In case you haven’t heard, The Chronicles of Narnia is one big, albeit fantastically stretched, children’s adaptation of the story of Christ and the New Testament. But my job is not to interpret the many Biblical metaphors, nor is it meant to involve my dissection of a tale filled with classical Catholic morality.
Narnia happens not only to be an after-school special put to film, but a glorious coming-of-age tale set in a magical land hidden deeply away in an antique wardrobe and the imaginations of the millions of children who have come to love the classic C.S. Lewis novel on which the film is based. It is that film, the adaptation of the beloved children’s novel, that I am here to review.
The story begins in 1940s England, as young siblings Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and Lucy (Georgie Henley) are sent to live with an eccentric professor (Jim Broadbent) and his housekeeper in the country, out of the way of the air raids and bombings of then-raging World War II. But, when Lucy discovers a majestic wardrobe, another, more dangerous war envelopes the children. In Narnia, the magical world behind the wardrobe, a century-long winter has corresponded with the malevolent reign of Narnia’s queen, the evil White Witch, who is played with a frightening anger by the expert on all characters both benign and deranged, the excellent Tilda Swinton (Constantine). When Lucy and her siblings, including traitorous Edmund, become involved in the fight for Narnia’s emancipation from its perpetual winter, a prophecy detailing the climactic fight between good and evil begins to take shape, and Aslan the lion king emerges to lead the siblings and creatures of Narnia into battle.
Creating a film based on any novel of such high caliber as Lewis’ classic The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe would faze those who fear not living up to the lofty expectations of the story’s army of fans. Director Adam Adamson (Shrek, Shrek 2) proves more than capable, though, as his live-action debut not only provides a more than competent vision of the classic book, but improves on many of the story’s lesser moments. It is also to the film’s benefit that many of the story’s religious undertones are removed or lessened, since they might distract viewers from the classic coming-of-age tale that the movie already displays without them. Yes, Aslan is noticeably Christ-like, but the emphasis on his character is softened, leaving way for the young actors to take the spotlight.
For child actors, all four of the stars are impressive, belieing their amateur status. All four, Moseley in particular, deliver fittingly somber performances, but are best when interacting with one another. Each actor matches up with his or her on-screen persona perfectly. Keynes’ character, the younger brother Edmund, matures nobly during the film. During the movie’s filming, Keynes himself grew — literally. The actor sprouted some six and a half inches during the months behind the camera.
The mystical creatures that inhabit Narnia range from fawns to talking beavers to minotaurs. All are noteworthy special effects; so much so, in fact, that many of them seem lifelike, and the final, epic battle of the film, which features hordes of these CGI characters, is realistic and brutal.
The movie itself is somewhat of a similar feat. All involved managed to adapt one of the most fantastical, imaginative novels of the past century into something just as great. The Chronicles of Narnia is one of the best films in recent memory.
