By Chris Leggett BBC News website entertainment reporter

Tilda Swinton's White Witch turns enemies into stone

The release of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe sees one of the most popular children's books of all-time reach the big screen.

Walt Disney and Walden Media have adapted CS Lewis' most famous book, using the latest technology to bring to life the author's fauns, unicorns, centaurs and talking animals.

Set in World War II, the film's plot centres on the four Pevensie children - Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy - who are evacuated from London to a country house.

During their stay with an eccentric professor (Jim Broadbent), they stumble upon a hidden parallel world, which is entered by walking through the wardrobe of the title.

This other land, Narnia, has been frozen in a permanent winter for 100 years.

Religious allusions

It is ruled by the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton) but the arrival of the four children raises hopes among the creatures who populate Narnia that benevolent Aslan will return to power.

Shameless and State of Play star James McAvoy plays Mr Tumnus

After Lord of the Rings and the recent Harry Potter movies clocked up the hours, Narnia's makers have kept it to a comparatively trim two hours and 20 minutes.

It is mostly a simple chase movie as the Queen's forces try to catch the children, before culminating in an almighty showdown with the battle between good and evil at the end, which boasts 20,000 animated creatures.

Reports that Christian groups are being encouraged to see Narnia has made non-believers suspicious.

Lewis' family say such suspicions are wrong as the books drew upon stories of self-sacrifice from many religions and myths.

Modern children

While there are clear similarities with the story of Christ, anyone who avoids it for fear of being brainwashed into joining a religious sect will be missing out on an entertaining tale of betrayal, courage and redemption.

The four Pevensie children were picked from 2,000 hopefuls

Lovers of the original books, who are fearful of modernisation, can also relax.

Much of the film is very British, if not ever so slightly middle class.

The best received line with the London preview audience was when Susan says: "We're not heroes - we're from Finchley."

Such references may not translate so well outside of the M25, let alone abroad, but they mean Narnia stays faithful to Lewis' books.

However, the script is a lot slicker than the rather stiff BBC teatime adaptations of the 1980s.

Likely success

The Pevensie children cause disturbance like modern kids, bicker like today's teenagers and exchange some decent one liners.

Aslan the Lion is voiced by Schindler's List star Liam Neeson

Viewed as a kind of Lord of the Rings for kids, it works.

With Harry Potter and King Kong out in cinemas at the same time, there are suspicions that Narnia will struggle to find an audience to spawn a franchise of movies.

But it has the formula to be a success.

There are some genuine thrills, moments of great poignancy as well as laughs for children and adults alike, mostly from the animated Mr and Mrs Beaver (voiced by Ray Winstone and Dawn French).