“Aslan is on the move!” These prophetic words declare the end of 100 years of winter and the beginning of spring in the mystical land of Narnia. But more than that, the words represent the coming of a savior in the form of a lion who will set the inhabitants of Narnia free from the clutches of the evil witch who rules the known world. Whether you see a religious allegory in the story, or a simple lesson of virtue over vice, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is one of the most entertaining and inspiring fantasy/adventures for the family to hit the big screen in a long time.

Many lessons are clearly presented in this stunning and faithful re-enactment of C.S. Lewis’ magical story. The two that stayed with me are: that evil is not always ugly but often beautiful and seductive. And, it’s not enough to simply resist evil influences in our lives, we must pro-actively fight against them.

Disney and Walden Media have taken a classic family novel and transformed it into an epic family film. Assuming this installment does as well as predicted at the box office, we can look forward to future adventures featuring the four young protagonists.

This is one of the most widely media-supplemented movies in memory. Walden Media offers in-class teaching tools like activity guides, discussion topics, and enhanced DVDs for virtually every segment of the population, from libraries to public schools, and from scout troops to churches and Sunday schools.

We recommend this film for audiences age 12 and over. Due to the lengthy battle scenes and other life and death issues, parents of very young children are encouraged to see the film first. Reading the book to your youngsters beforehand can also help prepare them for some of the more intense scenes in the film.