Christian Entertainment Review - July 2008 - (Page CER-8)

+product profile PUTTING THE CHRIST IN By BRENDAN HOWARD f you haven’t read C.S. Lewis’ fantasy tale The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian or seen the recent $127 million box office blockbuster, and you hate spoilers, hide your eyes for the next few paragraphs. There’s a powerful message in the film’s climax that Christians take home with them, says Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of Movieguide, chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, and co-editor with his son of a collection of essays: Narnia Beckons: C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — and Beyond. See, the dashing, blonde-haired title hero in the magical world of Narnia can’t win CASPIAN It’s not hard. Fervent Christian author C.S. Lewis planted deep Christian turned-blockbuster-films about the magical world of Narnia. the film’s final epic battle alone. Not with an army, not with his own wisdom and skills, and not with the gifted children Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, who have returned to Narnia centuries later, after only a few years have passed on Earth. No, Prince Caspian needs something more — faith in a greater power, faith in a beast from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe that sacrificed himself to redeem a traitor and returned to life because of that sacrifice. That’s right: Aslan, the great lion protector of Narnia, seemingly dead for many years, must be called back. “Audiences can go home and tell their kids, ‘When you’re in trouble, God answers,’” Baehr says. It sounds simple, and it is, he says. Baehr compares the new Disney and Walden Media box office adaptations of Lewis’ “Narnia” series to sermons. Baehr believes films have the potential to carry powerful messages that either lead the curious to further study and enlightenment, or bring a message to life in a way that books or religious explanations sometimes don’t. I 8 Spreading the Word Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (available now on DVD, see “More on Lewis,” page 9) and its sequel, Prince Caspian (Home Media Research estimates a Sept. 9 DVD release based on previous theatrical-to-DVD release windows), CHRISTIAN ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW / JULY 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Christian Entertainment Review - July 2008

Christian Entertainment Review - July 2008 Contents Product Profile - C.S. Lewis' Magical World of Narnia Continues to Entertain and Inspire Audiences Product Review - VeggieTales Celebrates 15 Years of Wholesome Edutainment for Preschoolers Reviews New Releases

Christian Entertainment Review - July 2008

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