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ARTICLE
DVD Review: The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Special Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (2005)
by R.J. Carter Published: April 2, 2006
Rating: Country: USA Release Date: April 4, 2006 Distributor: Disney Pictures and Walden Media Director: · Andrew Adamson Cast: · Georgie Henley · Skandar Keynes · William Moseley · Anna Popplewell · Tilda Swinton · James McAvoy · Jim Broadbent · Liam Neeson · Ray Winstone · Dawn French · Rupert Everett · Douglas Gresham Related Sites: ·IMDb: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ·CinemaSpider: The Chronicles of Narnia
Grade: A+
C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia have always had a special attraction for me. I first encountered them while in the fifth grade, where I had a teacher fortunate enough to read from them (and from Where the Red Fern Grows) as part of our studies. He had all seven of the Narnia adventures in a little cardboard box.
Before the year was up, I had read the series multiple times, start to finish. And though I had been reading from quite the early age, it was this moment where I can pinpoint that I wanted to do more than simply read books. I was infected with the creative process, the world building germ of which C.S. Lewis was a carrier.
So when I first saw they were turning the books into a movie (yet again), my first thoughts were: "Do this project right or don't do it at all."
Andrew Adamson and company -- you've done it right, and beyond right.
By now millions of children are familiar with the adventures of the Pevensie children -- Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter -- who find their way through an enchanted wardrobe and into a land of magical creatures, dangerous situations, and life-changing moral lessons. Yes, moral lessons, for C.S. Lewis -- one of the leaders of Christian apologetics -- infused all his stories with underlying themes from his faith, making them subtle little parables. There can be little mistaking the allegories between Aslan's sacrifice and return, and Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, and that's only the most obvious one.
Mr. Tumnus greets Lucy, who is unaware that he's up to
some 'fauny' business. L-R: James McAvoy, Georgie Henley
This film is, to my mind, one of the most faithful book-to-screen adaptations ever created. In many of the featurettes, the filmmakers commented that their goal was to make Narnia real -- not a dream, not a fantasy, but a real world that you would believe you could go visit if you were the next to find yourself entering the enchanted corridor between hither and yon. Their painstaking details have succeeded beyond this viewer's wildest imaginings, providing widescreen excitement that parallels Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" adaptations. (Jackson's battles may have been larger, but Adamson's somehow feel more actual.) Knowing the plot forward and backward detracts nothing from the enjoyment of this film, as the two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve stumble into a prophecy of freeing Narnia from the forever-winter that the White Witch has thrown the land into. (One wonders if the director ever caught the irony that he, an Adam-son, was selected to be the one to see the process through to fruition?) The CGI is superior to 95% of what has come before; the voice acting by Ray Winstone and Dawn French as Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, as well as a Patrick Stewart-esque performance by Liam Neeson as Aslan, truly make the film a delight. And, as a nice touch, Douglas Gresham is given a voice part as a radio announcer. (For the many who don't do the trivia thing, Mr. Gresham is C.S. Lewis's stepson.)
This two-disc collector's edition is jam-packed with a plethora of background material -- enough to keep Narnia and movie buffs entertained for hours beyond the feature film. There's a mini-bio of C.S. Lewis, a pair of lengthy and informative behind-the-scenes featurette from the crew and cast perspectives, and a series of singular interviews with everyone who had a distinctive hand in the creative process. Interactively, there is a map of Narnia that provides 3-D flyovers of areas followed by clips of what occurs there in the film. There are two views of the creatures of Narnia -- one from the character side, one from the creation side -- with a special wardrobe icon that serves as a shortcut between the two. And there's a side-by-side timeline to show how many things can happen in Narnia compared to the few events occurring in the Professor's house in England -- a keen object lesson in time relativity.
Finally, I should mention that some of the bonus features are not electronic ones. The case stores two pieces of concept art -- postcard-sized pieces with some nicely done paintings on very sturdy stock. The packaging itself is a foldout box with velcro snaps that reveal an interior designed to look like the wardrobe, with a die-cut window. When you pull the plastic case out of the sleeve, this removes the "door" from the wardrobe border, revealing a shot of Lucy standing by the lamp post in the snow.
Few feature films get such a treatment, either in the quality of the film itself or the abundance of bonus features that get added to the DVD release. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" easily gets my vote for best DVD feature release for 2006.
Previews on this set include "The Little Mermaid", "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest", and "Glory Road". Additional selectable previews include "Eight Below", "Cars", "Brother Bear 2", "Airbuddies", ABC's Lost, and Walt Disney World's "Expedition Everest" attraction. The setup menu allows for a selection of audio from English 5.1 Home Theater Mix, English 5.1 DTS, French, and Spanish, with optional subtitles in English, French, Spanish. Presented in 2.35:1 widescreen format, enhanced for 16x9 televisions.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Disc Guide
Disc One
Main Feature
Audio commentary with Director and Cast
Audio commentary with Director and Production Team
Pop up text commentary: "Discover Narnia Fun Facts"
