- Film Review
- Reviewed By Sloan Freer
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3 out of 5
Shrek director Andrew Adamson switches to live-action movies with this ambitious adaptation of the best-known book in CS Lewis's seven-volume Narnia series. Years in the making, it's an old-fashioned fantasy adventure that retains much of the magical allure of the popular children's classic. The four Pevensie siblings are evacuated from London to a country manor house during the Second World War. There they discover an enchanted wardrobe that leads to a wintry, fairy-tale realm populated by talking animals and mythical creatures. Narnia has fallen under the malevolent spell of Tilda Swinton's imperious White Witch - setting the scene for a climactic battle between good and evil. With its focus on character relationships rather than flashy spectacle, the film is perhaps more intimate and low-key than many modern youngsters are used to. However, aside from some midway plot lulls, there's plenty to delight here, from the imposing landscapes to the noble, CGI-realised hero Aslan the Lion, majestically voiced by Liam Neeson.
Plot Summary
Fantasy adventure based on the much-loved children's book by CS Lewis, starring Tilda Swinton. During the Second World War, the four Pevensie children are evacuated to stay with an old professor in his country manor. The youngest, Lucy, stumbles upon an enchanted wardrobe that leads to the magical realm of Narnia, a land populated by talking animals and mythical creatures that has fallen under the malevolent spell of the icy White Witch.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Jadis, the White Witch
- Tilda Swinton
- Lucy Pevensie
- Georgie Henley
- Edmund Pevensie
- Skandar Keynes
- Susan Pevensie
- Anna Popplewell
- Peter Pevensie
- William Moseley
- Mr Tumnus
- James McAvoy
- Prof Digory Kirke
- Jim Broadbent
- Father Christmas
- James Cosmo
- Ginarrbrik
- Kiran Shah
- Aslan
- Liam Neeson
- Mr Beaver
- Ray Winstone
- Mrs Beaver
- Dawn French
- Fox
- Rupert Everett
Crew
- Director
- Andrew Adamson
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