harry gregson-williams / albums

Composer Harry Gregson-Williams (Kingdom of Heaven, Man on Fire, Spy Game) takes on the magical world of C.S. Lewis' Narnia, infusing director Andrew Adamson's big screen adaptation with predictable wonder and reliable bravado. Williams, who also worked on Adamson's two Shrek films, keeps things moving with the help of longtime collaborators Lisbeth Scott (vocals) and Hugh Marsh (electric violin), both of whom provide The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with some of its key emotional moments. Williams' dramatic choral arrangements do their best to emphasize childhood awe, and the Celtic-tinged character motifs evolve naturally, but the overall effect is that of any fantasy film. Lord of the Rings comparisons aside, Williams' Narnia holds little in the way of power, and with source material that carries as strong an undercurrent of seriousness beneath its storybook exterior as Tolkein's, the whole affair comes off as a noble yet empty gesture. [The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is also available in a two-disc collector's edition that includes a 40-page booklet, as well as a DVD boasting a photo gallery, numerous interviews, and a documentary.] ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide