I want to see this movie a little bit more after reading this article. Tangentally, what comes to mind is how even some of the most imaginative science fiction and fantasy stories eventually resort to Christian imagery as a fallback-- point in case, Matrix Revolutions.

It's funny though. I think I read six of the Narnia books as a kid. The first book we read for class, and I remember hearing about all of the Christian imagery. I didn't even care about that aspect though when I read the next books... so I think the author of the article you linked to made a good point about kids not caring. I don't know if I will bring a barf bag though, as Christian elements are more common in films than the writer would lead you to believe. Most directors, if asked, could probably point you to some Christian symbols in their films.

The most intriguing part of the person's article, if it's true:

"And a Kent parish is giving away £10,000 worth of film tickets to single-parent families. (Are the children of single mothers in special need of the word?)"

I don't remember picking up on the allegory when I read the book as a kid. And despite my former torrid love affair with evangelism that begot the bastard child of my current agnosticism, I still find it a good book.

Who knows; maybe the absurdity of Aslan rising from the dead will help lead young children to understand Christianity as fantasy as well.

I agree, Geoff. It's such fantasy that any Christian imagery I did pick up was inextricably entwined with talking lions, magical cupboards, 900 year old men, animals couples on arks...oh, wait, are some of those biblical?
I love your florid depiction of your religious growth, btw.

The religious stuff isn't too bad in the early books... as the series rolls on Lewis drops the concept of an 'allusion' and goes for flat statements. This can become annoying. And the whole last book they're just tooling around on their way to heavan, it doesn't even have much of a plot. Everyone dies and they get to run (I kind of figured there'd be a better means of transportation) to the afterlife.

Quick, you'd be run or we won't let you into heavan.

In reference to the real world, our friend Aslan the lion says: "There I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there" Pretty overt.

I think the person who wrote this article is getting a little high and mighty in their "atheism". I enjoyed the books as a kid without any thought of their religious thematic elements, be they undertones or overtones. While I am a little icked out by Disneys marketing ploy with Evangelical groups, I think as Slater pointed out, religious imagery and references about in film, literature, etc. Like anything else I think people should simply take out what they want of this film. Be it eye candy, a fantastical children's story, or an allegory of faith. The Guardian reporter can get off his own bully pulpit.