This movie opens on Dec. 9th here in the States, the same day as Syriana. I have been waiting for this movie since I learned that they were doing it again. Last May I was in a Disney Store and they were showing the behind the scenes look on their monitors all over the store. I got chills! They filmed it in New Zealand, which is absolutely gorgeous! They couldn't have chosen a better location. I am taking my 9 year old daughter to see this as she is reading the whole series and is currently reading this particular book. She read 5 chapters in one hour!

I'm reading it too, it is a great book.

We read the entire Narnia series to our daughter when she was young. But the first one I personally read---I believe it was before she was born---was the book on which this movie is based, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It's been done by British film makers before (for television, I'm not sure). It will be interesting to see how well this production brings it off. Just the perfect movie for winter!

Yeah, Sancha, there was an animated movie made for TV some years ago which is the first time I ever even heard of this series. I don't think there ever was a live action film made, but I could be wrong. I am glad they have made this into a full length movie.

Actually, there was a live action full length version. I happen to have it...
That particular version was made long ago, so while it is a live action, there was a lot of animation in it that then was the CGI of the day. It's actually pretty interesting to watch...and I do look forward to seeing what the film makers over at Disney come up with!

Sancha, the live drama you mentioned was made by the BBC as an early Sunday evening children's drama. It has recently been released as both an ordinary and special edition DVD box set. I wonder why they released it now.

I have a question.
That live drama by the bbc: Is there a scene in that the witch wants to kill the lion? Because the lion sacrifices himself for one of the children?

That question must sound a bit weird.
Well, since I heard of that movie (the movie which is now in cinemas) I was thinking where I had heard of that story before. Actually a friend and I were discussing it after seeing the trailer which was added to the Harry Potter movie here. We had both heard of that before and couldn't remember when or where.

Now I've read about the movie in a TV magazin. And there was a small piece about an older film made for television together with a picture from that film. And then it struck me. I recognised that big stuffed lion!
And I remembered that I had watched a movie, when I was 7 or 8 years old, which was about a witch and a lion and children. But the only scene I remember quite clearly is that with the lion who sacrifices himself. (And I think the witch ordered to cut of the lion's hair.)I remember running out of the room because I didn't want to watch that. So, until today I don't know if she killed the lion or not.
I know that sounds strange but I sometimes remember the tiniest piece (including whole sentences) while forgetting the important things.

I just want to make sure if it's the same story because I think I liked that television film.

Ulli

Yes, Ulli, you're thinking of the same film they're talking about.

My husband and I took our three kids to see this yesterday afternoon. The theater was packed! The movie was fantastic! They stuck to the book completely. My kids loved it thoroughly! Even my 28 year old. The CG were great, I thought. You had a difficult time distinguishing between real wolves and cg ones at times. Aslan was magnificent! The kids did really well! I give it two thumbs up, A+, 100% and all the rest. I'm gushing about this movie, can you tell? Even my five year old sat quietly and completely emersed in this 2+ hour long movie, and that's saying something, since he's a very active, short-attention-span little boy.


Just wanted to add real quick, if you go see this movie, do not leave when the credits start to roll. There's a bit more to the film. Everyone started a mass exodus as soon as the credits started to roll and completely missed that there was more. My little boy couldn't see it because there were so many people standing in fron tof him and we couldn't entirely hear all that was said because no one would SHUT UP! We were very frustrated at the ignorance of people, even after they had realized that the movie wasn't quite finished, they still milled on by. You wonder why I don't frequent the theaters. There was a woman sitting behind us that was so rude and loud-mouthed, she was even talking on her cell phone! I wanted to throw my popcorn at her stupid face!

We saw this yesterday for Mom's birthday. We being Mom, Stepdad, BigBro, Sis-in-Law, myself, a 6 1/2 year old niece, 4 year old niece, almost 3 year old niece, 19 month old nephew and 2 week old nephew. The girls did great although the 4 year old needed a lot of hugs during the Stone Table scene. We talked a little about the allegory there so she could be reassured, but it was intense for a 4 year old. I was most impressed that my 19 month old nephew did so well. It's a 2 1/2 hour movie and he spent a good 2 hours of it sitting with me and watching the movie. And this is a busy little guy! He did keep switching seats, but that was mainly because he was torn between being able to see the screen and sitting next to his sister with the popcorn.

