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| The Chronicles Of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe [2005] | ![The Chronicles Of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GG1J0SHEL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Andrew Adamson
Actors: Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Sophie Winkleman, Liam Neeson
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £20.99
Buy New: £3.98
You Save: £17.01 (81%)
New (18) Collectible (1) from £3.48
Avg. Customer Rating:  49 reviews
Sales Rank: 103
Format: Dubbed, Pal, Widescreen
Languages: Danish (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Hindi (Subtitled), Norwegian (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Danish (Dubbed), Hindi (Dubbed), Norwegian (Dubbed)
Rating: Parental Guidance
Running Time: 137 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 8717418086527
ASIN: B000EPE7AU
Theatrical Release Date: 2005
Release Date: April 3, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 "You are giving me your life and saving no one. So much for love." May 12, 2006
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
The Pevensie family must split-up due to the war and the children go to the country for safety. There Lucy while playing a game of "Hide-and-seek" discovers an old wardrobe in a spare room. There upon entering stumble into the country of Narnia. The story begins.
If you come at this film with no preconceptions or knowledge of the writer or writing. And of course did not see the BBC production, than you could almost perceive this film tale as a mild "Lord of the rings." We have the cultural classic coming of age journey that requires sacrifice and a new understanding of life.
The original BBC production truer to the story was of course lower budget and would appeal to a different audience. I think Disney adjusted this film to match their perceived audience.
The book which is a classic also has a following. However I must say that I think that C.S. Lewis's fictional works are a pail reflection of his other works.
I did find the film fun to watch especially after viewing the voiceover commentaries that told what they were trying to accomplish including the "Potty Mouth Bucket". And this was a good selection of character actors. The sets had great depth and care taken. Yet this is an interpretation of a book that is bay an author that is not the best at fiction and should in no way be compared with other works either book or movie. Dismay is trying to portray the essence of the story, not make a block buster action CGI film. In those contents this movie was well done.
Watch for "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" (2007)
As a side note I own wardrobe similar although not as large as the one displayed in the movie. So foe the only being that have been lost in it are my cats.
****1/2 - charming and poignant May 8, 2006
6 out of 11 found this review helpful
This 127-minute live-action version of Clive Staples Lewis' classic fairy tale is colourful and impressive, and the young actors and actresses perform very well. At 32 I would have liked a bit more grit and realism, perhaps, but Lewis wasn't Tolkien, and this is a children's story first and (I suppose) foremost. Most of the casualties are monsters of some kind, and there is very little blood - even on just-used swords, which annoyed me a little. But these details changes do less to make the film unsuitable to adults, and more to simply invite children to join its viewership, and from the viewpoint of a European, at least, "The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe" is a wonderful fairy tale for anyone from the age of eight or there about. Some scenes are certainly frightening, but the overall tone is far less dark than, say, "The Lord Of The Rings".
Tilda Swinton is radiant and charismatic as Jadis, the White Witch, and Liam Neeson voices Aslan the Lion with warmth and just the right amount of otherwordly dignity. Little Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie) displays more acting chops at nine than many highly-paid actresses at thirty, and Scotsman James MacAvoy is a charming and quite British Mr Tumnus.
The Christian subtext has perhaps been toned down a little here and there, but it is still very palpable, especially in the...well, in one particular scene. If you are on of the two or three hundred people in the English-speaking who don't know the story, I'm not going to ruin it for you.
If I am to complain a little bit (and I am), I'll say that certain scenes feel a bit rushed, like Lucy's meeting with the faun and Edmund's first encounter with the White Witch. This is one movie which could have used that extra half-hour of playing time that so many movies get for no good reason whatsoever. But the overall impression? Great stuff. Touching, thrilling, charming, and not as Disneyfied as I had feared.
A CLassic Blockbuster is born !! May 7, 2006
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
C.S Lewis's Narnian Chronicles have fascinated me since I was at school.Especially The Lion Witch and The Wadrobe and Prince Caspian.This Walt Disney -Walden Media production is well over deferred. I did find this somewhat dissapointing as the dialogue quite poor and cheesy in many cases and the acting weak , besides young Lucy's touching performance, Tilda Swinton as the witch was brilliant yet could have been more powerful and evil , The great Lion Aslan however was faultless yet more emphasis could have been given on his magic and command. The atmosphere of the Narnian ice age was superb and quite gothic , the digital images and soundtrack spot on.It's worth comparing this for future referance to the late 80's BBC series Narnian Chronicles, these were superior in being closer to the book, acting and dialogue better, however it lacked the hollywood funds for digital effects and the talking animals were ridiculous humans in pantomine attire. Also if this has bowled you over and you can't be bothered to read all of the C.S Lewis Chronicles. Amazon do an excellent audio book BBC series. If you havent seen this blockbuster get it ,It's good, the only drawback was it missing out to King Kong in 2006's Oscars.
Great yet somewhat childish May 1, 2006
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
There's no question about it; as for a children's story, it's geat, with as usual fantastic, brittish young actors. And the environment in Narnia is marvelously sculptured by CGI with more human-like touch than the standard digital FX. Still, a few doubts and lapses in details compared to CS. Lewis books...
First of all, having Santa Clause bring the swords and other gifts to the children feels like an overkill to a great story. "So, you tell us the Narnians, on top of suffering from an eternal winter and the terror-reign of the snow witch, haven't even been able to share X-mas gifts under a decorated tree for a 100 years? What about the thanxgiving- turkey?" That supposed to make the target group more empathic to the story-line? Loose up on those embarrasing "family values", please!
Secondly, the mind-boggling mystery of the handkerchief. Lucy gives it to the faun, the faun for some reason gives it to the beaver, who returns it to Lucy. Then, the faun is somehow able to return it once more to her. Now, I know the laws of physics work differently in Narnia (the street light tree, arbus traficialis?, for instance), but this handkerchief logistics bewilders me. Was there like a deleted scene (to be included in later directors's cut version) where Lucy gave it back to the faun again? And what's wrong with this handkerchief anyway since noone would want to keep it?
Finally, I wonder what the professor's maid will have to say about the cricket (not baseball!) broken window, but that is a "good" loose end which in itself is enough to eagerly await the sequel!
 Ordinary April 30, 2006
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
I respectfully disagree with the viewer who said that this was better than the book. With the book, you can view things with the eye of your imagination, and the imagination can accept many things - such as a couple of kids in armour on horseback and with zero sword-fighting experience leading an army of animals into battle. This was just too silly for words. Unfortunately, the world of Narnia is just not as interesting as Tolkien's Middle Earth (it's interesting to see the echoes of the "Rings" cycle in some of the images in "Narnia"). For me, in spite of marvellous visual effects and good acting by the kids involved, "Narnia" simply doesn't come off.
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