The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ****1/2

James (age 6): ***** Cinco. (five stars) That was one of the winners. I liked all of Narnia. I liked Susan's bow and arrow, but I didn't like her and I didn't like it when Susan killed that Narnia guy with her bow and arrow. I liked the witch. I liked Lucy's knife. I liked when they were riding across the frozen waters. I don't like Aslan, because he's a good guy. I like his teeth, but I don't like him. Not a bit scary.

Jupiter (age 4):***** I didn't like it--I loved it. I liked Lucy. I liked her hair. I liked her older sister's hair. The witch was scaring me, when she frozen people. Aslan was pretty.

Justice (age 2): I don't know. (Justy went to bed in the middle of this one.)

Mama: **** Okay, so I loved this movie. I loved the books when I was young, and as for the movie, I was completely able to yield to the fantasy world. Fauns, and Griffans, and Centaurs! In fact there was even a cool female Centaur with a bow and arrow. Tilda Swinton who I've always liked was soooo creepy as the White Witch, with costumes right out of Oz. At the end, she's tawny haired, wearing animal skins, looking fabulously barbaric in her chariot. I tend to narrate movies as they go along, so the kids understand them. I'll say things like, "Who is that lady in white? Is she the evil white witch the faun was scared of? Should Edmund go with her?" On this oocasion, though, I stopped myself and asked the kids, "Hey, guys, is she a nice queen, or not-so-nice?"
"She gave Edmund candy," Jupiter said.
"But she yelled at him," James countered.
By the end of the movie, Jupiter knew the White Witch was evil. "Mama, do you like her hair?" Jupey asked. And then clarified her feelings. "I don't like her hair."
I loved seeing James' growing ability to predict what would happen in a movie. As Aslan the lion, with head hung, ascended the steps to the stone table, and the riotous evil creatures cheered and teased him, James said, "Maybe that's the promise Aslan made to the white witch. That he would die instead of Edmund." This was a completely fun one, and the only reason it didn't get five stars from me, is that it was a little too much for Justice (age 2) and when Monday rolled around and it was time for Jupiter to choose a movie to watch during the week, her choice (as well as James') was: James and the Giant Peach.