“Do not cite the Deep Magic to me Witch. I was there when it was written.”
Memories and nostalgia are a funny thing. Revising the things you enjoyed in the past can often bring mixed emotions of joy, frustration, disappointment, sadness or all of the above. Last year in the height of the pandemic I was encouraged by a friend to revisit something I had enjoyed during my childhood – The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, although I had neither the time nor motivation to do so until recently. When I was a child, I was given a copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a gift leading up to the film’s release in 2005 and thoroughly enjoyed both and book and film, but never progressed further or revisited the series. Until now…
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author C. S. Lewis and originally published between 1950 and 1956. The books are set in the fictional world of Narnia, a fantasy realm of mythical beasts and anthropomorphic animals, and is told through the perspective of several children who visit the realm. The first of these novels, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was originally published by Geoffrey Bles in 1950.
During the early 2000s, Disney was looking for a fantasy franchise that would rival the critical and commercial successes of The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. As such, The Chronicles of Narnia seemed to be the perfect candidate for adaptation to film for family audiences that would be enjoyed by both adults and children. Consequently, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released in 2005 and was followed by two sequels, Prince Caspian in 2008, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010.
Revisiting the film again as an adult, I can honestly say that The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a triumph of filmmaking that wonderfully introduces and transports audiences to the land of Narnia, bring its world to life.
Firstly, the film and the world of Narnia looks absolutely gorgeous, with an excellent blend of practical and visual effects. The anthropomorphic creatures and animals of Narnia all look spectacular blended in with the Narnian landscapes and backgrounds. The visual effects team have thus done an excellent job in combining CGI, practical, and visual effects throughout the film. In particular, the lion Aslan, voiced by Liam Neeson, is a visual triumph boasting some of the best CGI ever created and looks real, far better than anything from the live adaptation The Lion King. Neeson’s voice acting is also some of the best in children’s films.
The film is also superbly directed by Andrew Adamson, who manages to blend narrative, comedy and action wonderfully well. For a long runtime of 143 minutes the film is also paced extremely well, never feeling boring or dragged. The viewer is steadily introduced to the world of Narnia through the four children, and we are able to experience the wonderful (and dangerous) creatures and animals that live in this fantasy realm. It feels akin to the introduction of the Wizarding World in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The film also builds steadily to the climax battle which is far more detailed, exciting and magnificent than written in Lewis’ original book.
In terms of acting, the performances of Tilda Swinton as the White Witch and Liam Neeson as Aslan tower above all others. Swinton is incredible as the cold-hearted, evil and manipulative Witch who holds Narnia with an icy cold grip. In every scene she is in she exudes a strong, godly and otherworldly performance as the White Witch, always supremely confident of her skills and abilities. Her white fringed gown and coat is a spectacular achievement for the costume design team. Neeson is also excellent as the voice of Aslan the lion, who is the wise, insightful and all-knowing King of Narnia. His voice always produces an aura of strength, wisdom and knowledge throughout the film.
As for the four children, unfortunately on a character level they are not very interesting and have no major story arcs or development (with the exception of Peter). Clearly Lewis (and the screenwriters) were more interested in the world of Narnia and its inhabitants than the kids. However George Henley is delightful as the young Lucy Pevensie, and her discovery and exploration of Narnia is fantastic to see, as is her interactions with Mr Tumnus (the faun) and Aslan. Out of the four, Peter is the one who undergoes the most development as he grows and develops from a young boy into a courageous and chivalrous man and soldier.
Finally, the music and soundtrack, composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, is also excellent and really allows the Narnian world to really flourish and blossom on screen. The final orchestral track, Only the Beginning of the Adventure, is one of my favourites and is well worth a listen.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is an excellent fantasy film for both children and adults alike and is a wonderful and faithful adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ original novel. 8/10.
Andrew Reviews 