Composer Harry Gregson-Williams' work on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe makes up the meat of this film's Original Soundtrack. Williams has previously done work for such films as both Shrek installments, Chicken Run, The Prince Of Egypt, and even action films like The Rundown and Man On Fire or thrillers like Phone Booth and this year's Domino. Williams is extremely diverse in his film choices to score, making memorable themes for Chicken Run and Shrek, and intense, creative backdrops for The Rundown and Man On Fire. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe falls somewhere in between, creating that mystical and enchanting atmosphere with his music that may not really stand out extraordinarily from other films in the genre, but works effectively nonetheless with the film at hand. It's soft when that gentle touch is needed and exciting and bold when the action picks up. If anything, however, a memorable theme isn't quite as apparent. While films like Back To The Future and Jurassic Park have the kind of theatrical themes most would recognize if heard whistled, Narnia doesn't quite achieve that. Whether or not a blaring theme is really needed, I don't know, but Williams successfully fuels the score with enough epic treatment to get the job done. It may never compare to Howard Shore's work on The Lord Of The Rings' trilogy (in fact, portions of "The Battle" may remind listeners familiar with that score of moments from it), but Williams' efforts stand up on their own. And the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Original Soundtrack might not stand out tremendously as a breathtaking score on the first few listens, but repeated viewings of the film are likely to make Williams' score stick with you longer after seeing the film.

The remainder of the soundtrack is a weak selection of mainstream artists performing songs inspired by the film. Three of the four selections included appear either in the film itself or during the credits. The songs don't standout and, surprisingly, when stacked up against the Christian industry's offerings on the Music Inspired By... soundtrack for this film, they pale in comparison immensely. Nichole Nordeman and Rebecca St. James' offerings on that project greatly outshine Alanis Morissette's upbeat "Wunderkind" while Jars Of Clay's soft-spoken "Waiting For The World To Fall" makes Tim Finn's misguided "Winter Light" seem obnoxious and desperately out of place. The 1940's period setting of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe just doesn't seem to make room for modern day pop offerings, and once the credits roll on the film and Alanis' "Wunderkind" begins, it's obvious how misplaced these songs feel. While there aren't enough of these songs to warrant yet another soundtrack of "inspired by" material, this project would have done better as strictly a score by Williams alone.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Original Soundtrack is a worthy theatrical score from Harry Gregson-Williams accompanied by a few missteps from a selection of mainstream artists. Although it may not be the strongest soundtrack for a film of its kind, Williams helps make it a memorable journey. For those looking for music by artists who share their love for these classic tales, skip this one and pick up Music Inspired By The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe instead.