The CGI is exceptional. Tilda Swinton's take on the White Witch was much darker than I remembered from the books, but worked perfectly. This did feel a little "lightweight" to me, but it's also a children's movie based on a children's book. What the filmmakers did with the material is excellent, but I left feeling like it lacked the depth I've come to expect from, for example, LOTR or Harry Potter. I'll definitely be getting this on DVD, though.

I saw the trailer last week or so and after that I just wanted to see this film.

Just a question:

The film is named:
The Chronicles of Narnia
The King of Narnia

Is this just one film or will there be another part after this first film?

This film is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It is the second in a series of 7 books about Narnia, but it's the most well-known of the series. Disney has already "greenlit" (decided to make) a sequel - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian which is, I believe, the third book.

Since the only thing I remember from the television film is the "kill the lion" scene (helping my brain ):
Is it actually necessary to read the books before watching the film?
Even if they stick close to the book - is there something which I should know from the first book which is important to the story?
I really want to watch it. I just wondered if it's better to get my hands on the books first.

Oh and "The king of Narnia" is only the german title. I guess the book has the same title here.

Ulli

Mel.

I think for once you are wrong. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first book in the series. What confuses everyone is that the follow up (The Magicians Nephew ?) was a prequel to the original story. I would not have known this but for a lovely discussion that I heard on the radio last week regarding the work of C.S.Lewis.


Hope someone can back this up for me.

Jude

In the book of the complete Narnia series that a friend bought just the other week has The Magicians Nephew first. Jude, I can see how an author can write the prequel after writing the original. Just look at Star Wars. It completely makes sense. Thanks for this information.

For me, I found The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe the best written and captivating than any of the other Narnia stories.

Sancha

Okay, that would kind of answer my question then.

I found a description of the books and it says he wrote "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" in 1950 and "The Magicians Nephew" which is apparently a prequel around 1955.
So it is both, the first and second book. This is confusing but obviously, since "The Lion..." was published first the story must be understandable without reading the second book/prequel.
So I shouldn't have problems with the film.
I'll just go and watch it - when I have time, after christmas I think.

Ulli

TLTWATW was written first, but since it is a story about how Narnia began, they placed it first in the set so as to be read in the proper order. This is not the first time something like that has been done. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit followed by The Lord of the Rings trilogy, then went back and wrote The Silmarillion which was a history of all the lands and peoples of Middlearth, told in individual stories.

I have to say that the soundtrack for this movie is absolutely beautiful! The same person who did the music for Kingdom of Heaven did this and there is a song they play at the end while rolling credits, that is performed by Alanis Morissette, written by her and the KOH guy, Harry Gregson-Williams. It's called Wunderkind and it is just beautiful! I downloaded it and I keep playing it over and over again. My kids request it too. I am definitely buying this soundtrack!

I finally got around to seeing The Chronicles of Narnia yesterday afternoon. It is a marvel of technology, but on the emotional level I was only touched by Thomas the faun and the younger brother whose actions -- even when well-intentioned -- had such disasterous consequences.

I'll confess the film was a disappointment. I've never read the books, but I'm guessing all the exposition works better there. On the screen, there's a surplus of scenes in which someone (or some animal) is lecturing the children.

I'm not sorry I saw it, but I'll never need to re-watch it.

Carol

I was disappointed with this as well, but it was a delightful romp. A bit of fun. We made a lot of adult jokes about it, but being 16 I really wouldn't say I'm a good judge. The characters seemed a little thin to me. The Bossy girl, Innocent girl, Leader boy and Nasty-Evil-Hateful reformed boy. Good leader, bad leader. Blah.
But I was impressed with the original storyline. The one in the books. I cried unashamedly throughout all seven. My favourite animal is and always will be the Lion, and reading into the mythology of it all is delightful fun.
But, uh... I did think, considering the target age, that the battle scenes were a bit... extreme for littlies. Like the Witch Jadess stabbing the Jaguars and Aslan biting her face off. The Rhino falling over made me sad too.

And at the end, when they crowned the royals, my sisters and I laughed like Hyenas at "Peter, the MAGNIFICENT!"... Ego boost, much.
That and the eight year old queen Lucy.

All in all, the film had predictability to it, and if you've read the books it's a little less good, but it was fun. Better than the other films I've seen.