Another Sunday afternoon, another trip to Cineworld.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Overall Rating: 68%
Shortly before his death, C.S Lewis said he would never want a live action film of his masterpiece to be made, furthermore he said he would never wish Disney to be involved. Ooooops on both accounts there then. I guess I can see his point; the world of Narnia may have be best left to the imagination.
Having said that the film is not a bad effort, just a little misguided. For those who grew up loving Narnia it will come as a disappointment that they did not start with The Magician’s Nephew - which explain the origins of the land of Narnia and it’s villains. But hey that’s Hollywood and its money spinning for you.
If you haven’t read the books since you were 7 years old then the basic plot is thus: 4 siblings are evacuated during the Second World War, left alone to explore their new country house they begin a game of hide and seek. The youngest of the children, Lucy, accidentally stumbles into a wardrobe unlike any other, in that it is a gateway to the magical world of Narnia. But the land is not without its problems and the children find themselves part of an epic struggle between good and evil.
The film’s dark opening with bombing and chaos creates a sense of excitement which is followed by heartbreaking scenes of goodbye. Unfortunately the film loses momentum once the children are left alone and it’s a bit of dull journey through the wardrobe. It is not until the film’s final act and climatic battle scenes does it become engaging again. When this film gets its right it is spectacular, it’s just a shame the pace is a little off.
The major problem, in my opinion, is that C.S. Lewis’ post war dialogue does not resonate with a modern audience. The lines at times seem forced and often Peter and Susan seem far too old to carry off the innocent sentiments. As a result the only child you feel you can identify with is Edmund, because he isn’t as perfect and self righteous as his siblings. Part of the reason I didn’t get sucked into Narnia is that I just didn’t care enough for the children.
The performance of Tilda Swinton as the evil White Witch is one of the better aspects of the film; she prevents the character from becoming diva-like or pantomime whilst at the same time providing the right amount of terror. It is the younger children Edmund and Lucy who outshine Peter and Susan, whose acting verges on soap opera at some points. James McAvoy shows suitable restraint in playing the potentially irritating Mr Tumnus.
The voice over characters are another story entirely; where as some were spot on, like the frightening wolves and Rupert Everett’s Fox, others did not fare so well. Liam Neeson’s Aslan would have worked were it for the fact that he has just stolen the tone from James Earl Jones’ Mufasa. Ray Winstone quite frankly cheapened the efforts of Narnia’s working class hero with his over the top cockney for Mr Beaver.
The scenes of Aslan being tortured and the film’s final great battle are amazing to watch and the special effects really are awesome. But there are others such as the waterfall scene where it appears to have been done on the cheap. Maybe Peter Jackson has just spoilt us with technology but to me the ones in Narnia were no where near as polished as they should be. The thing that worries me should they attempt to make his dark materials into a film is that CGI has not advanced enough to make animals look real, especially when compared to a live action background.
You could do far worse than spend your afternoon watching Narnia, but really without knowing the origins of the land it fails to become the magical place it should be. I don’t think C.S. Lewis will be spinning in his grave, but perhaps he’s getting a little restless!
Summary:
Not as good as the latest Harry Potter, but still entertaining enough. Children will love it, as will those who don’t really remember the books, but for me it seemed like the potential was wasted a little.