The Pevensie children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) are evacuated from London during the Blitz and sent to live with a professor and his housekeeper. While playing hide-and-seek, Lucy steps into a wardrobe and discovers Narnia, a magical land filled with mythical creatures and talking animals. She befriends Mr. Tumnus, a timid faun. Tumnus explains about Narnia, and how it is always cold because of the White Witch. Though he is supposed to turn Lucy over to the White Witch, he can't do this to his new friend, so he guides her back to the lamppost where they first met so she can return home.
Lucy's siblings don't believe her story. It isn't until they are all forced to hide in the wardrobe to escape the professor's mean housekeeper, that they enter Narnia together. This sets them on an adventure that none of them would ever have believed if they hadn't experienced it for themselves.
I made a point to read some of the Amazon reviews of this DVD prior to writing my review. As someone who hasn't read the books yet, my opinion is bound to be different from many of them. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe impressed me with its special effects, the lush landscape, and action scenes. We first meet the Pevensies as they are rushing to the shelter during the bombing of London.
William Moseley plays the oldest brother, Peter. With their father fighting in the war, Peter is trying to act like the man of the house. He instantly clashes with his younger brother, Edmund (Skandar Keynes), who is missing his father and not thrilled about Peter trying to take his place--especially when he tells Edmund what to do. Susan (Anna Popplewell) is a beautiful, smart girl and the second oldest Pevensie child. As her character moves along, we see that Susan appreciates logic and has a gentle heart. She seems to be the peacemaker when the siblings fight, but she tends to be a bit hard on Peter. Lucy, played so well by Georgie Henley, is innocent and open to new experiences. She is more curious than afraid when she enters Narnia for the first time and immediately befriends Mr. Tumnus. She is seeking for what she, as such a young girl, can contribute to help Aslan and Narnia. Her youth leads her to easily believe all that Aslan tells her.
After reading some of the Amazon reviews--many that compared the book to the movie--I can say it doesn't surprise me if Hollywood dealt with the Christian aspects of the book in a more subtle way; but a Christian viewer would be hard pressed to miss the allegories. One thing I felt was missing, however, is an explanation as to why the Pevensies were sent to Professor Kirke's house. It bothered me throughout the movie, and in the times since, when I watched the DVD at home. Who is this professor? What link does he have to the children? A simple few words at the train station between the children and their mother would have explained why they were being sent there instead of somewhere else.
The DVD contains extras like bloopers and commentaries, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Close to the books or not, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of my favorite contemporary films. While I thought a PG-13 rating would have been better considering all the fight scenes and the epic battle at the end, my girls who are younger than that enjoyed the film too.
DVD Product Details:
Actors: Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes, Anna Popplewell
Directors: Andrew Adamson
Writers: Andrew Adamson, Ann Peacock, C.S. Lewis, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Producers: Andrew Adamson, David Minkowski
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS 5.1), French (Unknown), Spanish (Unknown)
Subtitles: Spanish, French
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
DVD Release Date: April 4, 2006
Run Time: 143 minutes
ASIN: B000E8M0VA
SRP: $19.99
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