This was a great movie and deffinately worth the time and money to see it in the theatre. The whole movie is so bright and light hearted that it is just a great movie that you can relax and watch without having to think much into it. Pls take your kids to this movie so that this story can reach other generations, hell barely anyone in my generation knows what Narnia is :(.


The scenery is breathtaking and so is the fight scenes and I actually got chills during the final battle. If your a fan of Narnia or a fan of literature in general pls go ahead and see this movie inthe theatre, I would love to see some of the other books made. GOD knows we need to get some more watch worthy movies out there.

Glad to hear it. I am a big C.S.Lewis fan, so it is good that the movie is getting positive feedback. I want to go, but will probably have to wait and see it on video... too much going on and it's a rare treat to see a movie in a theater.

Good points: Kids well cast, and I thought they did well within their roles. Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy and Jim Broadbent also performed well. Special effects and talking animals were very well done, as expected. The pacing was quite good and the film engaging overall; despite being packed into a theatre full of children, I hardly heard a peep out of them. Some points may startle children, but there's enough humor to keep it light-hearted and pleasant all the way through.

Bad points: The direction was uneven, especially in regard to the White Queen. While Tilda played the part well, changes to camera angles and timing (and maybe an extra dash of special effects) could have made her appear more fearsome. I thought she looked much better during the battle scenes; the change in costume was interesting and suited her.

Some of the editing was rough, especially switching between scenes of Edmund and the others. This might be due to paring down a movie largely geared toward children; even in final form it clocks in over 2 hours. Maybe a director's cut will ease the jarring effect of some scenes, especially Susan's one shot with her bow. I had hoped for an Artemis striding across the field, but instead got, "Crap, we forgot to have Susan shoot an arrow! Film this!"

Don't jet from the theatre when the credits start.

Overall, a good movie. Can't wait for Prince Caspian, and especially The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

I'll agree that the fact that Susan got to shoot her bow once was bad, I wonder if she ever peeped up during filming asking to be able to shoot more.

I loved the books, and bought the set for my kids when they were starting to read. I am glad to hear that they stayed fairly true to the story, and am looking forward to seeing this on upcoming vacation.

Now, if they can just make the entire set before the kids grow up too fast, heh. Of course, haste makes waste......

Having read the books growing up, this movie was definitely worth the wait. I'd encourage anyone to go see it, one of the big things i liked about it was the fact that even though it's a very entertaining movie for me as an adult, it's a great on for the kids too. Need to have more movies like this one out there.

The old PBS (or were they BBC) movies were great and I loved them, Prince Caspian being my favorite book in the series I'm stoked to think they'll be making that one next!

They played on the Professor's interest in Narnia and hinted all the backstory for book 6 (methinks?) very nicely in this film, something the old series kinda sucked at. Also it was nice seeing animal sized animals instead of people in giant costumes :) Yay for CGI!

I am gonna go re-read the series.

I'm looking forward to trying to fit this in sometime over the holidays; glad to hear that they did the books some sort of justice. Voyage of the Dawn Treader was my favorite book in the series as well, and I can't wait to see Reepicheep :)...

Regards,
Nydia

I was actually thinking about him while watching the movie, the mice they had that freed Aslan were mighty small. Was Reepicheep a different kind of mouse or something, else I can't imagine something that size brandishing a sword.

I dunno, the movie was okay. There were a lot of parts that bothered me, until I put them back in the context of being a children's movie - in which case it's a great show. Then you get to the long, violent battle scenes that look like they're trying to imitate something like Lord of the Rings, and we slip away from it being a children's story anymore. It's hard to tell which audience they're going for, and I don't think the movie works well split like that. Just some really odd directing choices. It's been years since I read the books, but best as I can recall isn't that last battle very short and hardly mentioned? It seemed to drag on forever in the movie, too many glory shots in it.

Harry Potter did the same thing in the last movie. Goes from silly and good adventure to suddenly very, very dark. Good flick, but I'd be hesitant to show it to young children.

Sounds like I shouldn't take a 4 and almost 3 year old to see this. Are the fighting sequences too much for the little ones?

I have never ever seen such a light hearted battle scene in a movie... There was no blood if anyone got killed the camera usualy moved away from that scene before it actually happened and any decapitation that u did see was when the witch turned someone into stone and then broke the stone... Why did it seem alot like Lord of the RIngs battle.. Could it be the fact that C.S. Lewis and Tolkien were very good friends and influenced each others stories, I'm thnking that it could be.

When I went to the movie there was alot of kids in the theatre and for the most part they were all well behaved. I really dont remember one thing that was so horrible that a child shouldnt see it. I'd call it more tamed then Harry Potter Number 1.

I didn't think the battle scenes were too much for young children (of which there were many when I saw it), but YMMV. May as well start the trauma early, I say.

We try and avoid 'trauma' such as fight scenes. There are few shows on primetime that I alow them to watch. Meaning we watch something else even if I want to watch that show. DVR is my friend. Violence and what the networks alow to be said on TV now adays isn't something that I want my kids to see. I may have to see this first then make my decision on if they should watch it with me.

