The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Score: 9/10

What can I say, I really love it. I know that some critics do not value this movie highly, but it can touch your heart. A great family movie indeed.

The movie starts with the four children of Pevensie, Peter the oldest of the four, Susan the oldest sister, Edmund the younger brother, and Lucy the youngest in the family. They are sent to village area for safety during London bombing by their mother. The movie captures the emotional separation between mother and her children perfectly.

The children end in a big old house belongs to an old professor. In one boring rainy day, they play hide and seek whereLucy sneaks inside a wardrobe. Surprisingly, in the back of the wardrobe, Lucy finds a land of snow. She meets a faun called Mr. Tumnus, who invites her for a tea. Mr. Tumnus explains that the land is called Narnia and an evil white witch has kept the land in winter for one hundred years. The prophecy says that four humans will bring freedom to Narnia. The white witch, or queen of Narnia as she called herself, has strictly ordered creatures of Narnia to bring any human that enters Narnia to her.

Mr. Tumnus cannot follow the white witch's plan and he sends Lucy back to the wardrobe and the old house, where no moment has passed since Lucy’s disappearance. Lucy desperately tries to explain to others, but of course no one believes. Even the wardrobe is only an ordinary wardrobe when they check.

In the next occasion, Edmund follows Lucy secretly to the wardrobe and to Narnia. He meets the white witch who lures him with wealth and power to bring his brother and sisters to her. Edmund character is the troubled and ambitious one. He wants to break free from the current situation and the witch uses this to hold all the children in order to cancel the prophecy.

Soon, all four are in Narnia. Edmund meets the witch again and she holds him as a prisoner to bait the rest of the family. Peter, Susan, and Lucy join with Aslan, the great lion, and his army to release Edmund and end the rule of the white witch. Thus, the battle of Narnia begins.

The creatures are believable and magical. The view is really remarkable. The musical score is outstanding and it can lift your heart. The battle is good, although not at the same class as Lord of the Ring. The first charge is special and it can make you hold your breath. Along the story, there are many emotional moments that will touch your heart. Peter’s struggle as the oldest to hold and protect the family, Edmund’s loneliness and his ordeal under the white witch influence, Susan’s confusion about always do everything right, and Lucy’s innocence and sincere that have brought the life in the movie. The acting of the four leads is remarkable for first timers. Tilda Swinton as the white witch is just purely excellent.

You can get more information from this link:
- IMDB: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

"This is heavy"