The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe (Widescreen Edition)
by Andrew Adamson
List Price:
Our Price: $8.82
You Save: $11.17 (56%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.48 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Tilda Swinton, William MoseleyDirector: Andrew Adamson
Brand: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Producer: Andrew Adamson
Writer: Andrew Adamson
Producer: David Minkowski
Writer: Ann Peacock
Writer: C.S. Lewis
Writer: Christopher Markus
Writer: Stephen McFeely
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Unknown; Spanish (Original Language), Unknown; French (Dubbed), Unknown; Spanish (Dubbed), Unknown
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 143 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-04-04
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
Product features:
- Prepare to enter another world when Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present C.S. Lewis' timeless and beloved adventure. With the stunningly realistic special effects, you'll experience the exploits of Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, four siblings who find the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of "hide-and-seek" at the country estate of a mysterious profe
DVD Reviews of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe (Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: Charmless Adaptation, further Marred by Unsavory Ideological Tweaks
Summary: 2 Stars
Fans of live-action CGI adventure fantasies, may (perhaps) find this film mildly diverting. As a fan of the book by C.S. Lewis, however, I found it quite painful to watch. The book's wit, charm, and sense of fun, is largely lost, and replaced with a lot of angst-ridden and whiny melodrama. Even worse than this leaden charmlessness, however, is the consistency with which the film eviscerates Lewis' moral perspective.
The Narnia books are famous for reflecting Lewis' Christian beliefs, but Christians come in all stripes and flavors. Lewis' Christianity, as propounded in the Narnia Chronicles, has anti-authoritatian, and subversive elements. A central theme is that there exists a higher Moral Authority, with whom the individual has a direct and personal relationship, and to whom he or she owes a loyalty that exceeds loyalty to religious and political leaders, or family members. The Narnia books frequently cast the protagonists in the role of rebels against existing religious, political and/or social orders. Some of this is preserved in the film, only because the basic plot is preserved, but subtle changes push the story in a different direction.
In the book, the London blitz was only briefly mentioned, and only as a plot device to get 4 English kids, who seemed quite untraumatized and eager for fun and adventure, into a strange old house and away from parental interference. But Film, instead, starts with an over-the-top London blitz sequence in which the Pevensie kids get traumatized by German bombers. This alters the entire mood, and turns the Pevensies into whiners terrified of adventure. Moreover, every story about Good and Evil need not be an allegory about how we Noble Allies beat Those Wicked Germans. Drawing parallels to the World War detracts from Lewis' more-intimate moral focus.
Lewis despised bullies and bullying. In the BOOK, Edmund's underlying fault was that he had become a bully -- he liked to pick on those weaker than himself. In the MOVIE, Edmund's underlying fault is that
he refuses to do what he is told (by older brother Peter, who seems to imagine himself in charge). To put it another way, his fault (in the movie) is his refusal to succumb to his brother's bullying -- or if you prefer, his authority. Thus does the ideology of the film move in the direction of authoritarianism and power-worship.
In the BOOK, when Peter and Susan ask Professor Kirke what they should DO about their little sister's strange beliefs, Professor Kirke, after some discussion, finally suggests "we might all try minding our own business." In the MOVIE, this scene is preserved, except that the Professor instead says "You're a family, try acting like one!" This replacement line is, at best, a completely meaningless non-sequitur in the context of the question. Peter and Susan are trying only too hard to be responsible older siblings -- which is precisely the problem. But perhaps it was thought it would sound good for those to whom "family values" is a mantra. But the line in the BOOK was meaningful. If reflected, again, Lewis' aversion to the abuse of power. Professor Kirke was suggesting to Peter and Susan that perhaps they have no authority to play thought-police to their little sister's strange ideas; that they have no right to impose on her their benevolent paternalism; that they should not (so use a Tolkien metaphor) put on the corrupting Ring of Power. Moreover, since Kirke seems to feel he lacks authority to boss around Peter and Susan, his advice is phrased as a suggestion, not an order. But I guess such attitudes make no sense to one with an authoritarian mindset. Therefore, in the MOVIE, the line had to go, however meaningless the bizarre command that is its replacement.
In the Book, there is a scene in which Aslan gently reminds Lucy that she has moral duties to others besides family and friends. Lucy must leave the side of an injured loved-one, and tend to other wounded. The film keeps the scene, but emphatically rejects the message. Only after Lucy's injured loved-one is out of danger, and everyone has had time for a nice long group-hug moment, does anyone, including Aslan, remember that others might be injured. Then Lucy puts on a silly grin, and scampers off to cure them as though it were a fun game and not a solemn duty.
A possibly-related complaint is the trashing of most of the main characters. As a group, the Pevensies have become a group of angst-ridden, self-pitying, bickering, and cowardly moaners and whiners.
Peter, in the book, did not shirk his duties or hesitate to accept the adventure offered him. But in the MOVIE Peter is constantly boring us with his angst and self-doubt and all-too-clear desire to be anywhere but Narnia. As a result, his transformation from schoolboy to warrior hero seems far less plausible than it was in the book (a problem further compounded by the movie's far greater emphasis on action sequences).
Susan fares even worse. In the BOOK, Susan hesitated only once, and only at the beginning. She then dived into the adventure with the others, and never looked back. The film turns into a screeching harpy, whose job is to yell at Peter in the middle of every crisis, either to tell him to go back, or to blame the current crisis on him because he did not.
