The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Lord of the Rings, or Chronicles of Narnia????
Pop Quiz: four totally unexperienced unlikely heroes come into an unfamiliar world to help fullfill the prophecy put in place before the war to end all wars destroys their land and leaves it all to the rule of a tyrant, unless these four can complete their task in time - Lord of the Rings, or Chronicles of Narnia???? Ha, you were wrong. It was.... the other one. The one you didn't pick. Yeah.

I really liked this movie in a lot of ways that I didn't expect. The children were adorable. They made me truly appreciate the 'good life' that these people were fighting for. They were great child actors, and whether it is to the credit of C.S. Lewis' novel or the screenwriters, they were writting LIKE children, which was great. In any given film, when that doesn't happen, when children walk around talking like adults, makes me want to pull out my eyeballs and throw them at the screen in anger.

Child acting Tangent
All too often, people make children sound adult-like in films. It's not realistic, and sometimes it's good for a cheap laugh or two at the expense of whatever adult is getting schooled (See, The Kid, starring Bruce Willis), but it generally just breaks my suspension of disbelief, and reminds me that I'm watching a movie. Case and point - Dakota Fanning in War of the Worlds. When the 11 year old tells her dad, in reference to her older brother, that "you're never going to reach him like that" in reference to Tom Cruise's attempts to bond with the son, she's breaking all of the rules of being a normal 11 year old. It's completely unacceptable! Kids don't talk like that! But not just in that movie, Dakota Fanning anywhere....there are two theories in the scientific community about why she is the way she is in movies....

Theory #1 -Dakota Fanning is 212 years old, has found the fountain of youth, and shower her wisdom down upon us as a little girl in order to be disarming, and chooses to stay at that age in particular because she doesn't have to wash her own clothes this way.

Theory #2 - Dakota Fanning is a robot. She is misleading us all, and will make an army of wisdom spouting 11 year olds before it is all said and done.

Ok, ok...I digress. Back to C. of N. - The quick and dirty truth.

Should you see this movie? If you like epic/fantasy movies, or just blockbusters in general, or just want a more easily digestable lord of the rings type movie, definitely. It was short compared to most films of its type, the children were great actors that tug at the heart strings, and if you're worried about it being preachy (which was my impression going into it) it isn't at all. At the most, the movie emulates Biblical stories, but it never flows over into evangelism.

I will say one thing though....the way it ends?? I don't want to spoil it, but geez....the ending just threw me for a loop. I don't know if it's C.S. Lewis' doing or not, having not read the books (I know, I'm that guy) but it was way out there to me. Am I the only one?

However, the story was fast moving yet simple, not bogged down in too many details. The special effects were awesome, they were amazing but not overdone. It's a good movie, good fun, and not too heavy. Enjoy.