A Look Back at The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2011)
During the time when popular book franchises such as “Harry Potter” and “The Lord of the Rings” were adapted into critically acclaimed and financially successful movie franchises, Disney decided to jump on board with their own book adaptation with The Chronicles of Narnia. Based off of the book of the same name written by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, better known as Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was the first entry of the Narnia film series.
During the Blitzkrieg of London in the Second World War, the Pevensie children (from youngest to oldest: Lucy (played by Georgie Henley), Edmund (played by Skandar Keynes), Susan (played by Anna Popplewell), and Peter(played by William Moseley)) are sent to the English countryside to stay with an old professor. While playing a game of hide-and-seek, Lucy discovers a wardrobe that leads to a snowy wonderland. She meets a faun—a creature with the body of a man and legs of a goat—who introduces himself as Mr. Tumnus (played by James McAvoy). He invites Lucy to his house for a cup of tea and music. As he plays his wooden reeds, Lucy becomes increasingly drowsy before a lion’s deafening roar awakens her. It’s here where Mr. Tumnus reveals that he’s trying to kidnap her for the White Witch (played by Tilda Swinton).
As a child, I was drawn to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe due to its fantastical elements. I was a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings movies and thought Narnia looked very similar. I never saw it in theaters, but when I saw it on DVD, I begged my parents to buy it for me. They caved, and it would be one of my favorite films to watch. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve sitting in the backseat of our sedan, bundled up in snow gear, and watching Lucy wandering into Narnia on a small, portable DVD player while my dad drove us to our new home in the States. The movie would also be one of the few comforts I had when I moved from Canada. I can still remember feeling like one of the Pevensie children about to discover a new land full of endless possibilities.
What many people might not know is how much C.S. Lewis’ religious background influenced his work. “The Chronicles of Narnia” was written with deep Christian undertones and themes. The golden lion, Aslan, is a loose analogy for Jesus Christ. He is an immortal being who walks alongside his creations, sacrifices his life to repay the sins of others, dies on a stone table, and resurrects on the fifth day, upon which the stone table cracks. But despite this, the film was fun and enjoyable regardless of what beliefs you held. Narnia as an idea represents the illustrious imaginative landscape children like myself would often dream of visiting. Yet this world is used to help the children go through much-needed character growth. Lucy becomes brave, Edmund learns respect, Susan learns to trust her instincts, and Peter becomes an actual leader others look up to.
The music was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, who employed the use of both a 140-member choir and a 75-piece Hollywood Studio Symphony. Additionally, he utilized elements of both ancient folk music along with electronic violin and instrumentals. The music itself was broken into leitmotifs (short musical phrase associated with a person or place), most notably for the Pevensies, Aslan, and a “heroic” theme. While you could compare Williams’ work to The Lord of the Rings, his score truly stands apart from the latter. I especially liked the “heroic” theme that was featured in just about every promotional trailer. It fills you with a swell of courage and implants an image of endless green fields, epic battles, and a sense of adventure.
But speaking of The Lord of the Rings, do you know who was responsible for creating the creature designs and prop weapons in Narnia? Why, none other than Wētā Workshop, the very same company that was in charge of production design in The Lord of the Rings! Wētā Workshop head Richard Taylor wanted to create props that reflected the more lighthearted, adventurous tone of Narnia. He drew inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch’s oil painting “The Garden of Earthly Delights” from the late 1490s to early 1510s. I’m always amazed at how beautiful Wētā Workshop’s prop production is. As a child, I loved Aragorn’s sword Anduril, with Peter’s sword Rhindon coming up a close second. The polished wide blade with its etched fuller and brass pommel shaped like a lion’s head remains one of the most beautiful weapon designs I’ve ever seen in a movie. Truly a sword fit for a king!
A little fun fact for those who haven’t read the books: “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” isn’t the first entry in C.S. Lewis’ book series. It was the second one. So why did Walden Media choose the second book as their first movie? Well, it had the most recurring characters. What do I mean by this? You see, “The Chronicles of Narnia” books aren’t like “Harry Potter” or “The Lord of the Rings”. Characters will come and go throughout the series, with new characters and storylines being introduced in following books. And you can’t have this happen in a movie series, since moviegoers want a cohesive story with recurring main characters. Since The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was a massive box office success, making $745 million on a budget of $180 million, not one, but two sequels were made.
