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

Long bloody title, but a great film no doubt.

I had seen 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' before but hadn't watched it for years and years, I remembered the vast majority though - it's a memorable film after all. There's a great battle scene in there, some fun characters and strong effects. It's a tad too long, but not by much.

It has a nice charm to it also, as they set up Narnia excellently. The quartet of children are very well cast, all four of them suit their roles to a T. Georgie Henley is sweet as Lucy, while William Moseley and Anna Popplewell fulfil the roles of Peter and Susan comfortably. Edmund, meanwhile, is of course annoying, but Skandar Keynes does a good job portraying him.

Elsewhere...

In my last review (which you can find on my Letterboxd), I said The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was a "nearly perfect film." Well, I am here to say that with this viewing, to me, it is a perfect film.

I used to always think this film was a sort of step below LOTR, and, while LOTR is indeed a masterpiece of cinema, I don't regard this film as lesser.

The movie is just pure magic! Every aspect of the movie (minus the CGI which doesn't really hold up [except for Aslan] but is still serviceable) is even better with age! And I find myself moved emotionally by more things this time than I ever have watching this film.

The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is just phenomenal. Especially "The Battle" that goes without saying. But ...

CS Lewis certainly had one heck of an imagination and it is rarely better exemplified than in this lovely fantasy adventure. Four wartime siblings are evacuated from London to stay with the reclusive "Professor Kirke" (Jim Broadbent) in the relative safety of the English countryside. Once they get there, the housekeeper "Mrs. Macready" (Elizabeth Hawthorne) makes it quite clear that they are to be seen and not heard! Boredom sets in and thus a game of hide and seek seems sensible. "Lucy" takes refuge in an old wardrobe - a wardrobe that has a secret! Much to her astonishment, she finds herself in a snowy land with a single streetlamp and there meets "Mr. Tumnus" (James McAvoy) - a scarf-clad faun. She returns to her brothers and sister and ...

Rewatching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe reminded me why its such a timeless movie. It still gets me every time, especially the lullaby scene with Mr. Tumnus, played beautifully by James McAvoy, who is one of my favorite actors. Liam Neesons voice as Aslan is inspiring and adds so much gravitas to the character. But for me, the standout is Tilda Swinton as the White Witch. Her performance is chilling and commanding, making her one of the most memorable parts of the movie.

The production is top-notch. The visuals are stunning, especially considering it was released in 2005, and they mostly hold up well even now. The costumes and set design are fantastic, capturing the magical and otherworldly feel of Narn...