Moglor - I say the scenes are like LOTR because of directing choices, they have little to do with whether the authors knew each other or not. It's hard not to watch them and not compare them. I don't want to draw out specific scenes because it'll spoil the movie a bit, ask again in a few weeks.

The battle was so short in the book...and so drawn out in the movie. I felt like there were other scenes that could have used more time and development, and less on another big fight scene.

There were lots of children in the theater with us, I didn't hear any break out into tears. As noted, the scenes are pretty non-gory and the camera tends to shift away from direct injuries, but there is still a lot of violence. Nothing horridly objectionable, but if they were going to make a children's movie I wish they'd just committed to it all the way. Just hard to see who the target audience actually is.

If you're thinking of taking your kids...well...you know them better than anyone. If they can handle things maturely I didn't see anything that would scar someone, but the drawn out battle isn't necessary to the movie and they could have done without it just fine.

Action sells thats why I believe they did more of the final battle then the book actually talked about it, I bet ya that there targeted audience is not children but more people who have read the books, if C.S. Lewis's books would of been more dark then they would of made it more of a dark movie. I hardly think that there main target was the new younger kid generation to get Narnia out to a new generation. I really think the only reason that this movie is light hearted is because thats how CS Lewis created it.

*Readers Digest Version*
I dont think children was the intended audience thats just kinda what its shaping upto be.

I disagree. It's Disney, for starters; kids is what they do (so to speak). While Lewis' stories are light-hearted compared to most modern fare, I don't recall the level of humor that's present in the current release. The length and style of the battle scene is meant to imitate LotR, whether due to the director's ambitions or producers looking to capitalize on the meme. The movie can entertain anyone (though I think it more effective with those familiar with the book), but the story is about children, with children in mind despite its appeal to a broader audience.

Grrr... I don't get to see it until my 10 day stint is over at work. :(

http://www.movieweb.com/movies/box_office/daily/film_daily.php?id=2410

Anyone have a view on what the film probably has to gross for there to be talk on a sequel? Considering most critics gave it pretty good ratings I'd assume they were gonna maybe do anther book anyways.

I guess I am just curiuos if anyone knows a average number a movie has to gross for film makers to think about a number 2.

They started thinking about #2 before they'd started filming #1. I'm sure they'll at least work through Dawn Treader, and perhaps do the whole series eventually.

Well they ended it to where they could just make the one movie or easily go back to the 6 other books. I think they would be fools not to do sequals.

I am so taking my family to see it this weekend. We were moving last weekend and this week and couldn't make the time. I've been itching to see it and of course my curiousity got the better of me and I read these posts!!! (argh I couldn't help myself).

it's a great movie even with very little kids being in the theater, once the movie started we never heard them anyway. the battle scene was fantastic, i really loved the cheetahs charging out ahead of everyone else. and don't jump up and run for the exit when the credits roll.

aye that was a sweet part Gaed when the Cheetahs and the wolves were the first ones to make contact? Sweetness

**KIND OF A SPOILER**

Oh, including myself ,how many people jumped when the wolf talked to ed the first time in the room of statues.

I was totally expecting it, and I jumped too :(

I guess I am just curiuos if anyone knows a average number a movie has to gross for film makers to think about a number 2.

From the push I am seeing among Christian groups to embrace this movie, I will be surprised if sequels are not forthcoming. Anyone who has read the books can see the parallels, and now it seems the folks that have been decrying the fact that movies have become so violent and senseless have a movie to take their families to, so I expect the movie to do well in terms of grosses.

Great I will be glad to see the other movies on the big screen if they are made. I could care less what parrallels there are to whatever to me its just a funy relaxing movie to watch.

Which is why I think this movie and any sequels will do well in the Box Office. The people that come for the 'deeper meaning' in the books will find it, and those that could give a rip will still get a good movie they can enjoy. And it's fairly family safe. Pure box office gold imho.

The cheetahs were completely badass, I concur. I think the white witch's dress was just a bit unwieldy though. Like she was going to fall over at any second.

Narnia hits the West Side, courtesy of SNL (http://nbc.com/nbc/Video/?c=Saturday_Night_Live/snl_1432_narnia).

Yo.

I loved it. I think the book was better though. The beginning was a bit slow but necessary. The 13 year old loved it and as others have mentioned even though the theatre was packed (yes sold out on 12/26 for 3 showings in the afternoon) full of kids it was quiet in there. Very entertaining and I look forward to more.

I think the book was better though.

I have stopped comparing movies to there book counterparts just because nothing is better then a good book.

"I have stopped comparing movies to there book counterparts just because nothing is better then a good book."

Generally I'd agree, but I still think the LotR movies were better than their book counterparts. I also picture the Prince Caspian movie to be superior to the book, given the ammount of material.

I agree the LoTR movies were very well done and I think they were better than the books.