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Adventure reigns in 'The Chronicles of Narnia'

Long before J.K. Rowling got tykes reading her Harry Potter books, the avuncular, academic C.S. Lewis created a series of children's fantasy tales that he called The Chronicles of Narnia.

Although the Lewis estate perennially turned down proposals to bring these veiled religious allegories to the big screen, now come the forces of Disney and Walden Media to create a tidy money-maker out of the first episode, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Buena Vista Pictures 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' B The verdict: A big, computerized live-action rendering of Lewis' children's book, with underlying religious allegories. Director: Andrew Adamson Cast: Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, James Cosmo, Jim Broadbent, Elizabeth Hawthornetie Holmes, Cillian Murphy Run time: 132 minutes Release date: Dec. 9, 2005 Rating: PG for battle sequences and frightening moments. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

Efforts have been made to mobilize churchgoers to support this film, which does feature a lion with a distinct resemblance to Jesus Christ and a story line that hinges on forgiveness, redemption and resurrection. Still, the religious parallels are handled with a light touch and it seems likely that youngsters will see the movie merely as a battle between good and evil. Maybe studio marketing types would have been more productive getting out the word that this Narnia yarn has much in common with The Lord of the Rings.

The live-action and computer-generated effects-driven film is directed by Andrew Adamson, who co-piloted the two Shrek features. Presumably, then, he possesses a puckish sense of humor, but you would never know it from this largely faithful, sober rendering of Lewis, supplemented by a few additional action sequences and frequent celestial choir outbursts.

It begins, as many Disney classics do, with the separation of youngsters from their parents. Four British tots get sent off from London to the presumed safety of the countryside during World War II, to the vast mansion of a professor (Jim Broadbent). While playing hide-and-seek, the youngest sibling, Lucy (a thoroughly adorable Georgie Henley), takes refuge in an upstairs wardrobe, which magically becomes a portal to the snowy land of Narnia.

There, she is befriended by a faun named Mr. Tumnus, who turns out to be an agent of the evil White Witch (an icy, albino-like Tilda Swinton). Lucy eludes a dire fate to return to the wardrobe, but none of her brothers or sister believe her about the far-fetched adventure.

Next, untrustworthy Edmund (Skandar Keynes) heads to Narnia and encounters the White Witch, who entices him with Turkish Delight and the promise of being made royalty. In fact, the Witch intends to ensnare all four of them, and when they travel en masse to Narnia, they are soon endangered by the Witch's henchmen: talking, yapping wolves.

As they learn from a couple of married beavers, the Witch would be neutralized by the return of Aslan (voiced with soothing, god-like tones by Liam Neeson) — the Lion King, so to speak.

Aslan does negotiate a deal with the Witch for the children's safety, but it involves sacrificing himself. Although he is slain, you can't keep a good lion down. (Cue the celestial choir.) Aslan revives in time to get involved in a Tolkien-scale, but curiously bloodless, battle between the Witch's army of centaurs, satyrs and other hybrid life forms vs. Aslan's noble warriors, led by brave eldest sibling Peter (William Moseley).

Much of the warfare seems too intense for youngsters, but if it gets them reading the subsequent Lewis books, so be it. And if it gets them eager for more Narnia films, there are plenty of hints in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that Disney and Walden are more than ready to provide.