Reviews by:
@the_owlseyes
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"When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind"
C. S. Lewis
Why are you running?
Where are you running?
When are you going to hit the ground?
Do you expect to survive the fall?
What's next?
What's the point?
PLOT
"Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion" or "A failed attempt at Lord of the Rings".
SCRIPT
The source material is top notch and the concept is awesome. Nonetheless this movie isn't able to adapt it well. Every character is two dimensional and a lot of themes aren't explored well. I understand the parallel with the Nazis and the White Witch but the movie doesn't build on it. An undying winter which seems like Hell or a neverending dictatorship is just used to introduce Narnia. A character which is the living embodiment of Jesus Christ is marginal and a lot is left out. There're also subplots which go nowhere like: why Edmund has to risk his life to save his father picture and it doesn't influence the movie? Why the professor knows about Narnia? Is he Aslan? Why 4 kids, 2 boys and 2 girls, should be the one to save the world? What is Narnia? A parallel universe, a contained and unresolved loop? Why the time freeze once you get in Narnia and when you get out you're the same? Where all the creatures come from? Who is the Witch, really? She is a human, where does she came from? Why animals of different habitats should be enemies?
Too many questions.
Script: 4/10
ACTING
The kids are bad, especially the younger ones, to the point of boredom. If it wasn't for the good voice acting by Liam Neeson and Ray Winstone and the gorgeous representation of the Witch by Tilda Swinton, this movie would've been far worse. The minor player like James McAvoy aren't at the top of their game and it shows. There're scenes which are acted in a cringe and off putting way, that's not okay. This is a 180$ million movie and the main actors suck.
Acting: 5/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
This is a strength of this movie. It's plenty of gorgeous shots, light is used well and colours have some relevance. Thanks to that the first act is in sharp opposition with the last act, with the middle act representing a moment of transition. I like how blue, green, red and brown are used to show how Aslan is determinant. Life and Death are on display in every shot. I've also liked the choice to kill off the best character during the night and to let him resurge at dawn, because Red is used at first to represent death and then to represent fire. I'm pretty satisfied.
Photography: 8/10
EDITING
It isn't interesting, sometimes it's even tedious. Slow motion is used randomly, sometimes too much, and most of the movie has boring shots. It seems soulless sometimes. Pretty disappointed.
Editing: 5/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
The cgi is a bit dated and sometimes could be off putting. What keeps this movie afloat are the SFX. There's a Minotaur which is a suit and doesn't seem cgied. Mr.Tumnus legs are well done and they're a blend of cgi and sfx, which makes them more believable. Overall I think that it's decent and the cgi is the only thing which hurts a bit the audience. Especially fantastic creatures and animals. It's strange to think that nowadays has been normalized.
Special Effects: 6/10
SOUNDTRACK
It's good but it isn't memorable. Only the battle scene has a remarkable score but for the most part this movie is pretty average. Not mediocre but it doesn't go beyond being a good soundtrack, just that.
Soundtrack: 7/10
COSTUMES
By far the best aspect of this movie. There's a lot of care in every costume, from the stunning Witch clothes, to the varied armors. Not only that but the costumes fit perfectly the time period and evolves as the movie explores Narnia. I like also that the ceremonial clothes worn by the kids to their incoronation have different colours to underline their differences. There's also the clever readaptation of the Witch's dress which evokes cold ice in the first act and hard rock in the end. I'm so impressed.
Costumes: 9/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 4/10
Acting: 5/10
Photography: 8/10
Editing: 5/10
Special Effects: 6/10
Soundtrack: 7/10
Costumes: 9/10
AVERAGE: 6,28
A mediocre movie with good premises, good concepts and a great production ruined by the acting of inexperienced actors and a bad script. This could've been so much better if it has been divided into two or three movies. Watch it if you like nostalgia but it's easily skippable.
Director: Andrew Adamson
Screenplay: Ann Peacock, Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Cast: William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Liam Neeson
Soundtrack: Harry Gregson-Williams
Cinematography: Donald McAlpine
Running Time: 143 minutes
Budget: $180 million
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