I did not catch the allegory when I first read it
So the death of Aslan seemed pretty damn stupid... :) of course the inspiration for that metaphor seems a little stupid when you think about it...
I reread the series as an adult- I got the metaphor and found it a little nauseating, but the stories were SO well written.... so amazingly well done! I seriously doubt the movie will do the books justice- but I may pay to see it...
If you have read the Narnia series then you know what a dark story it is- probably not something you want to explain to your kids....