I'm not going to write the usual movie synopsis that I often include in these reviews. If you already know the story of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, it's not necessary. If you don't know the story...well, I believe you'd enjoy the movie more by simply discovering the details as you go along. On the other hand, if you want to see an example of how not to write a movie review, you can read Roger Ebert's treatment in which he gives away every plot point and chronicles the story from beginning to end.

It's been at least a decade since I read C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (henceforth, LWW). And I hate to confess, that it's the only one in the series I've read. Perhaps it's that lesser time for reading fiction that I mentioned in a blog entry the other day. That also means that having read the book so long ago, I won't be able to tell you in detail how faithful the new movie released today was to the book, or how it strictly compares. However, that's okay because what I can tell you is that the movie thoroughly feels as if it is faithful to the spirit of the C. S. Lewis that I know from his numerous other books I've read. Perhaps this is because Douglas Gresham, the stepson of C. S. Lewis, was given final say on decisions ranging from the script to character and set designs.

The movie is absolutely captivating from beginning to end. Sadly, it's very hard for me to escape into a movie anymore, but I found that a number of times, I felt completely caught up in the events taking place. The movie centers around the adventures of four children, and there were certain points in which I felt like a fifth participant in the film. It takes a lot to pull me into an experience like that. Perhaps that is the beauty of Lewis' storytelling. Yes, this is a children's story, but it speaks to adults as well without resorting to dialogue and innuendo that only adults will pick up on as is done in so many other supposed children's movies today.

Britain's given us the best fantasy stories over the past few years, and I suppose this movie draws instant comparison with the Harry Potter stories and Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (LOTR). Tolkien's Middle Earth where the LOTR takes place was designed to be a setting for the lost mythology of Great Britain. The Harry Potter stories are set in our world but in a place that normal people (muggles) never see. Narnia, on the other hand, seems to be another dimension, accessible from this world if the right entry point is found, such as an old wardrobe in an eccentric professor's country home. All three of these mythologies revolve around the basic theme of good vs. evil, but perhaps Harry Potter pales somewhat in comparison with the creations of Tolkien and Lewis. If anything, J. K. Rowling, the creator of the Harry Potter series, will forever be standing in the shadows of the myth-makers from the generation before her. Could there be a Harry Potter without Narnia and Middle Earth before it?

I was fascinated with the characters--human and non-human--in LWW. The four principal actors playing the Pevensie children were essentially unknown actors, but they performed their parts believably and remarkably well. Some of the other cast members have more experience, but most will be fairly unfamiliar to audiences outside of England. American movie-goers will recognize Tilda Swinton who plays the alluring White Witch as the actress who so masterfully portrayed the androgynous archangel Gabriel in Constantine. Liam Neeson provides the voice for the lion, Aslan.

The mythological creatures in Narnia are different from those in Middle Earth. Tolkien's creatures drew upon legends from the British Isles, Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Lewis' creatures come largely out of Greco-Roman mythology. In LWW, you will see fawns (or satyrs), minotaurs, cyclops, giants, and centaurs. And of course there are quite a few griffins, unicorns, dwarves and ogre-like creatures running around, too. Interestingly, a number of familiar earth creatures are depicted as well, all of whom seem to be able to talk as naturally as Balaam's ass. In every crowd shot or battle scene, I scanned the characters, not only for mythological creatures, but also for the kinds of animals we might more likely come across at the local zoo. Off the top of my head, I recall seeing beavers, badgers, wolves, cheetahs, white tigers, foxes, gorillas, horses, and even a rhinoceros. These creatures are primarily created through the magic of computer imaging, with the exception of the horses and a pack of wolves as they run through the forest. But the creatures interact with the other human and non-human characters so naturally, you'll forget that what you're seeing is not the real thing. As I mentioned, most of these can talk as plainly as you or I can. Surely the depiction of so many familiar creatures in the story demonstrates Lewis' point that the battle between good and evil is a cosmic one, affecting all of creation, not merely humanity.

For those who may have been concerned that the spiritual themes in the Lewis' original story would be toned down in a big-budget Hollywood retelling, you can put your fears to rest. From what I could tell, and from what I remember of the book, nothing was left out. There were a number of biblical parallels that may even be more explicit due to the visual nature of telling the story through film. However, parents with young children should be advised that some scenes may be too scary for very small children. But the movie is not quite as violent as Lord of the Rings, and not near as dark as the Harry Potter stories.

Lewis did not want to see his Narnia stories depicted in film because he was concerned for the way the non-human characters would be depicted. However, technology has come so far, that I would have to hope that he would be pleased with the final product. Centaurs and minotaurs move the way I imagine they would if they really existed. I really don't think that LWW could have been made before this point in cinematographic history with such excellence. Walden Media, the company behind LWW (Disney is merely the distributor and marketer) has purchased the option to make all seven stories in the Chronicles of Narnia. Such decisions are usually based on the financial success of the first installment in a series. However, based on what I saw today, and upon my desire already to see this movie a second time, I believe we can look forward to seeing the rest of the series over the coming years. That's a nice thought for those of us who were fed by the annual installment of Middle-Earth for three years in a row, but have been left not quite so satisfied with tales from Hogwarts. In the meantime, I suppose I have six other books from Lewis to catch up on!