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Ross prince, Tilda Swinton, Ben Burnes.
Director: Michael Apted
Cinema: Eastgate
Running time: 98 minutes
Type of film: Juvenile fantasy-adventure.
By Prof Joel White
Cliff Staples (CS) Lewis, the author of the many volumes of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” from which the ongoing series of Narnia has been fashioned, was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1898, and died in Cambridge in 1963.
In his early years he was a fellow and tutor at Magdalen College, Oxford, moving uninterruptedly in 1954 as Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge.
In the current film, mesmerising young audiences at Eastgate, the teen-age brother and sister, Lucy and Edward, have been separated from their homeland, seeking initially asylum, and subsequently, return to Narnia.
The creators of this film have not missed an opportunity to place obstacles in their path, and to build suspense and excitement to the boil for us the audience.
Frequent battles, both at sea and on land, characterise the shifting scenes which are presented to the viewer, who is nevertheless in no doubt that the ending will be satisfactory in the Hollywood fashion.
Along the way a furry rodent, a cross between a mouse and a marmot, attaches himself to the home-voyaging brother and sister, guiding them with homely certitudes at fortuitous moments.
A battle on the edge of the sea contains a scene of a rising land bound ocean flood of devastation which is unfortunately reminiscent of the current concern over Japan’s tsunami.
At the film’s opening, Lucy and Edward are unhappy city bound guests, unwillingly forced to tolerate the nasty aspersions of their cousin Eustace.
By the sleight of hand, known as movie magic, the tables are abruptly turned: Eustace becomes the very unhappy companion.
Hovering circuitously around the British Isles, called in the film Lone Sea Isles, the audience has ample opportunity to participate in sea voyages as they were endured more than 100 years ago. And to learn of the arcane rules which seamen of the time had fashioned for themselves.
Flying monsters abound, very attractive to film producers in that, lacking the mercenary attributes of film stars – irrespective of age keep within reason the cost of making such a film today.
Caution: Do not look too hopefully for a storyline which flows naturally or smoothly, this film hops to wherever its fancy takes it.