Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch & Wardrobe -4 DVD Set w/ Bookends Genre: Childrens, Fantasy, Kids Adventure, Magic, Blockbuster, Theatrical Release, Wild Animals, Battles, Fantasy Worlds, Based On A Novel Director: Andrew Adamson Cast/Crew: Tilda Swinton, Jim Broadbent, James McAvoy, Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes, James Cosmo, Ray Winstone, Dawn French, Rupert Everett Description: BRAND NEW SEALED - BOXS HAVE SLIGHT COSMETIC DAMAGE Director Andrew Adamson gives a new dimension to C.S. Lewis's enchanting story with this long-awaited Disney adaptation. As the story begins, Mrs. Pevensie--in order to keep her children safe during World War II--sends Lucy (Georgie Henley), Edmond (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Peter (William Moseley) off to stay at a professor's country estate. Away from London and under the care of a strict housekeeper, they are instructed to stick to themselves and stay out of trouble. But when an innocent game of hide-and-seek leads young Lucy to a spare room containing a large wardrobe, she discovers something that will change their lives forever. Inside the wardrobe there is a world frosted with ice and filled with magical beings. Known as Narnia, the land is stuck in eternal winter at the hands of the cruel White Witch, played with great force by the pale, strong-featured Tilda Swinton. When she steps back into reality, Lucy struggles to convince her skeptical siblings of the things she's seen. After much disbelief, the others finally enter the world as well, learning that the creatures of Narnia have long been waiting for humans like themselves to appear and break the witch's spell. But in order to be of any help to the lovable talking beavers, fawns, foxes, and centaurs that they meet, the four will have to face betrayal by one of their own as Edmond cracks under the witch's tempting offer of unlimited Turkish Delights. Under the leadership of the great lion Aslan (voice of Liam Neeson), can Lucy, Edmond, Susan, and the oldest, Peter, prove themselves heroes in the ultimate battle of good vs. evil? High-budget special effects, impressive performances by the film's young newcomers, and beautiful set design move this film far beyond previous television adaptations. Review: The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe 4-Disc Share the magic of C.S. Lewis?s literary masterpiece this holiday with an extraordinary 4-disc extended edition of Disney's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. Venture deeper into this beloved fantasy world with an all-new feature-length film that brings you up close and personal with C.S. Lewis, the creative genius behind the book. Discover Narnia through his eyes, and experience the film as you never have before with new enhanced special effects and an extended climactic battle scene. Complete your Narnia collection with a limited-edition gift set featuring the 4-disc DVD set plus a pair of heirloom-quality bookends from the master creative artists at WETA, the Academy Award-winning innovators who designed the breathtaking creatures from the film. Both the extended-edition DVD and the keepsake gift set are available for only seven weeks before they disappear into the Disney vault. Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment Release Notes: DVD Features: Region 1 4 - Disc Box Set Anamorphic Widescreen Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English (unspecified) - French, Spanish Additional Release Material: Bloopers Audio Commentary - 1. Filmmakers' Commentary 2. Kid's & Director's Commentary Featurette - 1. Creating Narnia 2. Creatures, Lands, And Legends 3. Discover Narnia Fun Facts 4. C.S. Lewis: The Dreamer Of Narnia 5. Visualizing "The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe" 6. Anatomy Of A Scene Text/Photo Galleries: Stills/Photos: 1
C.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
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