Review - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, with the holiday season just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to take a look at a fantasy film from the early 2000's. Based on the C.S. Lewis book of the same name, Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was directed by Andrew Adamson, and stars William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, James Cosmo, and Tilda Swinton, with the vocal talents of Michael Madsen, Rupert Everett, Ray Winstone, Dawn French, and Liam Neeson. 

        During the London Blitz of World War II, the Pevensie children, consisting of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, are forced to flee the the city, and are taken in by Professor Kirke, who lives in an sizeable mansion in the country. One rainy day,while playing hide-and-seek with her elder siblings, Lucy wanders into an empty spare room, and opens a beautifully carved wooden wardrobe. And, as Lucy wanders inside, she sees a number of unusual things, such as a lamppost, and a massive wintery forest. Lucy also meets a faun named Mr. Tumnus, who invites her to his home for tea. 

        And, it's in the home of Mr. Tumnus where we learn that the land without the wardrobe is the Kingdom of Narnia, where it is always winter, and there hasn't been a celebration of Christmas in a very long time. And, after playing her a song on his flute, Mr. Tumnus tearfully admits to Lucy that he had initially intended to hand her over to Jadis the White Witch, who has cursed Narnia into an eternal winter with no Christmas, and has crowned herself Queen of Narnia. Apparently, any humans who wander into Narnia are to be handed over to her. Instead, knowing full well what it would mean for him, Mr. Tumnus guides Lucy back to the lamppost, where she returns to the spare room as if no time had actually passed at all. 

       Unfortunately, Peter and Susan don't believe Lucy, as all they see is a plain wardrobe. So, that night, Lucy goes back into the spare room, and the way to Narnia is open again. But, Edmund follows her in, and winds up meeting the White Witch, who shows him kindness, offering him a warm blanket in her sleigh, as well as a drink and a snack of Turkish delight. And, it's when he tells the Witch about his siblings that she offers him a special reward if he brings his siblings to meet her. The Witch let's Edmund out of the sleigh and departs. And, Lucy shows up, having just left spending time with Mr. Tumnus, and the two leave Narnia back to the spare room. But, once again, Peter and Susan don't believe Lucy, and Edmund only makes it worse. But, Professor Kirke has his assistant take Lucy to the kitchen for some hot chocolate, while speaking to Peter and Susan in his study. And, after hearing what they have to say, the Professor suggests that Peter and Susan perhaps should consider that Lucy is telling the truth about the wardrobe being a doorway to Narnia. 

       The next day, while playing ball outside, Edmund accidentally breaks a window, oops, and the four Pevensie children are forced to hide. And, of course, all four of them head into the wardrobe and into the land of Narnia. Peter and Susan apologize to Lucy for doubting her, and Peter further admonishes Edmund for his earlier behavior. The four of them borrow some coats to stay warm, and head to see Mr. Tumnus. Unfortunately, the faun was arrested by Maugrim, who leads the Witch's secret police, and taken to her frigid castle. Luckily, a friend of Tumnus, Mr. Beaver, takes the children to his beaver lodge, where they also meet his wife Mrs. Beaver. 

       It's here where the Beavers tell the Pevensie children about a prophecy in Narnia. Two "sons of Adam" and two "daughters of Eve" would arrive, join Aslan the Lion, end the Witch's reign, and take the four thrones of Cair Paravel. Unfortunately, Edmund traversed to the Witch's castle, where wshe dispatches Maugrim and the secret police, all wolves by the way, after Edmund's siblings and the Beavers. But, they are helped by an ally named Mr. Fox, who sends Maugrim and his wolfpack North. Mr. Fox then tells the Pevensie children and the Beavers that Aslan is gathering his forces at the ancient Stone Table. 

      En route to the Stone Table, Peter, Lucy, and Susan are chased down by a figure on a sleigh, and they run for it, as they fear it's the Witch. However, it's not the Witch, but is actually Father Christmas. Yep, the Witch's power is weakening thanks to the Pevensie children, and thus Christmas is back on in Narnia. As for the gifts he has brought for the Pevensie children, Father Christmas gives Lucy a small dagger and a bottle with a powerful healing juice, gives Susan a horn, bow, and a quiver of arrows, and gives Peter a sword and shield. Father Christmas then departs to make up for lost time, wishes the children a Merry Christmas, and they continue on their way. But, because the Witch's power is weakening, that means the ice across Narnia is starting to thaw. 

        After making past a melting waterfall, and making it down a raging river in an ice floe, Peter, Susan, and Lucy finally reach the camp of Aslan's army, and it's here where we meet the mighty lion himself. And, they explain what happened with Edmund, and Aslan promises to do what he can. Edmund, meanwhile, is forced to see how truly evil the Witch is, and witnesses her use her powerful wand to turn Tumnus and Mr. Fox to stone. She then dispatches Maugrim and his wolfpack to Aslan's camp, where they corner Susan and Lucy. Peter comes in for the rescue, and he finishes off Maugrim. Aslan sends his forces to follow the wolves back to the Witch's camp, and he knights Peter as a true knight of Narnia, dubbed Sir Peter Wolfsbane. 

