News for Dec. 08, 2005

'Narnia' opens the door to excitement

12/08/05, 4:17 pm EST - Xoanon

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (* * * out of four) is an engaging and exciting family film that at times feels a bit like The Lord of the Rings Jr. Based on the classic children's series by C.S. Lewis, Narnia is an adventure in a fantasy world filled with talking animals, unicorns and centaurs who join in a climactic battle between good and evil. Its epic scope and elaborate battles will raise comparisons with Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, though the clashes are much less violent. Shrek director Andrew Adamson makes an impressive live-action film debut with this energetic adaptation of the 1950 novel. Although much has been made of the film's Christian subtext, Narnia is first and foremost an action-packed fairy tale. [More]