Donald McAlpine. Musical score fitting perfectly to the action-adventure by Harry Gregson-Williams. The motion picture is marvellously directed by Andrew Adamson, he's the director,producer, writer of ¨Shrek¨ trilogy. Rating : Above average and worthwhile seeing . It's a very likable adventure-fantasy and enormously appealing for kids, adolescents and all family.

I thought this a very well done film indeed. I will say the film looks just splendid, especially the scenes in Narnia, with beautiful snowy sets (some looked as though it had come from the LOTR trilogy). However, some of the scenes looked as though they had been computerised, such as the scene with the children and beavers running across the ice. There were also some attempts to put some humour into the story like the professor's line "ah yes, the weeping one" in reference to Lucy and the beavers especially, but because the director had taken liberties to make the story darker, the humour didn't quite work. However there are a number of positives, like the spirited performances of the children, Georgie Henley especially, better than Sophie Wilcox's rather goofy portrayal in the 1988 series. James McAvoy is charming as Mr. Tumnus, and Liam Neeson was majestic as Aslan. But the acting honours go to Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, even with her calmness she dominates the screen, in a sometimes chilling portrayal as the character. The film was fairly faithful to the book, but the added scenes and dialogue failed to engage as much. All, a flawed but enjoyable film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

To sum things up: I loved this movie.

I had been waiting for it ever since it was announced, so of course I couldn't pass up the chance to see a press preview this morning. And, while there were some definite weaknesses (mostly in the quality of the animations), overall I was completely convinced. Naturally it did not coincide 100% with my own vision of Narnia visually, but emotionally it rang absolutely true, choking me up several times and really touching me. I walked out of the theatre with a warm, contented feeling - just like I feel every time I read C.S. Lewis' book!

The stand-out performance was definitely Tilda Swinton's as the White Witch, but I liked all actors/voices, from cute little Lucy (newcomer Georgie Henley) to majestic Aslan (Liam Neeson). I thought the children did a great job, considering their relative inexperience and the amount of blue screen work involved.

Tip: Stay seated through the actor credits - afterwards there's another small scene.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe should go down in the history books right up there with the likes of Lord of the Rings. I went to see it expecting a very good movie. I came out stunned by the magnitude of the picture. Everything about it is so well done, the casting, the scenery, the score. Lord of the Rings is the only thing I can think of to compare it to. I experienced the same overwhelming sense of awe watching both of these phenomenal pictures. The CG images are very good, though not quite as startlingly realistic as those in LOTR. I cannot find fault with the casting in any way.

Though the voice of Liam Neeson is not as I would have imagined a lion's at first, it is smooth, confident, and effective. Aslan is given the presence so essential to the heart of the story. I must comment on the performance of James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus, which I believe was the best in the film. Lucy was adorable, and surprisingly convincing, and Peter was given a very firm performance. I was a little nervous about how Edmund would turn out, but I needn't have worried; those large, startlingly dark eyes are perfect for the change from traitor to hero.

I commend the directors of the movie on their strict adherence to the book. Narnia isn't just "based" on the book. It IS the book. The scope, depth, and wonder of Lewis's world have been captured in a timeless manner that should be cherished for all ages. This is a movie for everyone, at a level for children to understand, yet with a fast plot and exciting battle sequences that will keep anyone interested. The last battle scene especially is as touching as any I have ever seen, including those in LOTR, putting tears in my eyes even while my heart soared. Go see Narnia for an exciting, well-done film, and a timeless message that our world so desperately needs.

Ten stars!!

With an appeal to both adults and children, the British author C. S. Lewis wrote seven books in his Chronicles of Narnia series. The stories are rich in mythology and religious symbolism, drawing upon archetypes from the Norse, Greco-Roman, Persian, medieval chivalric, and Judeo-Christian traditions.

Now comes this wonderful film of the first chronicle, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." The beautiful cinematography and the terrific performances of the children make this film outstanding for family viewing. As integrated with the live actors, the colorful animal characters, especially the Lion (Jesus), reveal brilliant technical film-making as well.

Lewis's books are not overtly allegorical. Rather, the symbols and the messages are subtle. The four children in the story (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) were inspired by the actual children evacuated from London during World War II, who spent time in Lewis's home. Lewis wanted his books to be enjoyed by young people who would later in their lives draw the spiritual meanings from the stories. In this area, the film is enormously faithful to the original book and would have made the author extremely proud.