December 28th, 2005, from my Live Journal account

Before now I don't think I could have ever appreciated the Chronicles of Narnia in film form. Queen of the Damned and the Harry Potter movies taught me not to nit pick at every little deviation from the book. Because when you do that, you fail to enjoy the true work of the director.

And yet, if the director has any respect for the source material, he tries to show something of the author in the movie.

I went to see The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe with guns blazing. This was my childhood story, something I have loved and adored since I first saw the BBC miniseres, and I was ready to defend it to the death if it was in anyway scarred or maimed.

But to my surprise, Andrew Adamson actually did a job beyond any word I could find for it.


For instance, the scene where Aslan goes to sacrifice himself on the stone table, in place of Edmund, every moment in the scene was captured perfectly. From the merciless bantering and baiting of the demons and goblins right down to the White Witch tormenting a bound and gagged Aslan.

Then, when Lucy and Susan are mourning over his body, the field mice come to undo his bonds.

This was one scene I was so sure they would leave out, and yet they did it perfectly. Tt was as if Adamson really wanted this movie to be a tribute to C.S. Lewis' great work, and he actually understood that this tiny little detail (among others) was the way to do it.

Then there were the actors. The guy they got to play Mr. Tumnus was absolutely amazing, and he had the character down perfectly.

And what great cast would be complete with out the Liam "Qui-Gon Jinn" Neeson as the voice of Aslan.

But to be more specific, I have to focus on the kids who played the Pevensies. Every moment I expected the same amateurish mistakes that the Harry Potter Trio were making all throughout the first two movies. Instead we get four very decent child actors that not only fit their parts perfetly, but seemed to take on the heart and souls of the Pevensie children.

From Peter slaying Maugrim (voiced by the very talented Michael Madsen I might add), to Susan and Lucy crying over Aslan's vulnerable and lifeless corpse, to Edmund redeeming himself by destroying the source of the White Witch's power, those kids took the weight of this movie on their shoulders and carried it like seasoned veterans.

I'm sorry, but Mad Magazine has it right by saying that Daniel Radcliffe will always be remembered as the boy wizard. Those kids will be getting roles long after the Harry Potter children are retired from a life of fantasy/sci-fi conventions.





To put this in more simple words, thank you Mr. Adamson. Thank you very much.