Even Edmund, who was a rotter even in the book, manages to get trashed. In the BOOK, Edmund move toward redemption begins at the moment when, for the first time in the story, he begins "to feel sorry for someone other than himself." This occurs during a scene when he sees Jadis murder a dinner party of fauns and talking animals -- most memorably a spunky baby squirrel -- and actually tries to stop her. In the MOVIE, this scene is absent, but is replaced by a scene where Edmund is forced to observe the fate of Tumnus, whom Edmund betrayed. The critical difference is that the fate of the baby squirrel & friends was NOT in any way the fault of Edmund; whereas the fate of Tumnus WAS Edmund's fault. In the BOOK, redemption begins with compassion, with love for others. The MOVIE merely rubs Edmund's face in his GUILT, which is basically just another form of self-obsession. These and other subtle changes mean that the film's audience never develops any sympathy for the character whose redemption is a central theme.
Only Lucy escapes comparatively unscathed.
Supporting characters (the Beavers, Aslan, Tumnus) are mainly charmless bores. The CGI animals are cute -- because and only because they are CGI animals -- and not because of any skill in endowing them with likeable personalities. Their dialog hits the floor like lead, especially whenever it diverges from that written by Lewis, which is far too often.
As for the villains: The wolves, who ought to be scary looking, instead look like refugees from a film about CGI huskies (which is probably exactly what they are). Tilda Swinton, as Queen Jadis, is merely okay (in large part because she is occasionally permitted to speak lines that Lewis wrote for her). She captures the witch's coldness, but none of her fierce and ruthless energy.
In the end, it is an overlong buildup to an over-the-top CGI enhanced battle, in which you are likely to care little about any of the participants.
More The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe (Widescreen Edition) reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Description of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe (Widescreen Edition)
Prepare to enter another world when Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present C.S. Lewis' timeless and beloved adventure. With the stunningly realistic special effects, you'll experience the exploits of Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, four siblings who find the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of "hide-and-seek" at the country estate of a mysterious professor. Once there, the children discover a charming, once peaceful land inhabited by talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs, and giants that has been turned into a world of eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis. Aided by the wise and magnificent lion Aslan, the children lead Narnia into a spectacular climactic battle to be free of the Witch's glacial powers forever! The Chronicles of Narnia, Narnia, and all other book titles, characters and locales original thereto are trademarks of C.S. Lewis Pte Ltd. and are used with permission. © Disney/WaldenC.S. Lewis's classic novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe makes an ambitious and long-awaited leap to the screen in this modern adaptation. It's a CGI-created world laden with all the special effects and visual wizardry modern filmmaking technology can conjure, which is fine so long as the film stays true to the story that Lewis wrote. And while this film is not a literal translation--it really wants to be so much more than just a kids' movie--for the most part it is faithful enough to the story, and whatever faults it has are happily faults of overreaching, and not of holding back. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe tells the story of the four Pevensie children, Lucy, Peter, Edmund, and Susan, and their adventures in the mystical world of Narnia. Sent to the British countryside for their own safety during the blitz of World War II, they discover an entryway into a mystical world through an old wardrobe. Narnia is inhabited by mythical, anthropomorphic creatures suffering under the hundred-year rule of the cruel White Witch (Tilda Swinton, in a standout role). The arrival of the children gives the creatures of Narnia hope for liberation, and all are dragged into the inevitable conflict between evil (the Witch) and good (Aslan the Lion, the Messiah figure, regally voiced by Liam Neeson).
Director (and co-screenwriter) Andrew Adamson, a veteran of the Shrek franchise, knows his way around a fantasy-based adventure story, and he wisely keeps the story moving when it could easily become bogged down and tiresome. Narnia is, of course, a Christian allegory and the symbology is definitely there (as it should be, otherwise it wouldn't be the story Lewis wrote), but audiences aren?t knocked over the head with it, and in the hands of another director it could easily have become pedantic. The focus is squarely on the children and their adventures. The four young actors are respectable in their roles, especially considering the size of the project put on their shoulders, but it's the young Georgie Henley as the curious Lucy who stands out. This isn't a film that wildly succeeds, and in the long run it won't have the same impact as the Harry Potter franchise, but it is well done, and kids will get swept up in the adventure. Note: Narnia does contain battle scenes that some parents may consider too violent for younger children. --Dan Vancini
Stills from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Click for larger image)
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
Bestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)Buena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2003-12-02; DVD
Best price: $5.90
Price in other shops:
The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Setby C. S. Lewis
HarperCollins; Published: 1994-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $22.99
Price in other shops:
The Spiderwick Chronicles (Widescreen Edition)Paramount; Release date: 2008-06-24; DVD
Best price: $2.56
Price in other shops:
The Narnia CodeKoch International; Release date: 2011-01-11; Published: 2010-12-01; DVD
Best price: $7.37
Price in other shops:
The Golden Compass (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)NEW LINE HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2008-04-29; DVD
Best price: $1.97
Price in other shops:
Chronicles of Narnia - Silver Chair (1990)Image Entertainment; Release date: 2007-03-27; DVD
Best price: $12.41
Price in other shops:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Movie Tie-in Edition (Narnia)by C. S. Lewis
HarperFestival; Published: 2005-10-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
The Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe / Prince Caspian & The Voyage of the Dawn Treader / The Silver Chair)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2010-11-09; DVD
Best price: $26.05
Price in other shops:
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader (Single-Disc Edition)Fox Home Entertainment; Release date: 2011-04-08; DVD
Best price: $8.95
Price in other shops:
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianWalt Disney Video; Release date: 2008-12-02; Published: 2009-12-29; DVD
Best price: $7.00
Price in other shops: