Narnia: Two Thumbs Up

We went and saw the Narnia movie Friday. It was a sold-out matinee show, and if the audience response was any indication, this one is going to be a hit. There was solid applause after the movie was over. I took my wife, son and oldest daughter, and they all loved it.

The local critic was less impressed -- he called it "yawn-inspiring" instead of "awe-inspiring" -- and he does have a point. If you're not a religious person, or if you haven't read the book, this movie will come off as an inferior version of Lord of The Rings. And it really should have been rated PG-13, as there is alot of (bloodless) violence in it.

But for CS Lewis fans it will be a treat. I haven't read the book in years, but my wife said it followed the book very closely. The only major deviation was the eye-popping opening, featuring an excellent computer-graphics version of the London Blitz (it was my wargamer son's favorite part). It's difficult to tell which actors are live and which are digital (one of them is, BTW) and the massed flight of Heinkel bombers has a realistic, sinister feeling to it.

It's a great movie. Go see it.

UPDATE: Apparently, the overwhelming majority of the movie-going public agree.