Winter Wonderland
Vivid recreation of C. S. Lewis' magical 'Narnia'

Since Tolkien became such a hot screen property with the Lord Of The Rings series, could his contemporary, C. S. Lewis, be far behind? The next classic from the vast canon of fantasy literature to make it to the screen is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, based on the first book of Lewis' beloved Narnia series. It may seem like an odd choice for director Andrew Adamson, best known for the fairy tale-spoofing Shrek movies. But Adamson plays it straight in Narnia with a vivid and engaging recreation of Lewis' magical adventure.

Adamson has an extensive background in visual effects, and this is a Disney release, but Narnia is a live-action fantasy with dazzling fx skillfully used in support of the central human story. As German bombers rain fire down on London during World War II, the city's children are evacuated to distant country homes. Among them are the four bickering Pevensie siblings: young teen Peter (William Moseley), trying to be the man of the family in the absence of their soldier father, peacemaker Susan (Anna Popplewell), rebellious tween Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and sprightly little Lucy (Georgie Henley).

Shuffled off to the huge, gloomy mansion of a professor they rarely see (Jim Broadbent) and his stern housekeeper, the kids are left to themselves. Playing hide-and-seek one day, Lucy crawls into an old wardrobe under a musty sheet in a forgotten room—and discovers a portal into the magical realm of Narnia, a severely gorgeous landscape frozen in a hundred-year winter while a pretender, the villainous White Witch, Jadis (the regally alien Tilda Swinton) reigns as queen.

Lucy's siblings don't believe her tall tale, until the day they accidentally break a stained glass window with a cricket ball and all take refuge in the wardrobe. Tumbling out into the snow, they find themselves hailed as the saviours of Narnia. It's been prophesied that two "sons of Adam" and two "daughters of Eve"—ie: humans— will deliver Narnia from the White Witch. The snow is already beginning to thaw, and the good citizens of Narnia (chiefly talking animals and mythological creatures) are eager to conduct the kids to the military camp of their rightful ruler, the wise, messiah-figure Aslan, the lion (elegantly voiced by Liam Neeson). Jadis and her spies, including her minions, the wolves, are out to stop them.

Theologian Lewis' tale is largely a Christian allegory of love, sacrifice, redemption, and everlasting life, and like most Biblical stories, it can be brutal. It's pretty intense when Jadis and her monster squad capture and humiliate Aslan. Or when the charming faun, Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy), who befriends Lucy and disobeys orders to betray her, is punished by the Witch—as is disaffected Edmund, who must pay for his brief flirtation with evil. Fortunately, these characters are strong enough to move us on their own terms, apart from the preachifying.

I was a little disappointed that the climax occurs on a literal battlefield, even if the fight between good and evil is allegorical; Susan's protest that "they sent us away so we wouldn't get caught up in a war" goes unheeded. But the internal rivalries between the siblings (and the young actors' touching performances) feel just right. And there is much to delight in the film, from Jadis' ice palace and her chariot pulled by polar bears (in a fantasy image straight out of Frank Frazetta), to expertly crafted fantasy creatures like Patrick Kake's majestic, scene-stealing centaur lieutenant. The CGI animals have weight, presence, and personalities, including a folksy couple of beavers and a roguish fox voiced by Rupert Everett.

Details about the prophecy, the history of Narnia, and its proximity to that wardrobe are left out. (They may surface if the other six Narnia books are ever filmed.) Lewis readers can fill in the blanks; the rest of us can enjoy the story as a fanciful coming-of-age spectacle.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE With Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes and Tilda Swinton. Written by Ann Peacock and Andrew Adamson, and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. From the novel by C. S. Lewis. Directed by Andrew Adamson. A Walt Disney release. Rated PG. 140 minutes. (***1/2)
Review published in Good Times, December 22, 2005