The movie opens with scenes of war. The bombing of London is what prompts a mother of four to send her children off into the country to live and find safety. Why she doesn't go with them is never explained but it is convenient for it allows them to begin an adventure of their own. They go to stay with a hermit-like professor at a mysterious mansion. During a game of hide-and-seek, the youngest girl, Lucy (Georgie Henley), makes her way into an old wardrobe. As she sneaks backwards deeper and deeper past the layers of fur coats, she suddenly finds herself in another world filled with evergreens and snow. It is the world of Narnia. She is soon greeted by a nervous little Faun named Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy) who befriends her and tells her of the White Witch who rules over the land. When Lucy finally returns, she is unable to convince her older and wiser brothers and sisters of her escapade into this enchanted world. Eventually, her next-oldest brother, Edmund (Skandar Keynes) follows her into the Wardrobe and into Narnia. Losing sight of Lucy, Edmund finds himself face to face with the White Witch (Tilda Swinton). He finds her Turkish Delights to be irresistible and gives new meaning to the warning, "Never take candy from strangers." Soon after, all four brothers and sisters, Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund, and Lucy make their way into Narnia only to find themselves entwined in a battle between good and evil...between the great Aslan and the White Witch. When Edmund betrays his family and the creatures of the wood for some more Turkish Delights and his own ambitions for king-hood, Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) steps in to work out a mysterious deal that the White Witch surprisingly accepts...

Great performances were turned in all around, but in particular I was most impressed with Georgie Henley as Lucy. She displayed the perfect mix of pure innocence, curiosity, and righteous bravery. Her character was critical because it was she who took us from our normal world into the dreamlike world of Narnia, and Lucy was there to ease us through this transition. The White Witch was also critical for she was the sole source of conflict in this snow-covered land. Tilda Swinton shows us her softer side when trying to sweeten up Edmund; it was eery and mixed with brief flashes of rage, quickly quieted but hard to forget. Her best scene in the film is during the climactic battle at the end where a butterfly makes its way from Aslan's side to hers. Without looking at it directly she swiftly points her wand in its direction and turns it to stone, all the while gazing fiercely at her enemies. For his part, Aslan was perfect. The special effects were quite believable for this hero of heroes, whose roar sparks fear in all who hear it, who speaks wise words with which no White Witch can argue, and whose Christ-like sacrifice leaves everyone speechless.

Besides being very true to the book, there are also a few funny surprises thrown in there as well. My favorite is a scene where Edmund speaks to his horse during what is quite possibly his first equestrian escapade in his life, "Whoa! Whoa, horsey!" The horse, who is obviously irritated then responds to him, "My NAME is Phillip!"

The final battle is somewhat reminiscent of a battle scene from The Lord of the Rings with its many strange creatures on both fronts. However, the movie is kept at a PG rating by implying the gore and carnage rather than explicitly showing it on screen. In my opinion, nothing is lost as far as emotional impact and it might perhaps be even more dramatic when left to the imagination, which depends, of course, on your ability to imagine. I must warn parents however, about Aslan's death scene. While not gory in and of itself, it is quite frightening mostly due to the buildup of anticipation during a cult-like ceremony as the mighty beast paces his way towards the stone table. There are many terrible-looking creatures present, all chanting in unison to a drum beat that seems to mimic and quicken one's own heartbeat. My daughter was too frightened to look and buried her head into my arm until the scene was over. Thankfully this is not the end of the story and she was able to smile and cheer moments later.

I left this movie with a sense of childlike wonder. I had been taken into another world...into Narnia, and I didn't want to leave.

I definitely recommend that you take your own trip through the Wardrobe and into Narnia.