As a child, my father read the complete series of "The Chronicles of Narnia" to me and my siblings. I always loved how C.S. Lewis described such a fantastic world opened through the back of a wardrobe, and as I grew older I was always a bit surprised that there had been no feature films based on the beloved children's story. So when I heard that Douglas Gresham, the step-son of Lewis, was the co-producer on a major motion picture based on "The Chronicles" I was quite excited!

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" tells the story of the four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, who are sent to live in the country with an eccentric, old professor. The story is set during a war, when air-raids on London caused families to send their children out of the city in the hopes of protecting them. The professor's house proves to be rather boring for the children and, during a game of hide-and-seek, Lucy, the youngest Pevensie, stumbles upon the magical world of Narnia through the back of a wardrobe. The evil White Witch has turned Narnia into a land where it is always winter and never Christmas. After returning to the professor's house, Lucy must convince her brothers and sister that her experience was real. Once they too discover Narnia, the Pevensie children must help free the land from the White Witch's rule.

"The Chronicles of Narnia" brings to life all of Lewis' beloved characters including the good-hearted faun Mr. Tumnus, who befriends Lucy, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver who are charming in their quest to help the Pevensies, and of course Aslan, the great leader who sacrifices himself to save Edmund. The film's animals are not cartoons nor are they fully real, but a delightful combination which produces just what one might find in a magical land of talking animals. The White Witch is just as cruel and heartless as the novel implies and the stark contrast of the snowy Narnia versus the green pastures Aslan inhabits is beautifully depicted. The Pevensie children, played by four British actors, are just as sweet and polite and formal as the book suggests. Lucy, in particular, is adorable with her wonderous expressions of amazement of all she encounters in Narnia. Director Adamson faithfully portrayes Lewis' story, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," and why not, when you have such an excellent literary classic to work from, it would be a shame to mess it up! This is a classic movie that will have children and adults watching it over and over in the years to come.

****1/2

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