Lucy (Georgie Henley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell) and Peter (William Moseley) are the Pevensey siblings, whose father is fighting the Germans in the Second World War and whose mother has to send them away to an uncle to escape Hitler's aerial attack on England.
In the eccentric Professor Kirk's (played by a very avuncular Jim Broadbent) house, Lucy stumbles into a cupboard that is the doorway to a magical land, called Narnia.
But of course, her older siblings refuse to believe her, putting it down to the child's imagination running amok. Until they all land up in Narnia.
In the land of magic, the White Witch wields unbridled power. She is forever on the lookout for humans, because a prophecy says that when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve (meaning four humans) come to Narnia, the land will be rid of evil, and the perpetual winter created by the Witch (Tilda Swinton) will pass
Lucy (Georgie Henley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell) and Peter (William Moseley) are the Pevensey siblings, whose father is fighting the Germans in the Second World War and whose mother has to send them away to an uncle to escape Hitler's aerial attack on England.
In the eccentric Professor Kirk's (played by a very avuncular Jim Broadbent) house, Lucy stumbles into a cupboard that is the doorway to a magical land, called Narnia.
But of course, her older siblings refuse to believe her, putting it down to the child's imagination running amok. Until they all land up in Narnia.
In the land of magic, the White Witch wields unbridled power. She is forever on the lookout for humans, because a prophecy says that when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve (meaning four humans) come to Narnia, the land will be rid of evil, and the perpetual winter created by the Witch (Tilda Swinton) will pass.
The Pevenseys are unwilling saviours. When they realise the dangers that lie ahead, all they want to do is get out of Narnia, where animals and trees – all of who talk – are divided in their allegiance. The good ones are for Aslan (a majestic, animated lion, voiced by a very good Liam Neeson), while the evil ones have rallied around the Witch.
An epic battle is due, and no prizes for guessing who wins.
What carries the film is the superb animation, and the delightful little quirks the voiceover artists and screenplay writers have given the animals. Like this, for instance:
Mrs Beaver: You've been sneaking second helpings, haven't you?
Mr Beaver: Well, you never know if your next meal's going to be your last. Especially with your cooking.
The film has been shot in New Zealand, which seems to be overflowing with the kind of places anyone would love to die in. And the locales almost inevitably remind you of Lord Of The Rings, as do some of the battle sequences.
For those who want to, you can see plenty of Christian metaphors, such as Aslan christening Peter as Peter Wolfsbane, knight of Narnia, after the boy kills one of the Witch's wolf police animals.
The animation, I repeat, is astounding. Especially the lion. And, here is the sad part: An Indian studio, Rhythm And Hues, has created the lion and the battle scenes. When the credits roll, other studios are mentioned by country and state, but not Rhythm And Hues (although the Indian studio comes first in the credits). Outsourcing blues?
The children act very nicely, as do some of the cameo actors. But some of the battle scenes seem a trifle tacky, and the transformation of the children to fighters for a cause is not stunning enough. Peter, for instance, looks definitely uncomfortable with a sword.
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