Dec 16 2005
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
I got to see this movie about a week ago and I thought I would post something up here about it. C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors. I enjoy both his fiction and non-fiction works. The Chronicles of Narnia series is no exception so when I went to see this movie I had high hopes for it. I had decided to read the book about a week before I saw it because I had not read them since I was young and this was a good idea. I do not know if I would have liked it as much as I did without reading the book first. With that said, I highly recommend that you read the book before you see it.
I thought this was one of the best movies I have seen in a while. I knew that as long as they stayed true to the book I would enjoy it. And they did. The only scene that I would have changed in the whole movie was the one where Edmund meets the queen for the first time. It felt rushed and did not seem to deliver the impact that it should. This scene is important because it shows why Edmund would betray his brothers and sisters. It did not accomplish this for me. Perhaps they cut the scene a bit to make the movie shorter but there where other places that could have been cut that would have left this crutial scene intact.
Other than that one scene, I truly enjoyed the film. I was very glad that they left the allegory of Aslan’s death on the stone table intact. You can see the definite comparison between that and Christ’s death on the cross. The visuals were very well done and the soundtrack was great (I want it for Christmas). It is good to see movies out there that corospond with my world view.
Just a note to parents (I don’t know how many parents read this): There are a couple intense scenes that might scare the kiddies but other than that it is very clean and family friendly.
Brian
One response so far
Welcome all! My name is Brian and I am glad you found your way here.
Brian,
I’m digging the updated site. I haven’t worked on mine yet, but it’ll be finished before next semester. I agree with your review of this movie. It’s pretty much an average movie, if you haven’t read the books. If you have read the books, then this movie is above average. One made the Chronicles so wonderful in my opinion, is the exact opposite of why some people liked the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien created a whole other world and gafe it back story, history, language. Lewis, on the other hand, directed your imagination on what to think of a situation or character. Aslan probably suffered the most due to this. I don’t think the viewer (especially if he or she had not read the books) was able to see how grand a Lion he was. But, that’s why there are books. To fill what is lacking in what can be presented on the screen. And with Chronicles, the full awe of Narnia is never appreciated in the movie. But overall, the movie should whet the interest of many to read the books!