The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has a happy ending.
Was there ever any doubt? Violent battle scenes aside, it is after all a kids’ movie.
In the articles I’ve read about that particular movie—and many a movie, for that matter—reviewers always feel it’s necessary to contain spoiler alerts. ’Nother words, they’re going to give away a major plot point or the ending, and thus “spoil” the movie for the readers. So you, the reader, have to decide if you want to read on, or be surprised.
Since I hate surprises, I go right ahead and read the bloody spoilers. And—wonder of wonders—the movie isn’t spoiled. This is because most movies are mindlessly predictable; with the exception of the occasional M. Night Shyamalan movie (not counting The Village) I can kinda guess halfway through the movie how it’s gonna end. For the most part it’s gonna be a happy ending; very seldom is it otherwise.
I know one of you is gonna bring up Titanic. Need I remind you it did have a happy ending? At the end of the movie, Rose chucked the diamond into the water and died, and got to spend eternity in hell with Jack on an exact replica of the Titanic’s stairwell. A happy ending… I suppose.
I’ve found it especially dumb that the reviews of The Lion, et al has spoiler alerts. The book was required reading for me in grade school; it was required for many a Christian household who approved of Lewis when they wouldn’t approve of Rowling; and the crowd I saw it with Thursday night obviously was familiar with every scene. We knew who was gonna die and who wasn’t; and most of us knew that everyone will come back when the producers make The Last Battle. (Or maybe you don’t. Oops. …Aw, screw it.)