The fantastical world of centaurs, dwarves and the eternal winter in C.S. Lewis’s novel The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was just waiting to be turned into a cult-making piece of cinematic magic and the film version by Andrew Adamson does not disappoint.
Adamson, of Shrek fame, weaves together all the dimensions of the moral battle between good and evil in a way that is both energetic and graceful, making this a film that does not have to rely on its special effects to wow and move the audience.And whilst Adamson’s Narnia is certainly a special-effects fare, it is not at the cost of the warmth and family intimacy embroidered into the original C.S.Lewis novel, nor the undeniably Christian themes which remain elegantly portrayed throughout.
The four actors behind the Pevensie children, who inadvertently stumble into a magical winter world through the wardrobe in an old professor’s house, also bear all the hallmarks of rising talents.
The 17 year old Anna Popplewell brings the character of the practical and motherly Susan to life with a dynamic and intelligent performance, Skandar Keynes is fabulous as the wicked yet lovable Edmund, and William Moseley is well-cast as the brave and righteous elder brother Peter.
And whilst Georgie Henley is appropriately adorable as Lucy Pevensie, the ten-year-old actress also displays remarkable emotional depth and intelligence, as well as intuition for all the idiosyncrasies of English society at the time of World War II, making Lucy not simply a cute space-filler but also an integral character in the film.The rest of the mainly British cast also turn out superbly touching performances, with Liam Neeson providing Aslan, the lion ruler of Narnia, with a voice that is both noble and reassuring.
The stand-out performance of the film, however, definitely has to go to Tilda Swinton as the ruthless White Witch, whose steely performance perfectly encapsulates all the iciness and mercilessness of the Narnia winter.
And while there are definitely weaknesses, namely in the quality of some of the animations, The Chronicles of Narnia will undoubtedly become the film that this generation of children will grow up to look back on fondly.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe will open in cinemas across the country on the 8 December.
