Beautiful, epic landscapes? Check. Fresh-faced, blue-eyed main characters? Check. Creepy and cute fictional animals? Check, check, check. But this isn't The Lord of the Rings we're talking about. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe comes out today, to what is certain to be unwaveringly positive critical acclaim. Based on the classic C.S. Lewis children's book, the film is an outstanding adaptation of the original story.

Lewis' story follows four English siblings, the Pevensies, who are sent away by their mother to ensure that they remain safe during World War II. The children go to live in the English countryside with an old professor who, despite the fact that he offered to take care of the children, spends his days locked up in his office. Determined to create their own fun, the children engage in a game of hide-and-go-seek, which leads to the discovery of an old, hidden wardrobe full of fur coats. To the siblings' amazement, the wardrobe leads to the magical land of Narnia, where the children encounter new friends, danger, and many exciting, furry animals.

The Chronicles of Narnia's author was a college friend of fellow British writer J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This connection between the two authors could help to explain some of the huge similarities between Narnia and the movie adaptations of the Rings novels. As with Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Narnia director Andrew Adamson largely shot the film in the mountains of New Zealand. As a result, the movie certainly echoes certain visual aspects of the Rings movies, especially the long pans over breathtakingly beautiful mountain ranges and fjords. However, the Narnia story's twists and turns direct the viewer's attention away from the familiar landscape and toward the spectacular retelling of one of the twentieth century's greatest tales.

Georgie Henley, the ten-year-old girl who plays Lucy Pevensie, does a remarkable job of portraying such a famous, admired character. Lucy is the child that the majority of the movie is focused on, although as the story progresses, the other siblings are featured more extensively.  Henley, who has never acted in a film before, approaches the part with a genuine naïveté and sweetness that complements her adorable appearance, taking the viewer with her on her journey. William Mosely, Skandar Keynes, and Anna Popplewell, who respectively play older siblings Peter, Edmund, and Susan Pevensie, also do a good job of inhabiting the characters without too many obvious references toward the book.

Aside from Jim Broadbent as the quiet Professor Kirke and some of the animals' voice actors, the movie is devoid of any big Hollywood names. This lack of snootiness is another factor that makes the movie enjoyable to watch, without the distraction of any famous hotties donning fake ears to guarantee a blockbuster. Michelle Pfeiffer was reportedly offered the part of the White Witch, but had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts.

However, it's perhaps to the film's benefit that Pfeiffer chose not to take on the role. The two standout performances in Narnia are from Adaptation's Tilda Swinton as the White Witch and Wimbledon's James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus. Swinton, who had never read the Narnia books before starting the movie, possesses both a unique appearance and throaty voice to make her the perfect evil dictator. McAvoy, on the other hand, is surprisingly charming as the friendly fawn Mr. Tumnus, thanks to his odd appearance and quirky manner. The whole of the cast works together to present a convincing portrayal of the original story, with actors such as Batman Begins'Liam Neeson and Stage Beauty's Rupert Everett providing the voices of several of the computer-generated animals. Aslan the Lion, voiced by Neeson, is incredibly majestic and strikingly handsome, a tribute to the achievements of modern film. The other animals in the film such as the Beavers and the Fox are also acceptably cute and charming, but none of them so much so as Aslan. 

Adamson's adaptation of the film is an approachable, entertaining success, even those who have not read the books. For those of us who appreciate the short cut when it comes to "reading" the classics, it provides enough details from the original story for viewers to really gain an appreciation for Lewis' famous work. The Chronicles of Narnia will take your breath away and leave you feeling warm and content – the same result as from reading any of C.S. Lewis' books.

 talkback to the pulse