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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usEkWtuNn-w

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

If there is one thing that can be very true, the most memorable adventures are the ones you share with family.


PLOT


Inspired by the second book in CS Lewis’ book series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe begins in 1940 near the Blitz era of WWII. Four siblings of the Pevensie family have evacuated from London and are taken under the custody of Professor Digory Kirke (Jim Broadbent) and strict housekeeper Mrs MacReady (Elizabeth Hawthorne). The siblings are named: Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy. Away from their mother Helen (Judy McIntosh) until the war is over, the four try to make the best of it in the first day by playing hide and seek. Lucy would hide in a wardrobe kept in an empty room, but the further she went, she would find herself in the alternate dimension of Narnia that is surrounded in snow. She then quickly befriends a faun named Tumnus, but he chooses sending her back home to keep her from the evil White Witch Jadis who has cursed Narnia to an eternal winter with no Christmas. What felt like hours in Narnia would be seconds away from her dimension. She tries telling her siblings her discovery, but they don’t believer her when they investigate. Edmund ends up following her the following night and meets Jadis herself. Unaware of what she’s done, she offers him kingship if he brings the others to her. He does leave with Lucy who got to see Tumnus again, but he still chooses to not back her when she tells Peter & Susan of her experiences. Feeling alone, she does confide to Professor Kirke. The professor does ask Peter & Susan what troubles her and they mention the wardrobe that they don’t believe to be real, but surprisingly, he tells them to believe her. The next day, they try hiding from MacReady when breaking a window on accident. Peter & Susan see firsthand that what Lucy’s been saying is true and they make Edmund apologize for lying. They go to Tumnus’ home only to find it in ruins as a result of being captured by Jadis. Little do they know Edmund is responsible for unintentionally turning him to her. Unsure of what to do next, the four meet a talking beaver, Mister Beaver (Ray Winstone) who takes him to his cabin where he lives with his wife, Misses Beaver (Dawn French). They explain to the four that the creator of Narnia known as Aslan is planning to return with an army to regain control as there is a prophecy Jadis will be defeated if four humans, two sons of Adam & two daughters of Eve, take the thrones of Cair Paravel. Wanting to be with Jadis instead, Edmund sneaks off but he only makes her furious he didn’t bring his siblings with him and imprisons him with Tumnus. Peter almost goes after her, but Mr. Beaver stops that because that is the bait the witch expects to succeed with. The white witch sends her wolf police led by Maugrim (Michael Madsen) after his family since he still shares where they’re hiding. Thankfully, they and the beavers escape and get protected by a fox, credited as Mister Fox (Rupert Everett), who distracts the pack. Despite his injuries, he is able to tell them he’s seen Aslan who sent him to get troops. The Pevensies don’t plan on fighting like the prophecy says however as they’re only concerned with getting their brother back and returning to their world. Despite not preventing the prophecy yet, Jadis keeps Edmund around when he mentions his family is likely going to find Aslan. As sunrise reaches Narnia, the other three encounter Father Christmas as a sign that the White Witch’s power is fading. He gifts them all weapons for the fight ahead before parting ways; Peter is given a sword & shield while Susan gets a horn with a bow and arrow, and Lucy gets a dagger as well as a healing cordial. They and the beavers get to evade Maugrim by using the melting river to cross. Still not successful, Jadis promises Edmund a war will to Aslan and makes an example by petrifying Mr. Fox as she would with Tumnus. Eventually, the beavers and the Pevensies reach Aslan’s camp and see his army full of creatures from more talking animals to the likes of centaurs, giants, fauns, dryads, unicorns and griffins. Firsthand, the children meet Aslan who turns out to be a majestic lion. They tell him of what’s happened to their brother and he promises to bring him back to them. That does get to happen when Maugrim ambushes the camp with his wolf pack. Peter kills him in defense of his sisters and Aslan’s troops follow the only other scout that’ll take them to Edmund. Despite the family reunited, Jadis soon confronts the camp and demands Edmund as it is a blood contract law for her to have traitors executed. Instead, Aslan is able to convince her let him take his place unbeknownst to his army. He sneaks off at night for it to happen, whereas Lucy & Susan follow and watch in shock. As Jadis stabs him at the Stone Table, she prepares for war with her army that not only includes talking animals of her own, but also the likes of Minotaurs, ogres, goblins, hags and black dwarfs. When the girls send a dryad to message her brothers what happened, Peter takes on the mantle to lead Aslan’s army. They hold their own for a while until being overwhelmed by the ongoing waves of enemies. Thankfully, Aslan is reborn as his sacrifice was part of the plan due to Jadis not understanding the magic of the Stone Table. With Lucy & Susan, he arrives with reinforcements of all that were petrified including Tumnus. Just when the White Witch stabs Edmund and pins Peter down, the lion pounces and kills her. Lucy is able to use her cordial to heal her brother and all that were slain by the white witch. All four Pevensies would be crowned upon victory: Peter the Magnificent, Susan the Gentle, Edmund the Just & Lucy the Valiant. After the ceremony does Aslan depart and Lucy sees him do so, but Tumnus cheers her up that they will see him again as he always comes and goes in a manner that must never be rushed. 15 years would go by and all four would become adults. When following a white stag, they would find themselves at the lamppost that introduced them to Narnia in the first place upon their arrivals. They all cross back into the wardrobe and return back to their child selves; What was years in Narnia were only minutes in their world. Kirke finds them all and asks them what were they doing and while they believe he wouldn’t believe them, only for him to reply ‘Try me’, revealing he’s always known of Narnia. A mid credit scene ends the film with Lucy trying to go back to Narnia, but the professor reveals the portal has closed in the wardrobe, suggesting they’ll one day return in a way they’ll least expect it.


