This was pretty well done, but as expected, it's obviously made by Disney.

Based on the classic novel by C.S. Lewis, "The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is about four young Brits who find an entrance into the magical land of Narnia through the back of a large wardrobe. Once there, they find themselves the centerpiece of a war between the evil White Witch and her minions and the great lion Aslan's army of good, hoping to end the land's 100 year curse of winter.

The picture's greatest strengths were obviously its special effects, computer cg characters and the production design of Narnia overall. I think the movie did a good job of becoming its own, and NOT trying to recapture the awesome production value of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The silver gem of the movie is Tilda Swinton (Constantine) as the White Witch. She had so many close ups for her responses, she exhibited tons of control and interesting choices in her unspoken performance. I hope she picks up some sort of an award for this role, maybe not an Oscar, but SOMEthing.

I wish there was a scene added or included where the young Brits are shown training to use the weapons given to them by Santa Clause--that's a weird sentence. We are given a scene of them playing with them, but not actually trained to fight.

When the big battle comes in the third act, Peter, the oldest, played by Skandar Keynes, is a billy bad-a**, much like Aragorn in Lord of the Rings. I know the picture is just a fantasy, but it's simply good filmmaking to make sure your audience believes even a little bit that this child can swing a broadsword and kick a**.

My favorite sequence was the sacrifice of Aslan. It was very well done when it could have been easily overdone. The sacrifice was given as much importance as C.S. Lewis gave it originally. I feel all the story's key elements are present, and does the work great respect. BUT, it is a Disney picture and shows it often.

Writer/director Andrew Adamson (Shrek, Shrek 2) did a substantial job, with a couple of questionable choices when it came to the interaction between the children. For the most part, the picture is adorable and worthy of respect.

Overall, if you like fantasy and/or are a fan of this book, you should enjoy "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe."

Benn - Where's the Humanity?