Les chroniques de Narnia - L'armoire magique

Rewatching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe reminded me why it's 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 Neeson's 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 Narnia. The soundtrack is another highlight, adding emotional depth to key moments and making the experience even more immersive.

Based on the beloved novel by C. S. Lewis, the film does a good job of sticking to the important plot points while making the story accessible to a new generation. Of course, no adaptation is perfect, but this one stands on its own as a great piece of fantasy storytelling. It's not just a movie; it's a journey into a world full of magic, courage, and redemption.

This movie also feels like the perfect pick for the holiday season. It has that warmth and wonder that makes it ideal to watch with family at Christmas. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe remains a classic, and I can't recommend it enough for anyone who wants to experience a bit of magic.

I thought this a very well done film indeed. I will say the film looks just splendid, especially the scenes in Narnia, with beautiful snowy sets (some looked as though it had come from the LOTR trilogy). However, some of the scenes looked as though they had been computerised, such as the scene with the children and beavers running across the ice. There were also some attempts to put some humour into the story like the professor's line "ah yes, the weeping one" in reference to Lucy and the beavers especially, but because the director had taken liberties to make the story darker, the humour didn't quite work. However there are a number of positives, like the spirited performances of the children, Georgie Henley especially, better than Sophie Wilcox's rather goofy portrayal in the 1988 series. James McAvoy is charming as Mr. Tumnus, and Liam Neeson was majestic as Aslan. But the acting honours go to Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, even with her calmness she dominates the screen, in a sometimes chilling portrayal as the character. The film was fairly faithful to the book, but the added scenes and dialogue failed to engage as much. All, a flawed but enjoyable film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

To sum things up: I loved this movie.

I had been waiting for it ever since it was announced, so of course I couldn't pass up the chance to see a press preview this morning. And, while there were some definite weaknesses (mostly in the quality of the animations), overall I was completely convinced. Naturally it did not coincide 100% with my own vision of Narnia visually, but emotionally it rang absolutely true, choking me up several times and really touching me. I walked out of the theatre with a warm, contented feeling - just like I feel every time I read C.S. Lewis' book!

The stand-out performance was definitely Tilda Swinton's as the White Witch, but I liked all actors/voices, from cute little Lucy (newcomer Georgie Henley) to majestic Aslan (Liam Neeson). I thought the children did a great job, considering their relative inexperience and the amount of blue screen work involved.

Tip: Stay seated through the actor credits - afterwards there's another small scene.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is an extremely enjoyable filmization of CS Lewis's magical childhood epic. The story expertly weaves in childhood themes with a modern day Christian plot line (including a slightly grisly 'crucifiction' scene) to create an enchanting motion picture. Tilda Swinton is superb as the sinister White Witch. The children are average though young Georgie Henly stands out. The Special effects are more than adequate, with a specially impressive rendering of Aslan. The film moves slowly initially and its epic nature become apparent only towards the end with a vicious (but bloodless) final battle. All told, a pleasant surprise indeed!

Overall 8/10

A wonderful movie. The characters are beautifully made from a well chosen characters. The CGI and special effects are top notch. The centaurs, beavers, trees, tigers, bears, fox, all are taking. Oh! yeah, they are talking. The creators have done an excellent job in bringing out the emotions, the lip sync, and the body language of various animal, very well. The White Witch was scary as hell. The final battle sequence was spectacular. I was amazed with the battle sequence.

Aslan's character was the best. I love the way the Lion talks, walks and emotes. It's simply amazing.

Amazing direction. Amazing music. Excellent make-up. Amazing editing work. A very good adoption of the Narnia series. Very funny movie too. Worth watching.