Now, I flat out loved The Chronicles of Narnia when I was a child. I used to read them and imagine myself as Peter, sitting in Cair Paravel, going on great adventures, and talking to animals. I was thoroughly enchanted by the world that C.S. Lewis created.

So it was with great anticipation that I saw the movie, as it was probably the one that I’ve most looked forward to seeing…ever.

And the verdict? It was good. Not great, but good. For some reason, I left the theater feeling a bit empty, and it’s taken me a bit to realize why. The movie followed the book almost down to the page, and that may have been it’s downfall. After all, it is a children’s book, and I think a children’s movie is what ended up on the screen. The kids’ acting was less than stellar, and there just wasn’t enough character development. And to top it off, I really don’t remember much of the music which usually adds so much to the movie (think Lord of the Rings), so the fact it was unnoticeable is not a good sign.

Don’t get me wrong though; I really enjoyed it. The special effects were magnificent, and it was really great to see Aslan come to life. I will definitely purchase the DVD when it comes out, and perhaps with multiple viewings, I will gain a better appreciation for the movie.

It’s certainly made a killing at the box office so sequels are guaranteed which is awesome because that means they will probably get to make what is quite possibly my favorite of the books, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Man, that is a long book, but a very enjoyable one. There is a ton that was left out of the movies, but I think both the films and the book are great and stand on their own.

And I’m sure Howard Shore would like to know that his score was playing in my head as I was reading. I guess I listened to it a bit too much.

Now maybe one day, I’ll get around to reading The Hobbit.

I enjoyed the series of books written by C.S. Lewis immensely as a child, and they are finally coming to the big screen. Here’s hoping they do at least half as good a job as Peter Jackson did with The Lord of the Rings.