The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Movie Review

I watched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe last night with my wife.

The basic premise: During WW2, four children are relocated during the Blitz of London. They take up residence at a large, antique-filled residence of "The Professor" (no relation to Gilligan's Island). During a game of hide and seek, they find a wardrobe that leads to another place...where they are part of a prophecy.

Effects: Pretty good. At various times, they meet fairly convincing talking animals and mythological beings (griffins, centars, minotaurs, and others). Aslan (an impressive lion) is particularly well rendered with good expressions.

Violence & crap: Good battle scenes. Gorephillies (I'm not one)will be disappointed, as there is very little blood. Weapon impacts are given more as impressions (mostly due to quickness of shots and cut-aways) than being seen. This makes it good for kids.

Storyline: I haven't read the book (I'm planning on it, but haven't gotten around to it), but I'm aware of the basic story. The story is compelling enough to keep your interest. Yes, it is an allegory to Christ. To any Christian it is clear...to others who are less aware, you won't sit there and feel like you are being preached at.

My analysis: It was a good movie. I'm always wary of child actors because they generally suck (Episode 1 anyone?). These kids were reasonably decent. If you felt the Lord of the Rings movies were too gory (like my wife), this is an excellent option. The only annoying thing for me was the dumb kid that continually ran up and down the stairs during the movie. If you goto a later showing, you should be able to avoid this stuff.

My rating: 9/10 (a couple parts felt a little long, while a couple others seemed almost too clipped)

UPDATE: Ace of Spades weighs in:

Weirdest moment: When Santa Claus shows up and starts passing out medieval weapons of war to the children. Ho, ho, ho, now go stick this sword through your enemy's heart. A jolly old elf who kicks ass and takes names. (Note they avoid calling him Santa or "Father Christmas," as I understand he was called in the book, but that's clearly who he is.)