December 9, 2005 MOVIE REVIEW | 'THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE' Two Wars of Good and Evil By A. O. SCOTT
In the weeks leading up to the release of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the entertainment press has sometimes seemed so preoccupied with matters of allegory as to resemble an advanced seminar in Renaissance literature. It has never been a secret that C. S. Lewis, who taught that subject and others at Oxford for many years, composed his great cycle of seven children's fantasy novels with the New Testament in mind and with some of the literary traditions it inspired close at hand. To the millions since the 1950's for whom the books have been a source of childhood enchantment, Lewis's religious intentions have either been obvious, invisible or beside the point. Which is part of the appeal of allegory, as he well knew. It is a symbolic mode, not a literal one - there are, after all, no talking beavers in the Bible - and it constructs distinct levels of meaning among which readers travel of their own free will. An allegorical world is both a reflection of the real one and a reality unto itself, as Lewis's heroes, the four Pevensie children, come to discover. The story of Aslan's sacrifice and resurrection may remind some readers (and now viewers) of what they learned in Sunday school, but others, Christian or not, will be perfectly happy to let what happens in Narnia stay in Narnia. The supposed controversy over the religious content of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" may be overhyped, but a particular question of faith nonetheless hovers around the movie, which was produced by Walden Media and distributed by Disney. Anyone who grew up with the Narnia books is likely to be concerned less with Lewis's beliefs than with the filmmakers' fidelity to his work, which was idiosyncratic and imperfect in ways that may not easily lend themselves to appropriation by the shiny and hyperkinetic machinery of mass visual fantasy. But if a few liberties have been taken here and there, as is inevitable in the transition from page to screen, the spirit of the book is very much intact. The movie, directed by Andrew Adamson, does not achieve the sublimity of, say, Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy (which had the advantage of working from a richer allegory by an even more learned Oxford don), but it does use available technology to capture both the mythic power of Lewis's tale and, even better, its charm. Mr. Adamson, who directed the rambunctious "Shrek" movies at DreamWorks,

has nicely adjusted to the technical demands of mixing live action with computergenerated imagery. He also manages a less jokey, more earnest tone and temperament. Stocked with an estimable cast of actors - some doing voice-over, some appearing in wild costumes - "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" suggests that, at least in Hollywood, there is no such thing as too much Englishness. British children are especially prized, and little Georgie Henley, who plays Lucy, the youngest of the Pevensie children and the first to discover Narnia, is both winsome and indomitable, with a wide smile and a priceless accent (though not quite the same one as that of the actors playing her siblings). Lucy is sent off to the countryside to escape the Blitz, along with Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes), a fact mentioned in passing by Lewis and given more thorough treatment here. The opening sequence - German bombs falling on London neighborhoods, sowing panic and destruction - is a premonition of the climactic battle in Narnia, and also a reminder that the war between good and evil is not merely a metaphorical conceit. Exiled to the home of an eccentric scholar (Jim Broadbent) and his stern housekeeper (Elizabeth Hawthorne), the children spend their time playing and squabbling, during which the essential aspects of their characters emerge. Lucy and Peter, the eldest, are the more virtuous, while Edmund and Susan have darker, more complicated personalities (as well as fuller lips). Edmund has a penchant for dishonesty and a weakness for sweets, which both make him susceptible to the chilly lure of the White Witch (a terrifying Tilda Swinton), whose rule has turned Narnia into a land of perpetual winter, where fauns are tortured and turned to stone, and a secret police force of wolves harshly deals with rebels and traitors. Narnia's onscreen incarnation is credible enough. Talking-animal technology has made impressive strides lately, and most of the minotaurs, foxes and other creatures share the screen comfortably with the humans. Aslan, the noble lion who commands the fight against the White Witch, shows up late, looks fabulous and speaks in the mellow voice of Alfred Kinsey - that is, of Liam Neeson. The homey, chattering beavers, who provide comic byplay as well as a picture of shopkeeper steadfastness, are voiced by Ray Winstone and Dawn French. As the Pevensie children journey deeper into Narnia, the movie's scope widens and its dramatic intensity grows, a transition from intimacy to grandeur that is beautifully handled, without too many dead spots or digressions. Parents should take note: the battle scenes, though bloodless, are more brutal than a PG rating would usually permit, and the death of Aslan may prove overwhelming to younger children. But the somber, scary aspects of the story are inseparable from its magic, which in the end may work only indirectly on adults. For me, the best moments in the film take place in the wardrobe itself, which serves as a portal between England and Narnia. When the children pass through it for the first time, I felt a welcome tremor of apprehension and anticipation as

the wooden floor turned into snowy ground and fur coats gave way to fir trees. The next two hours might not have quite delivered on that initial promise of wonder - we grown-ups, being heavy, are not so easily swept away by visual tricks - except when I looked away from the screen at the faces of breathless and wide-eyed children, my own among them, for whom the whole experience was new, strange, disturbing and delightful. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" is rated PG. It has some kinetically violent - though not especially gory - battle scenes, and the temporary deaths of several sympathetic characters. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Opens today nationwide. Directed by Andrew Adamson; written by Ann Peacock, Mr. Adamson, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, based on the book by C. S. Lewis; director of photography, Donald M. McAlpine; edited by Sim Evan-Jones and Jim May; music by Harry Gregson-Williams; production designer, Roger Ford; visual effects supervisor, Dean Wright; produced by Mark Johnson and Philip Steuer; released by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media. Running time: 135 minutes. WITH: Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie), Skandar Keynes (Edmund Pevensie), Anna Popplewell (Susan Pevensie), William Moseley (Peter Pevensie), Tilda Swinton (White Witch), James McAvoy (Mr. Tumnus), Jim Broadbent (Professor Kirke), James Cosmo (Father Christmas), Kiran Shah (Ginarrbrik), Liam Neeson (voice of Aslan), Ray Winstone (voice of Mr. Beaver), Dawn French (voice of Mrs. Beaver) and Rupert Everett (voice of Mr. Fox)

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