Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Do not cite the deep magic to me, witch. I was there when it was written.

—Aslan

An adaption of C. S. Lewis’s book by the same title, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe follows the adventures of the four Pevensie children, who spend some time at an old mansion and end up being transported to the magical land of Narnia. They fulfil an ancient prophecy to overthrow the evil White Witch who has been ruling Narnia and keeping it winter there for the past hundred years.

No matter what anyone says about this film, I will stand by it as being a marvelous adaptation of C. S. Lewis’s book. This film has a stunning score, gorgeous cinematography, great acting, and jaw-dropping CGI for the time. Aslan, the great lion, is entirely CGI but looks incredibly life-like and portrays such expression and emotion that it puts the modern-day Lion King to shame.

This film is respectful to the original material and the absolutely best adaptation that could possibly have been done. It’s true that the four main characters are nothing special when it comes to their personalities and characterizations, but I think it fits the nature of the story. Not every story needs overly complex and well-developed characters. This is more a story of exploration and morals rather than in-depth character studies. Edmund has a dynamic arc, starting selfish and as a traitor, but maturing throughout the story.

I appreciate how this movie didn’t feel the need to add excess psychological conflicts to the characters, like so many adaptations do. For example, making Aragorn doubt that he can be king and giving him a love story in the Lord of the Rings (which was present in the books but was far less overt), when in the books he was sure about being king and you felt so proud and happy for him when he finally achieved what he’d been preparing his whole life for. And there was no distracting love drama. The filmmakers for Narnia could have so easily decided to cram some cringe-worthy personal conflicts into their story, but they wisely decided not to and it gives the story a more natural feel and flow.

The score is magnificent and beautiful. Tilda Swinton as the White Witch is formidable and terrifying when she wants to be. Aslan is a such a strong and comforting presence and is easily my favorite character.

Concerns

This is one of the cleanest and most family-friendly movies I’ve seen. That being said, there are some scenes of peril and action, a battle scene, and some gross creatures in a scene. If you’ve already read the book, or even if you haven’t, check it out. It’s gorgeous and heartfelt and the special effects are astounding. The modern-day Lion King can’t hold a candle the realistic talking animals in this film.

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