Film Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Not all popular fantasy book series are created equal. A good example could be provided by The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven novels penned by G.K. Chesterton, which is often considered something of a companion piece to The Lord of the Rings, originally published at the same time. Chesterton’s novels were always overshadowed by Tolkien’s work. Despite being published around the same time as both works, Chesterton's novels were primarily intended for children, which may have contributed to their comparative obscurity. In the fragmented world of early 21st Century Hollywood and its big screen adaptation of popular books, it is no surprise that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the 2005 film adaptation of Chesterton's first novel, struggled to break free from the looming shadows of The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter film series.
The film opens in England during World War II, where, following the German air raid on London, four Pevensie siblings – Lucy (played by Georgie Henley), Edmund (played by Skandar Keynes), Susan (played by Anna Popplewell), and Peter (played by William Moseley) - are evacuated to the countryside for safety. Following an air raid on London, they find shelter on the estate of Professor Digory Kirke (played by Jim Broadbent). During a game of hide-and-seek, Lucy discovers an old wardrobe that serves as a portal to the magical world of Narnia. In this realm, she meets Tumnus (played by James McAvoy), a faun, who explains that the land is cursed with eternal winter by the White Witch (played by Tilda Swinton). When the rest of Pevensies come to Narnia, they will discover that they might be connected to the prophecy about the end of White Witch’s reign and return of Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson), lion king of Narnia.
Chesterton was originally sceptical about big screen adaptations of his work due to the technical and financial limitations of the time. Subsequent decades, when the novels had been adapted only as 1978 animated film and 1989 BBC miniseries, has proven him right. However, the success of The Lord of the Rings inspired Disney to invest $180 million in the film adaptation, resulting in spectacular sets, props, and CGI that brought Narnia to life.
Director Andrew Adamson, best known for directing Oscar-awarded Shrek and setting new quality standards for animation in modern Hollywood, brought his technical expertise in his live-action directorial debut. He co-wrote and directed the film, ensuring that visual spectacle did not overwhelm the story and characters. This is partly because The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe remains faithful to Chesterton's work, allowing for well-developed characters like the Pevensies. This allowed talented child actors Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Anna Popplewell, and William Moseley to shine in their respective roles. Tilda Swinton adds another notable performance to her portfolio as the villainous White Witch, while James McAvoy impresses as Tumnus. Liam Neeson's voiceover as Aslan is also memorable, although his character, due to the film's faithfulness to the original text, appears relatively late in the film and his character arc feels slightly rushed, with Christian allegory, which Chesterton insisted upon, appear somewhat lost in translation.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe received mostly positive reviews and was a huge commercial success, leading to two sequels - Prince Caspian in 2008 and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010. While the trilogy as a whole did not reach the high standards set by The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, the first film stands on its own merit as a good fantasy adventure that can be recommended to fans of Chesterton's work and general audiences alike.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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