THOUGHTS


Arguably speaking, live action fantasies were peaking in the 21st century. Back to back we got theatric adaptations of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter that have defined pop culture to this day. In between that was something that wasn’t aiming to be as epic, yet still compelling to leave us in awe. Director Andrew Adamson and the writing team of Ann Peacock, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely do what was unthinkable and make it an impeccable reality. One thing for sure, this had a great score from Harry Gregson Williams because it’s got this appropriate balance going from majestic to epic that gives an accurate reflection of maturity the core four of protagonists are going through. I mean you know you’re in the best mood when Saint Nick is giving you the best weapons and the hype peaks during the climactic Battle of Beruna. This dystopia does stand out for the various mythical creatures that the fantasy genre is familiar with, but the big surprise for me to this day has to be the involvement of time dilation because years of Narnia is only minutes on Earth. Just seeing such a difference is exciting yet still intense because it’s one of those situations where it makes you appreciate the time you lose & gain simultaneously which is well depicted as the franchise progressed. There is a fantastic blend of visual effects and Oscar winning make up that do the expected in becoming surreal with the creatures that surround this dystopia. So it is one thing to say how unbelievable it is to see the likes of a minotaur or a centaur, the technical aspect peaks when we get to see Aslan. You know who he is and with every frame that is put by cinematographer Donald McAlpine, you’re just in awe in the same way readers were. Voiced by the iconic Liam Neeson, he’s the kind of character that defines the franchise because he is this living spirit that reflects the tale of Jesus Christ due to the sacrifices he’s willing to commit for the greater good. I for one am not a religious man, but it is mesmerizing to know one would do such. He doesn’t even know everyone that well, but he’s still willing to do it because he knows it can lead to a better tomorrow. The addition of him coming and going doesn’t just remind me of Jesus, but also King Arthur because he knows he doesn’t need to be needed 24/7. He is a figure that knows people need to adapt every once in a while, for better or worse. Jadis is the other side of the coin because the way Tilda Swinton portrays her, she thrives through manipulation and physical power like any other conqueror. With her origins unknown since the events of the first novel are not addressed, no one will understand her drive to keep acting as such. What becomes her greatest flaw is being an overachiever. The fact she thought defeating Aslan on his territory would benefit her quickly was where she had already lost. It was a matter of how she didn’t expect Aslan had a trick up his sleeve the way she would, like two can play that game, where she set herself up for defeat. I think seeing that unfold is where the theme is full circle, that good can always conquer evil as long as you have the courage to forgive and redeem. It is through following the Pevensie children that bring it together as fluently as possible. William Moseley is stunning as Peter because he's the kind of natural born leader that doesn’t call himself as such but still acts on it rather than waiting for someone else to do it. He’s a humble boy that refuses to give himself credit because all he cares about is his family. He wants to keep things at a bare minimum of his responsibilities because he doesn’t want to fail, which is relatable. But when push comes to shove, he will take it upon himself with enough encouragement necessary. Anna Popplewell was a strong choice as Susan because she’s the only one who truly aims to be maternal as