Bad movie.
The premise of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was created by the British writer C.S. Lewis, who wrote seven fantasy novels set in the magical kingdom of Narnia. The novel this film adapts, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was the first book in the series that C.S. Lewis published, though in story order it is the second. The protagonists are four London children — Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund. Because London was under constant air-raid threat during World War II, children were evacuated to country estates, and the four Pevensie children were sent to the country home of an old professor, Digory Kirke. There they discover a magical wardrobe that turns out to lead into a magical kingdom — Narnia. It is a wondrous world where animals talk, but the evil White Witch Jadis has laid her hands on everything, and the children must join the side of the righteous spiritual leader, the lion Aslan, uniting all the forces opposed to the Witch to bring peace back to Narnia.
I rather liked this story as a kid, and it’s one of the most common setups in the genre: there’s another world parallel to our three-dimensional space-time (Narnia), and that world is shrouded in darkness and ice and snow. The four protagonists stumble into it, only to discover that they are the prophesied saviors of that world. Four humans will end Narnia’s age of ice and darkness, save its people, and usher in Narnia’s rebirth.
Hmm, the setup itself is actually a good one, but what bugs me is this: what special abilities do these four legendary figures actually have? Take, for example, “the legendary figures possess the power of love, which has all but vanished from this world,” or “the legendary figures have extraordinary magic and wisdom,” or “the legendary figures have exceptional courage and fighting spirit.” At the very least you have to give the prophecy a reasonable explanation before the audience will buy it.
Maybe my eyes are just bad. In this film I don’t see anything indispensable about these four “prophesied saviors of everyone.” In other words, as far as I can tell, Aslan would win without them anyway. Just look: the rebel army Aslan recruits is no worse than the White Witch’s in attack, defense, numbers, morale, equipment, RP — you name it. Can’t Aslan fight a war himself? Do a few war-weary kids, traumatized by WWII, have to lead the troops into battle? Otherwise there’s no victory? What’s even more unbelievable is that these kids actually get six “artifacts.” Peter gets a “melee greatsword” and a “holy shield”; Susan gets a “never-miss bow set” and a “battle horn”; little sister Lucy gets “soul-restoring water” and a “fine dagger.” The “artifacts” are given out by Narnia’s Santa Claus. I’m dumbfounded — why does Santa Claus have artifacts like these, and why is he so certain they should go to these four? Where does anyone see in them the potential for war, the talent, or the ability to run a country after winning? (PS: The only explanation that feels reasonable to me: having the four of them on board gives the army special attributes: [+morale, +luck], so it’s destiny — the good guys have to recruit them.)
Good movie.
Oh, right — I get it, it’s a fairy tale. Plot holes aside, this movie is really about the four children growing up. Like Alvin and the Chipmunks, which I saw the day before yesterday, it’s once again the story of someone drawn in by immediate gain (Edmund, for Turkish delight and a throne), going astray, and finally coming back for a happy ending. In this film, little sister Lucy giving her handkerchief to the faun Tumnus, Edmund’s awakening after he sees the White Witch’s cruelty, Aslan willingly dying to redeem the traitor Edmund, Edmund telling his brother “I believe in you too” before the battle, and, in the big battle, the spectacular fight scene of one of Aslan’s lieutenants, a bull — these are all good moments.
Edmund’s betrayal caused trouble for countless people. A lie woven out of candy ultimately cannot withstand the ever-changing world. But his later awakening and courage let you feel the power of growing up. Peter, a child who always seems to have to put on an adult’s air, indecisive, always seeming to just protect his small self, to hole up in his own world — until the final battle with the White Witch, when he sees the subjects who follow him bravely throw themselves at the Witch and die on the battlefield, and sees his own brother stabbed by the Witch, he seems to grow up overnight. Susan, who seems willing to play the mother role, always hunting for the so-called best way through clever little tricks, but often ends up outsmarting herself. In Narnia, playing in the water with her sister — that’s her true self. Lucy, my favorite of the children, full of imagination, friendly and warm. After meeting the faun, she quickly bonds with him, and when he’s in trouble she insists they can’t just walk away. Young as she is, she’s strong and has a mind of her own. That white handkerchief makes even me want to give it a shout-out.
This film also carries everyone’s childhood dreams. Inside everyone there’s a corner for fairy tales; everyone has a magic wardrobe in their heart, and when you open it, a kindly lion and a faun smile at us. Warm and simple.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe isn’t a movie everyone takes to, because it isn’t good enough, even though Disney did its best. Those who fell asleep watching it aren’t necessarily lacking a child’s heart — it’s just that everyone’s childhood is different. Some people’s childhoods had mice that flew planes and drove tanks, some had drawers that pop out blue round robots, some had purple gourds that could suck in everything. And my childhood happened to have a wardrobe. Maybe from the moment I read Secret Room 309 and started running my hands over all four corners of every cabinet at home, looking for that inconspicuous bump, it was destined that I would be just as unable to forget another wardrobe.
Also, I really like the music in this film.
Kids’ movie
I love the ending of this film; the professor is very kind and amiable. In one final sentence: this is a fantasy film that enlightens the mind, suitable for children.