Sent to live with the eccentric Professor Kirke (Jim Broadbent) during WWII, the four Pevensie children find a magical wardrobe that is a portal to the land of Narnia. There they discover that Narnia is being kept in perpetual winter by the White Witch (Tilda Swinton) and she is being opposed by the lion-god, Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson). Adventure follows as the children take sides in an epic clash of good versus evil.

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is a filled with incredible special effects, sometimes rivaling The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The use of talking animals in movies is often a point of disdain with me, but in “Narnia” the effects are so seamless that I found myself forgetting to pooh-pooh the anthropomorphic stars.

The acting is quite good, and surprisingly the best performance comes from first time actress, Georgie Henley, who plays Lucy Pevensie. The characters are, in general, engaging and all of the performances solid.

The story is an epic one with an overarching, Christian theme pervading throughout, just as in the original novel by C.S. Lewis. But for those viewers who are wary of a movie that will be preachy, don’t be. “Narnia” delivers an energetic, high-fantasy tale that will keep even the most heathenist of heathens delighted by its special effects and magical displays.

“Narnia” is definitely the “it” movie of the holiday season and worth a trip to the theaters.