"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," is another film in a series of fantasy-based films to hit the theatres in the holiday season. Harry Potter did make it some time before and continues to draw audiences by the dozen, but "Narnia" and Peter Jackson's "King Kong" are not too far behind.
The latter has had a fantastic opening in New York in the past week and already film pundits are drawing comparisons with the timeless classic "Titanic" by James Cameron. However, "Narnia" does manage to hold its own even in face of such stiff competition and wows children as well as adults. Based on C.S. Lewis' timeless masterpiece, "Narnia" tells the story of four siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, with all the typical family conflicts, who enter into the magical world of Narnia through a wardrobe full of fur coats.
The Pevensie siblings are now left to deal with a magical world covered with snow, where they find an abundance of talking animals and bewitching landscapes. How they deal with the new challenge and how they resolve their own conflicts to understand their value to each other forms the crux of this excellent film.
C S Lewis authored seven stories based on Narnia and each one has a compelling plot behind it. Though the focus is largely on children, the moral behind the stories have a lesson for adults as well.
William Moseley, who essays the role of Peter Pevensie is thrilled to be associated with such a huge draw and feels that the process of film-making was a great experience. "We just enjoy everything so much. We just tried to relish each moment that we have together as a family and as individuals. The experience we've been given is, without question, the greatest experience of our life. It's just appreciating those things," he said.
Skandar Keynes who plays Edmund Pevensie is a feisty kid who learns to control himself in the end. Georgie Henley as Lucy, who finds the key to Narnia is sweet without grating on the nerves. The fantastic computer generated imagery has surely helped director Andrew Adamson deliver a polished product. A must-watch film if you have not already done so!