she acts most caring and practical. She shares reluctance like Peter since they're walking into unfamiliar territory, but the longer they stay, the more aptitude they gain in accepting the fight. Looking back, Skandar Keynes brings a lot of baggage as Edmund because he’s like the Judas of the group that does become a traitor, but the difference is he takes the advantage of redeeming himself. He acted out so much because his grief being away from his parents broke him and no one of his family chose to relate to it nor excuse it and was instead scolded for his recklessness. Peter was right when saying he was too hard on him because he felt that he had to since no one was there to be a paternal figure for them all. He fell for Jadis so quickly because she gave him the comfort he was yearning for but the second he disappointed her, he realized he dug himself too deep of a rabbit hole. The second he reunited with his family, he felt that he had to redeem himself to prove he loved his family. Had he died right then and there and not have Lucy’s plot armor of a cordial, it would’ve been the most tragic death of the genre on par to every death explored in the Wizarding World franchise. Having said that, it is still a relief that he was saved by the most selfless of siblings he’ll ever have. Georgie Henley is arguably the true superstar of protagonists apart from Aslan because as Lucy, she’s just full of innocence and kindness like any other kid that is eager to explore the unknown. She gets along with Tumnus so well because she’s easily moved with the gentleness James Mcavoy brings to the table as the faun. She forgives Edmund quickly because she knows better than the others that there’s no point in holding a grudge over the obviousness he was misguided. If it wasn’t for her curiosity that led to her finding the wardrobe, the world she adored would not have been saved. She is central to bringing in the light back the moment she found that lamppost. Even though she and her siblings never intended to go back, it was somewhat for the best that they did because it would’ve been wrong to abandon their true lives. At the very least, it wouldn’t be the last time they get to do right by Narnia as the franchise progressed. Lord knows how the eccentric professor knew of it through the wardrobe, but he did give the right amount of hope for Lucy that she would find her way back in the one place that has made her most happy.
This movie is quite exciting for the most part, but there are still a few things that don’t make sense upon rewatching. For instance, continuity errors immediately bother me when seeing Lucy use her left hand to touch the lamppost on the close up only for the landscape shot to show her use the right and then go back to the left when resuming the closeup. Even the fingerprints look as mismatched as seeing where Tumnus dropped all his packages between takes. Don’t even get me started on how fast Lucy had to have gotten a snowball ready when it wasn’t even in her hands before she throws one at Peter. Getting into the story, why doesn’t Lucy put on a coat during the second visit? She waits until the third time and that’s just ridiculous because that’s just risking a frostbite. It’s even totally on Mr Beaver to assume the kids know the whole lore of Narnia when they only knew the bare minimum Tumnus and Jadis. It’s already high on convenience for Edmund to meet Jadis the moment he enters Narnia for the first time, but they peak off of the fact nobody noticed him leave the beavers’ home. And if Maugrim can smell humans, he should’ve smelt that the kids were up the trees above them with the beavers. Other than that, I can still go on to say The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe is an essential fantasy gem for getting creative in broadening horizons one way or another. If that’s what you want from blockbusters, this one is totally up your alley.