Product Description

Journey into the world of Narnia and share with your loved ones the most magical 4-disc DVD masterpiece ever! Venture deeper into a beloved fantasy world with this extended four-disc collection that presents the original motion picture featuring new and expanded scenes, enhanced special effects, and an extended climactic battle scene added by director Andrew Adamson. Experience hours of extensive bonus material including an exclusive world-premiere, feature-length film about C.S. Lewis, the creative mind behind Narnia. Enjoy a vivid and in-depth companion guidebook. Plus, visualize the complete production process -- from green screen to big screen -- with an additional state-of-the-art special feature.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12657 in DVD
• Brand: Disney
• Released on: 2006-12-12
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English, German
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 150 minutes

Amazon.com
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

On the DVD
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has often been compared to another fantasy-epic-turned-movie, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. This four-disc extended edition is a clear attempt to reinforce those comparisons, and it's a worthwhile DVD set, even if it falls quite a bit short of the LOTR must-have extended editions. For starters, the extended cut is a mere seven minutes longer than the theatrical cut, 150 minutes to 143. The additions add a bit of depth to the story--Lucy offering her stuffed animal to Edmond on the train and seeing a fish frozen in the water near the beavers' home, Susan making snow angels and practicing more archery--all worth seeing but less than a minute each, and, unlike LOTR, not restoring anything that had been left out of the book. Other scenes such as the kids' playing cricket are very slightly recut. The most interesting addition is about two minutes of new footage in the big battle sequence, mostly involving some cool aerial combat. If you had a choice of which edition to watch, the extended is probably preferable, but by itself it's not much reason to upgrade if you have an earlier DVD of the movie.

A better reason is the bonus features. The four-disc edition retains the bonus features of the previous two-disc edition (the commentaries are the same; they go silent during the extended scenes, or spill over a little bit into the next scene), and adds a third disc with a 75-minute documentary about C.S. Lewis, which should appease those who complained about the lack of attention the author had received on the earlier DVD. It discusses Lewis's life and inspirations, and is skewed somewhat toward a younger crowd with its simple animation and first-person narration. The fourth disc has a comprehensive 140-minute documentary about production--costumes, sets, music, animating animals--though not unexpectedly some of the material overlaps with the older material. All in all, Narnia fans will want to pick up this edition, but for the extra discs, not the extra footage. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

A classic story transferred from page to screen!
"THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE" is a glorious example of exceptional production design, excellent cinematography, wonderful special effects and CGI-created characters, incredible fight choreography, swordplay, stunts, great music, very nice costumes, fantastic characterizations, and, most important of all, the film (for the most part) stays close to the book written by C.S. Lewis. The film is set during World War II. It is the epic story of the four Pevensie children - Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and Lucy (Georgie Henley). They enter the land of Narnia through a mysterious wardrobe. There they do battle with the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton), become friends with a faun named Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy), and have dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver (Ray Winstone and Dawn French). To the fans of the books, such as my own humble self, the movie will leave you in complete awe and amazement. To the ones who have not yet read the books, it may confuse you, but it will soon transfix you to the seat. All the acting is magnificent, especially with Georgie Henley, James McAvoy, Tilda Swinton, and the voice talent of Liam Neeson. Each of their characters resonate with such power and personality that it is impossible for you not to be amazed. Henley plays Lucy with a great sense of innocence and courage, having the best performance in the entire film. To me, having read all the books, Lucy is the central character. In my opinion, she is really the only character the audience can totally identify with throughout the series. Director Andrew Adamson seems to notice this, and being one of the script-writers, he uses the other characters, dialogue, and situations to be mainly formed around her role in the film. Maybe that is why Henley is perfect for the part. Let's hope everything stays this way (with her character at least) through the remaining films. McAvoy portrays Mr. Tumnus as a true patriot, fighting for his Narnia. He is ordered to turn in Lucy to the Witch, but Lucy is probably his only friend, and he has high hopes for a peaceful and just Narnia. His character's feelings and beliefs are just a few examples of those of every Narnian exhibited in the film. McAvoy's performance is amazing in its brilliance. Tilda Swinton is magnificently evil, a trait that can only be found in the White Witch, like something chiseled out of ice (pun intended). Her performance is simply perfect. Neeson's voice as Aslan fills the theater with booming presence and deep resonance, yet its own calm and quiet assurance. I never knew that just a voice from such an accomplished actor could inhabit a CGI-created character so well, not to mention the superior animation of the character itself. However, the entire cast is sensational. Keynes, Popplewell, Moseley, Winstone, French, and others are almost as incredible as the film's best performances. The kids are not confused or disoriented about what they must do, they just do it because they know it's inevitable. The Witch just oozes with so much evil that even the words I am using in this review cannot describe it. Another cast memeber that I must mention specifically is Jim Broadbent as Professor Digory Kirke. He is the only character on this side of the wardrobe (besides the kids) that has truly great acting talent. I see the Professor as the Earthly version of Aslan, at least to the children. He is their guidance, their strength. It is really Peter and Susan's discussion with him that shows them that you do not have to do anything but believe. Listen for Rupert Everett in a small but heroic role as the Fox, watch for James Cosmo as Father Christmas. One last comment on the acting - I am always floored by how well the mannerisms, dialogue, and characters of the four main cast members matches up with their older counterparts. Also surprising is how fantastic the acting talents of the actors and actresses that played the older versions of the children are, even though they do not have long screen time. Definitely one of the greatest sequences in the film is the battle between the Narnians and the forces of the Witch. I adore the fight between Peter and the Witch. LOVE the scene where she attempts to remove his head from his shoulders. However, the true greatest confrontation is Aslan and the Witch. Ultimate Good vs. Ultimate Evil. And, if you believe in the allegories between the Chronicles of Narnia and the Holy Word of God (like myself), this last scene shall have special meaning for you. All in all, a beautiful film that everyone will enjoy.




SPECIAL FEATURES
Bloopers
Discover Narnia Fun Facts (Optional trivia pop-ups throughout movie)
Audio Commentary with director Andrew Adamson, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley
Audio Commentary with director Andrew Adamson, producer Mark Johnson, and production designer Roger Ford





Also Recommended: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)






THIS REVIEW IS DEDICATED TO ANYONE, LIVING OR DEAD, INVOLVED IN THE PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE "CHRONICLES OF NARNIA" UNIVERSE.

Enough to make C.S. Lewis proud!
This first installment in the "Narnia" series may be the best action/adventure movie ever made. Aside from some minor changes, the movie stays remarkably close to C.S. Lewis's original novel. The only real differences are that the movie goes into more detail than the book in places, but it always works. (For example, the climactic battle in the movie is a huge, major scene, where as the book only devotes a couple paragraphs of retrospect to it.) Even book purists should love this movie.

The Wackness
Why watch Narnia when you can watch the Wizard Of Oz? They are basically the same movie, lost souls searching for themselves and a better world. The only difference is Wizard Of Oz is a timeless magical tale and there are flying monkies instead of Narnia's talking wolves. Narnia lumbers along with computer generated talking animals that look fake beyond belief. They talk like psycho adults bumbling around like fools on a mission. I'm sure it's great for children, this really is a children's film in the end. The enchantment is missing from this film. instead we get harsh winter scenes and a nasty war towards the end. I never finished the rest of the film, it had me dozing off so I shut it down before the war, I assume. If you want to see good fantasy films I would recommend The Wizard Of Oz, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy or even The Others. Narnia just didn't hit me over the head.