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

First: a disclaimer. I loooooovvvvve C. S. Lewis and my introduction to his work was The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, first read when I was quite young. I had my own ideas of how the children, the wardrobe, the land of Narnia, and all of its inhabitants should look -- and the film doesn't get any of that wrong.

However, I believe that it's a mistake to take this slim volume and "pad" it into an epic. Just because the films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy were lengthy doesn't mean that every fantasy series should aim for the same in order to be successful. The Narnia books are all rather to-the-point -- the climactic battle is a scant three pages in my paperback copy. Why does the screenplay give such importance to taking down the enemy when, clearly, Lewis's greater focus was on the wonder of the place and relationships between the characters?

I am looking forward to future installments. Everything looked beautiful and I expect that these capable actors will grow into comfortable ones as they gain more experience (as the Harry Potter youngsters have).

B