02/26/06 The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005), directed by Andrew Adamson

watched w/ Leslie; theater (Crossroads 20 Cinema, Cary, NC)

Alright, I'm impressed. Even though there seems to be a glut of children/family fantasy tales that follow famous series in literature in today's cinema, this one remains a classic. Again, with its rabid fan base (similar to Harry Potter & LOTR), Hollywood had another test of it's big budget street cred with creating this version. Albeit much more children-oriented than the other two, I still loved this film. It takes me back to the books which I read as a child, and makes you want to revisit those stories & those times. Who never pretended to play hide & seek, and wish that whatever you were hiding in could whisk you off to a magical place? If you didn't, you had a crappy childhood. Well, if you had a crappy childhood, wouldn't you want to be whisked off even more?! Anyway, even if it's geeky-chic now, Narnia is a wonderful fable for children & adults alike. The special effects are played out in epic proportions here. The story seems a bit rushed at times, but as with the childrens' adventure, time seems to slow down in the real world. Over two hours of film go by so fast, whisking you off to your magical dead-end job & bills as if your real life didn't miss a beat.

5 out of 5 stars