With most of the plush crimson seats occupied in the Century 16 Theatre at Shoreline on Friday, Dec. 9, C.S. Lewis’s highly imaginative and thrilling adventure story, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, lights up the screen in its big début.

Director Andrew Adamson (Shrek 2) launches the epic adventure with an eye for an all-ages audience, complete with humor, skillfully animated animals, war and even historically accurate costumes.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe commences with an intense scene of war-ravaged England in the 1920s or 30s. Four siblings, Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley) journey to “the professor’s” (Jim Broadbent) country estate, to wait out the war in relative safety. During an extensive game of hide-and-seek, Lucy discovers a magical wardrobe, which leads to the realm of Narnia. The four children explore this intricate world and eventually learn of an ancient prophecy, which lays the fate of Narnia in their hands.

All four actors, who are new to the big screen except Popplewell, are a joy to watch. They gamefully employ childish antics mixed with heroic deeds, which produce genuine smiles and tears from viewers. The script is skillfully written (Ann Peacock, Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely) and directed to keep reality within the mystical land.

The graphics of the film, vital to the success of the movie, are spectacular. Aslan, the Lion and King of Narnia (Liam Neeson), is breathtaking in all of his expressions and positions. Neeson’s voice also adds critical temperament to this important character in the story. The other animated animals in the film are both realistic and humanized, although decidedly less intricate than Aslan.

The scenery, for the most part filmed in actual territory in Auckland, New Zealand, is in some instances semi-noticeably pasted onto a green screen. Aside from these minor cinematography issues, the overall setting is stunning. Even the alluring ice castle, home of the White Witch (Tilda Swinton), is artfully composed.

At the climax of the chronicle, Adamson expertly films the epic battle from countless angles. The cinematography of the conflict even rivals The Lord of the Rings trilogy’s laudable war scenes. The tragedy, anticipation and worry of war are all incorporated into this Disney masterpiece.

With the intoxicating combination of Adamson’s direction, C.S. Lewis’s inventive storyline and the beautiful performances of the actors, the classic tale of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on the big-screen is sure to amaze audiences.