Only a few days separate me from the second movie in The Chronicles of Narnia. The last time I saw a live-action movie based on C.S. Lewis’s book Prince Caspian was back when the BBC version was still amazing. In the last 20 years we've come through a revolution in technology where Warwick Davis can now play Nikabrik the Black Dwarf instead of Reepicheep the Mouse in a large furry costume. However, Generation X and Y have gone through another revolution that has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with magic.

Some embrace the popularity of the fantasy realm of Dungeons and Dragons and Harry Potter. But others, namely in Christian society, fear the impact of the acceptance of magic in entertainment culture.

On his radio program Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson recently interviewed Douglas Gresham, the stepson of C. S. Lewis as well as the co-producer of Prince Caspian. In this interview, co-host Dr. Julie Slattery asked Gresham about the magic present in C. S. Lewis’s books.

“A lot of Christian parents wonder about the magic element of C. S. Lewis’s... Narnia,” Dr. Slattery said in the May 7th program. “Is that something that’s appropriate for kids? And what’s the difference between the kind of magic that’s represented by say Harry Potter and the kind of magic you’re going to see in Prince Caspian?”

Gresham answers this question by defining magic. He says that magic is what we don’t understand, as opposed to something like science, which “we pretend we do understand.” Gresham does not shy away from the fact that there is magic in the Narnia books. There are several different kinds, he says, some evil and some petty, within the chronicles. But Gresham puts the idea of magic in a new perspective for those who have feared its impact on impressionable children.

The world of fantasy and the supernatural have always fascinated people. Gresham explains the danger of dabbling with things that we do not comprehend, but seems to understand magic’s place in today’s society.

I agree with Gresham when he points out these dangers, but I’ve always been skeptical of those who condemn stories like Harry Potter. I highly doubt kids are going to pick up a wand and start casting spells after reading The Sorcerer’s Stone, just as previous generations didn’t try to destroy gold rings after The Lord of the Rings. I’d be more worried about my kids picking up Harry’s bratty attitude and disobedient nature than his ability to cast the Imperious Curse.

When viewed as works of fiction, games, movies, and books that display worlds of fantasy can be enjoyed by children and adults.  If parents are worried about their children picking up potentially dangerous habits, they should sit down with them and talk about magic and the supernatural. If they decide their child is too young for Dungeons and Dragons, then fine. But parents too often take a hands-off, abstinence-only approach instead of teaching their kids about the real dangers in life.

According to Gresham, magic is a very real thing, and many people today oppose the vast amounts of entertainment that include it. If you’re against all types of magic, you may not want to see Prince Caspian on May 16th. Along with a fantastic display of technology (something that would have been viewed as magical only a few years ago), the movie will also portray unexplainable or “magical” things. I’m pretty sure, though, that you’d miss out on an amazingly inspirational movie.