D.C. MOVIE GUYS

JOE’S REVIEW: “THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE”

Based on C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardeobe” would clearly like to be the new “Harry Potter”. That is, these classic children’s books would lke to find a new global life in a series of popular movies. Andrew Adamson, the director of the animated hit “Shrek”
has been enlisted to bing the story to life and while the story’s talking aminals will captivate young and old alike, much of the magic of Lewis’
creation is still on the page, not on the screen.

Set in England during World War II, the story featues four children, two brothers and two sisters, sent off to the countryside by their mother during the Blitz of London. Whilke living with an eccentric professor and his cranky, wet blanket of a housekeeper, they discover a magic wardrobe in a spare room. Climbing into it, they are transported to the land of Narnia, where animals speak, winter has lasted a hundred years and the land is ruled by thewicked White Witch (Tilda Swinton),

The arrival of the children has her running scared, since a prophecy has decreed that their appearance will bring forth a new day of peace and freedom. She tries to use youngest brother Edmund against his siblings and then holds him prisoner. To free him, the other children must seek the help of some of the animals of the land and their leader, the lion Aslayn.
Before freedom can come and peace be established, fear will have to be faced and sacrifice will be demanded.

Adamson clearly is more at home with the abilty of today’s cinematic special effects to bring the talking animals to life than he is with making his human cxharacters more “animated”, so to speak. The child actors, with the exception of the charming young girl playing Lucy, are little more than living plot devices that keep things moving. The voice work of Liam Neeson as the Lion, Rupert Evrett as the fox and the beavers and others, have a magical quality that lifts the movie to a certain level. When the animals aren’t on screen, the movie’s magic falls silent.

While executives at Disney, the studio releasing the film , had hoped to exploit the stories underlying Christian allegorical elements, the film’s overall flaws make that subtext a lesser issue. To borrow a quote from “Star Wars’ ” Han Solo, when it comes to Mr. Adamson’s skill as a director, “good with animated ogers, that’s one thing. Good with the living, that’s something else.”

MPAA RATING: PG for violent battle scenes JOE’S RATING: TWO STARS.

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Short Guide to Writing About Film, A (7th Edition)

Mamma Mia!: The Movie Soundtrack Featuring the Songs of ABBA (Piano Vocal Guitar)

The Film Club: A Memoir

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Film History: An Introduction