Narnia – the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

I have always loved fantasy movies, especially ones based in the olden days and in the past. There are many movies I can name that have been based on the fantasy genre but none as great as The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Based on the second book of The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe is set in London of World War II, where the German air raids were claiming many lives. The four Pevensie children - Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent away from London to a safer place with the eccentric Professor Digory Kirke (played brilliantly by Jim Broadbent) and his cranky housekeeper Mrs MacReady (Elizabeth Hawthorne) after their house is destroyed by a bomb.

Shortly after being introduced, a game of hide and seek gets under way and Lucy discovers the land of Narnia in the wardrobe in the spare room. There, she meets Mr Tumnus, a faun. After spending a few hours with him, she returns to the spare room only to find out that no time at all had passed from the time that she had hidden in the wardrobe. She explains all the experience to her brothers and sister, only to be laughed at.

Later Edmund follows Lucy and discovers Narnia for himself. Days later after smashing a window during a game of cricket, the four run to the spare room to hide in the wardrobe only to be poked and prickled by tree branches. The siblings apologise to Lucy for not believing her and are then greeted by a beaver who takes them to Aslan. The beaver then tells them that according to a prophecy, they are two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve that were supposed to defeat the White Witch who was causing the horrible winter in Narnia. Together the four Pevensies go forth to defeat the white witch.

I won't tell you the rest but I will tell you that the moral of this story is to never give up and listen to your siblings, even if they are not right, still believe them and go check out what they have found.

Here are some memorable quotes from the movie:

Susan Pevensie: [about Lucy] She thinks she's found a magical land...
Professor Kirke: Hmmm.
Susan Pevensie: In the upstairs wardrobe.
Professor Kirke: [eyes widening, he rushes to the children] What? What did you say?
Peter Pevensie: Lucy thinks she's found a forest inside...
Susan Pevensie: She won't stop going on about it.
Professor Kirke: What was it like?
Susan Pevensie: Like talking to a lunatic...
Professor Kirke: No, no, not her, the forest!
Susan Pevensie: [stares] you're not saying you believe her?
Professor Kirke: And you don't?
Susan Pevensie: Of course not. I mean, logically it's impossible.

Peter Pevensie: I don't suppose "we're sorry" would quite cover it?
Lucy Pevensie: No, it wouldn't.
[Pelts him with a snowball]
Lucy Pevensie: But that might!

[Peter hands Edmund a fur coat]
Edmund Pevensie: But that's a girl's coat!
Peter Pevensie: [nods] I know.

[Peter sees Mr. Beaver in the woods and doesn't yet know he can talk]
Peter Pevensie: Here, boy, tsk, tsk, tsk.
[holds out hand]
Mr. Beaver: I ain't going to smell it if that's what you want.

I warmly suggest this movie to any fantasy lovers and those who want some pure movie fun.