Which leads us into the next entry of the franchise: Prince Caspian! Released three years after the first film and set 100 (Narnian) years after the first film’s end, the second film revolves around the titular character… Prince Caspian (played by Ben Barnes) as he calls for the Pevensies back to Narnia when a new threat emerges: the Telmarines. And just who are these Telmarines? Well…they’re human pirates who somehow managed to find a portal to Narnia and have conquered it with their array of war machines ranging from trebuchets to siege towers. Their leader is Miraz, Caspian’s uncle who’s fully intent on wiping out the remainder of the Narnians. Upon arriving, Peter and Caspian butt heads over who should be the rightful leader of Narnia. After Peter’s failed assault on Miraz’s castle, the two realize they must work together to defeat Miraz and the Telmarines and restore Narnia back to its former glory.
Unlike the bright, vibrant, and fantastical tone in the first film, the second one is much darker and grittier, complete with muted colors and drab landscape. And this is just jarring to me. Yes, movie franchises tend to change tone as the films progress; just take a look at Harry Potter. But that change was gradual. Both The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets maintained a consistent tone. Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire acted as the bridge, and The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and The Deathly Hallows (parts 1 and 2) were the darkest and grittiest before it slowly uplifts at the end of part 2. But here? Narnia goes from The Sorcerer’s Stone to The Half-Blood Prince so quickly, your head nearly snaps off from whiplash!
Despite clocking in at 2 hours and 35 minutes, a full 15 minutes longer than the first film, Prince Caspian feels much emptier. We are treated to a Game of Thrones style of familial and political drama with Caspian, his dad, Miraz, and Miraz’s generals. Does any of it truly get resolved? Not really. Why bother introducing this complex political drama if you’re not going to expand on it? And to make matters worse, Caspian is aged up from a 12-year-old boy in the book to a fully grown adult in the film. Yet he still makes the decisions of a 12-year-old! Why bother making him an adult in the movie? Oh wait, so he can be a love interest for Susan. I’m not kidding.
But this isn’t the worst of it. We still have one more movie to go through. If you thought Prince Caspian wasn’t the best (it got mixed reviews on arrival), then you’ll rethink that when you see the third and final installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film franchise: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This time, Peter and Susan are no longer in the picture (don’t worry, they’re not dead. They just can’t go back to Narnia because Aslan said so). And replacing them? Edmund, Lucy, and their annoying cousin Eustace (played by Will Poulter)! The younger Pevensies return to Narnia and are reunited with Caspian, who’s the captain of the Dawn Treader, the finest ship in the Narnian Navy.
Much like the first two films, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader came out a mere three years apart from the previous film. But unlike its predecessors, this one runs under 2 and a half hours, clocking in at only 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you thought Prince Caspian felt rushed, then boy, do I have news for you. To say this film felt rushed would be a grave understatement. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is akin to a glorified side quest that rushes you from location to location all while feeling somehow emptier. It just felt like Walden Media gave up at this point. And quite frankly, so have I. Despite plans to make a fourth film, the franchise was ultimately given the reboot treatment by Netflix, with Greta Gerwig helmed to direct.
At best, The Chronicles of Narnia is a unique idea on the book-to-film adaptation and at worst, is a shining example of wasted potential and opportunity. The first film is still one of my most treasured childhood memories, and I am still amazed by how seamless the CGI and practical effects are. Even the child acting is impressive! So where did it all go wrong? I could say that poor long-term planning and an inconsistent tone were the answers. But quite frankly, I believe The Chronicles of Narnia is better suited for a TV show format. There’s so much story to explore that even a three-hour movie wouldn’t be nearly enough to encapsulate everything C.S. Lewis wrote. A part of me wishes we could’ve gotten that fourth film. But knowing what we were given, this fourth film would’ve likely left me equally disappointed. Let’s hope Greta Gerwig’s vision succeeded where Walden Media’s failed.
Now Streaming On:
