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by Jonathan McKee Rated PG for battle sequences and frightening moments. Directed by Andrew Adamson (Shrek) Starring Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, and the voice of Liam Neeson Jonathan's Rating: Theatre Worthy Since I was a child I’ve been waiting to see The Chronicles of Narnia hit the big screen. If you are my age, you may remember some feeble attempts: a lame cartoon, and a BBC version with a mix of bad animation and a giant lion puppet. Rather disappointing on both accounts. But then we finally all heard the news about the project Disney would be taking on. Disney? “Would they be true to the book?” Many of us wondered. Would some of the symbolism be squashed in the leap to the big screen? Well, stop wondering. The wait is over. And I think you’ll be pleased when you see it this week. If you’re not familiar with the story, The Chronicles of Narnia is a wonderful fantasy about four children who stumble upon an enchanted wardrobe that takes them places they never dreamed. Stepping through the wardrobe door, they are whisked out of World War II London into the spectacular parallel universe known as Narnia—a fairy-tale realm of magical proportions where woodland animals talk and mythological creatures roam the hills. But Narnia has fallen under the icy spell of a mad sorceress, cursed to suffer through a winter that never ends by the White Witch Jadis. Now, aided by Narnia’s rightful leader, the wise and mystical lion Aslan, the four children will discover their own strength and lead Narnia into a spectacular battle to be free of the Witch’s glacial enslavement forever. Narnia fans will love the film. Unlike its predecessors, this film features authentic characters, good affects and impressive epic battle scenes. It’s pretty hard for me to give the film an honest review- I admit, I’m biased. I love the story and want it to be told. But I can honestly say that the film delivered. The director had very big shoes to fill. Everyone is asking, “Will it be as good as Lord of the Rings?” Let’s be honest. That’s a tough act to follow. Probably the toughest. No, it’s no Lord of the Rings. Some may not like me for saying that, but take into the consideration, Lord of the Rings was nearly flawless in its make-up, CGI and affects. Narnia, however, has a few scenes where you’ll notice blue screen affects and some of the creatures just don’t measure up to the Lord of the Rings creatures. But these are small details that don’t distract from the story. We’ve just been spoiled with some pretty incredible affects in the last few years. I’d hate to have to follow that kind of legacy. THOUGHT PROVOKING The most incredible element of this story is Aslan. The film features a very realistic Aslan voiced by Liam Neeson. Sure Lucy is cute… but Aslan steals the story. If you’re not familiar with the story or if you haven’t seen the film I don’t want to spoil it for you, but the symbolism in the character of Aslan speaks loud and clear. This movie will be a great discussion provoker for years to come. (CLICK HERE FOR OUR NARNIA DISCUSSION GUIDE) SHOULD KIDS SEE IT? Small children might be scared. There are some scary creatures and battle scenes. But this film isn’t half as scary as Lord of the Rings. I’ll be taking my 8, 10 and 12-year-old to the film without hesitation. 
Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth Ministry, is the author of numerous
youth ministry books including the brand new Connect: Real Relationships
in a World of Isolation, and the award winning books Do They
Run When They See You Coming? and Getting Students to
Show Up. He speaks and trains at camps, conferences, and
events across North America, and provides free resources for youth workers internationally on his website,
TheSource4YM.com.
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