        Luckily, the troops he sends to the Witch's camp return with Edmund safe and sound, and Aslan forgives Edmund's transgressions against his siblings and against Narnia. Peter looks to send his siblings back through the wardrobe and out of Narnia, keeping them safe while he stays behind to help fight. But, Edmund suggests that they ALL need to fight, as only together can they defeat the Witch. And, speak of the devil, the Witch arrives to deal with Edmund, planning to kill him on the Stone Table for his treasonous actions. However, Aslan speaks with her alone, coming to a compromise that spares Edmund. The cost? Aslan is the one to die on the Stone Table. 

       That night, Aslan travels to the Stone Table, with Susan and Lucy accompanying him to a certain point. The sister witness the Witch stab Aslan from afar, and they send a message to Peter about what's happened. The two then head to the Stone Table, watch a bunch of field mice chew through the ropes Aslan was tied down with, and something happens at the break of dawn. The Stone Table is cracked, and Aslan is alive again. How? Well, there was an even deeper magic in Narnia beyond the deep magic the Witch knew about. Evidently, is a soul who has committed no wrong is sacrificed on the Stone Table, the Table itself will crack and that soul will be revived. So, needing reinforcements, Aslan takes Susan and Lucy to the Witch's castle to free all who she turned to stone, including Mr. Tumnus. 

       Peter and Edmund, meanwhile, lead the battle against the Witch and her forces. The battle is epic, but Peter and Edmund's forces begin to dwindle. It's only when Aslan and the reinforcements arrive that things take a turn. Edmund destroys the Witch's wand, and she stabs him with a blade. Aslan kills the Witch and her forces fall. Lucy uses the healing juice she got from Father Christmas and saves Edmund, and the four siblings are happily reunited. At Cair Paravel, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are crowned by Aslan as Kings and Queens of Narnia, and Aslan departs to tend to his other responsibilities. Tumnus reassures Lucy that Aslan will return, and notes that "he's not a tame lion."

        Years pass, and Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy have grown into adults, and they all look amazing. But, while hunting a rare white stag, they come across something they forgot: the lamppost. They follow it back through the wardrobe and are returned to their younger ages. Returning to the spare room, they meet the Professor, who asks what went on in the wardrobe. And when they suggest he wouldn't believe them, he simply remarks "Try me." In a post-credits scene, Lucy attempts to return to Narnia, but the Professor implies that she won't be able to open the way through the wardrobe, but there will be other doors to Narnia. 

       So, this movie was clearly an attempt to cash in on successful franchises like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. But, I think that Narnia was the better franchise for Disney to adapt back then. Especially with this one, as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has the kind of story that best fits the overall vibe that is, well, Disney. 

       The performances were absolutely fantastic, especially with the Pevensie children. William Moseley as Peter took a very stoic character from the book and made him a more emotionally complex figure. I especially enjoyed how he was a bit harder on Edmund in the movie by comparison to the book. Speaking of which, Skandar Keynes as Edmund is pretty on point with his book counterpart, but is more quick to want to help once he sees the Witch's true power. Anna Popplewell takes Susan and genuinely elevates her above her book counterpart. Seeing her scenes with the other Pevensie children were really fun, especially a riverside scene with just Susan and Lucy, where the two sisters are having fun just hanging out together. Lastly, Georgie Henley as Lucy was exactly like her book counterpart, and absolutely stole the show in this movie. 

        Among the other performances, James McAvoy as Tumnus was fantastic, Jim Broadbent as Professor Kirke has a genuine kindhearted warmth for his limited screentime. And, for what limited screen time he got, I really enjoyed James Cosmo as Father Christmas. Honestly, someone needs to write a holiday project and cast him as Santa. Lastly, Tilda Swinton as the White Witch was an absolutely fantastic villain. As for the voice performances, I enjoyed Ray Winstone and Dawn French as the Beavers, as well as the likes of Michael Madsen as Maugrim and Rupert Everett as Mr. Fox. But, the best voice performance was from Liam Neeson as Aslan. Hearing such a fantastic voice coming from a mighty lion is absolutely fantastic and is easily one of the best parts of the movie. 

        The practical effects and digital effects, both by Weta Workshop, were very much on par with their prior work on Lord of the Rings. The genuine artisanship that went into bringing to life creatures like centaurs, minotaurs, and multiple talking animals was truly breathtaking. And the weapon designs were also beautifully crafted. The location and set design was also phenomenal. When the landscape is completely covered in ice and snow, it truly stands out. Now, while some of the grassy fields bear a close resemblance to those seen in Middle-Earth, it still feels unique enough that a casual viewer can watch this movie without making comparisons to Lord of the Rings. 

        Overall, Disney and director Andrew Adamson made one of the best fantasy films of the mid 2000's. I personally can't recommend this movie enough, and highly encourage either watching or rewatching it. I'm giving The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a rating of 5/5. 

      Well guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys next time with my review of the Don Bluth classic Anastasia.