Postby Nu-En-Jin » Mon Dec 12, 2005 12:44 pm
Okay, let me preface this:
I am a C. S. Lewis fanboy.
There, now that you know where this "review" is coming from, let's dive right into the meat of the juicy big-budget adaptation.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, is a fantastic book. It's easily the most popular of the series, in most people's estimation, and the one that most people have read, even if they never touched the remaining 6 volumes. The movie, well... the movie is really great. Not outstanding to the point of being the definitive version of our beloved tale that I wished it would have been, but great, nonetheless.
The effects are great, but some seem rather rushed and unpolished, perhaps because of the obvious comparisons that will be made to Peter Jackson's outstanding take on the Lord of the Rings. Director Andrew Adamson does an admirable job of trying to convey the story in it's essence, while adding more suspence and taking out the very heart of Narnia, only to replace it with the surface of a glistening puddle, rather than the ocean of Jesus-centric magesty Lewis imbued in the novel. Let me explain:
The story, and by that I mean the whole 7 volumes of the Chronicles, focuses upon Aslan. He created Narnia, He saved it, He ended it. It's all about the glorious Lion Himself. I use the capital lettering in describing Aslan, simply because He is a picture of Jesus Christ. The power and kingship of Him is portayed in the movie. The compassionate heart and self-sacrifice is given due screentime. But the heart is missing in action. He is a sight to behold, as a computer generated lion. He is amazing to hear, with the rather apt voice talent of Liam Neeson. He is fierce in battle and imposing in stature, as you'd imagine, but... in the end, He comes off as just another Lion, with... something more, but not really revealed as much as He should have been. I could go on and on about the missing dialogue, the changes made to the script, the pieces of the story that are wholesale fabrication, and especially the moments I missed from the book that they COULD have included, with no trouble at all... but I really just wanted Aslan to be... well, ASLAN. And this, on the screen, was a beautiful shadow of Him. This was a lion... not THE LION.
I remember watching the Passion of the Christ in the theaters, and tearing up at almost the outset, just because this was somehow hoped to be more than a mere film, but was a depiction of what my best friend had done for me, personally. The movie was good, for what it is, but it is simply film- a shadow of the reality of Jesus, and therefore, will never live up to Who I know Him to be. I KNOW Jesus. He IS alive, and DID go through a torture and death FAR greater in evil and pain and misery than could ever be filmed. My expectations for the Passion were based upon the REALITY of Jesus, and knowing Him personally.
That is how I felt about Aslan. When I read the books, over and over, I felt Him. I felt the Lion, but more than that, I felt the One Who the Lion represents. Watching Narnia last night was like watching someone else tell the story of your best friend. They can never get it right in your estimation, because they are merely telling the story of someone they don't know personally. I do. I know the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The great I Am. He is everything to me, and no amount of film can depict Him the way He is known in my heart, my mind, or my very life.
So perhaps the people who made the movie did the best they could. I'm sure they tried their best, but Aslan- the TRUE essence of Aslan- only winks out from behind that computer-generated mane once or twice in the movie.
As for the rest, the kids are cast PERFECTLY. Peter was brave and still unsure of himself- the essential boy becoming the man that he should have been. Susan was flawless- never quite believing in the experiences they were having, even when she was in the midst of them herself. This depiction makes perfect sense if you know how the whole Chronicle ends, too. Edmund was awesome. The kid who played him was not nearly as hateful and whiny as the BBC version's brat, so you feel for this Edmund more. You realize early on that he can, and will be, redeemed. Lucy... good grief, the girl they got IS Lucy. That cute grin melts the hearts of everyone in the theater, and you can't help but want to pick her up and squeeze her like the adorable little thing she is. All four of them were good actors, too.
Tumnus was alright. The guy playing him did a good job, I thought. Tilda Swinton as the witch was great, but I remember her being far more maniacal in the book- more brooding and just flat-out evil... and definately more frightened of Aslan, as it should have been.
The CG characters where done well enough, the special effects over all were decent, but not breathtaking by any stretch of the imagination. Perhaps we're just spoiled with all the effects-laden movies of the past few years, that it doesn't "wow" us the way it used to. Ah well...
All in all, I loved the movie, even though the heart was missing. Here's praying for Mr. Adamson, that before he takes up the reigns to direct the next book, Prince Caspian, the Lord would save him.
No, seriously. I'll pray for that. Not so I can get my remaining chapters of this story done more to my specifications, but rather so he might come to know the great Lion Himself. I'd love to see all involved in this project come to know Jesus. Like Paul said, it might not be perfect, but at least Christ IS being preached...
Long live the True King.
Two fish in a tank. One turns to the other and says, "You know how to drive this thing?"