Customer Reviews
Wonderful story but... 
2007-10-21
I wanted to give this film five stars just for the wonderful story, but there are so many flaws that I had subtract one. Actually I'd give the story six stars and subtract two for all of the flaws!
I did like the actors, especially the two girls. The younger one, Lucy, has a childish glee that was heartwarming. The older one, Susan, was very sweet and pretty and gave a sober, believable performance. The boys were ordinary. The greatest performance in my opinion was that of the White Witch---best witch I've ever seen! I loved the kindly voice of Aslan, the God-Lion, too.
Personally I found the costumes of the animals to be grotesque. I read here that C.S.Lewis didn't want the book made into a film for just that reason. Probably it would be possible to create nicer looking animals--these were really unpleasant to look at. The faun, too. As others have mentioned the special effects were primitive, nothing that we're used to now, but that didn't bother me too much.
It was very long, since it was made for a TV series. I fast-forwarded through part of it. It's an earnest attempt to recreate the magic of the book and it succeeds in part.
The Definitive Journey Into the Wardrobe 
2007-10-18
When the BBC made its version of the Chronicles of Narnia,they were short on special effects,but more than compensated by being full of the books' spirit. They are true to CS Lewis' whimsy and fairytale sense. In a way,it is reminiscent of children playing dress-up; it doesn't deserve an epic treatment. Lewis wanted a homestyle fairytale for children to teach them the Christian story.
Barbara Kellerman is equal parts menace and seduction as the White Witch. Ronald Pickup gives nobility to his voicing of the Christ-figure,Aslan. The children actors are believeable and sympathetic,especially the ones who portray Lucy and Edmund. The children are more dominant characters than Aslan-we care more about their struggles than his-but that's the way Lewis wrote them.
The BBC did not dilute the story's Christian message like the Disney version. The Disney version expurgated the references to "The Emperor Across the Sea" (the God the Father figure),as well as the meaning of Aslan's sacrifice and the writing on the Stone Table. In the Disney version,Peter and Edmund retreat when battling the White Witch,until the resurrected Aslan returns deus ex machina. In the BBC version,the resurrected Aslan leads Peter and Edmund into battle,true to the story. In the Disney version,the Fox is an action hero;in the BBC version,he is turned to stone for celebrating Christmas. The Disney version changed Father Christmas as well..his speech to Lucy and Susan about the unseemliness of women in battle is gone. The BBC retained this,keeping Lewis' views on women intact.
The BBC's "The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe" is a perfect movie for the Christmas season. In an increasingly secular world in which it is "always winter,never Christmas",this movie still has a timely message.
Oldie but goodie..... 2007-05-31
I grew up watching the BBC versions of C.S. Lewis' books and was never disappointed. Sure, they could've used a bigger budget and all the special effects technology we can put to use today, but I think they did brilliantly with what they had. I was actually disappointed when I went to see the "newer" version in the theater....seems to lack some of the heart and soul that I loved.
Could use more illustrations 
2007-04-28
A bit of cheap shot. Try for another version with illustrations.
The Great Lion Would be Pleased 2007-03-07
Preface: Even though I have already reviewed this series as a whole ( sometime ago now), I felt the need to write about each individual film in the series to give them the detailed critiques they deserve. 1: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. This was the first film in the series, made in 1988 and aired on the BBC1 as a sixpart, thirty-minute-each series. It's true this film is now almost twenty years old and at some points it shows but let's go over the long 'goods' list first. The acting really is very good with the four child actors charming but at the same time capable of showing great emotion and characterization and Barbara Kellerman giving a suitably evil if slightly over-the-top performance as the White Witch. 'Big Mick' is wildly entertaing as the little man who drves her slege and despite the obvious costume ( it does still look good), Martin Stone's performance as Maugrim the wolf makes the character seem animalistic. Of course there's Jeffery Perry as Mr. Tumnus the faun who, along with the other repressed residents of narnia is well design with intricicate costuming and makeup and and highly mythical feel. None of the cast is particularly well known ( even in Britain) other than Michael Aldridge who is wonderful as the professer and Ronald Pickup, whom you may recognize from othe British programs as the voice of Aslan (incidentally, one reviewer I read had a problem with Pickup's portayl and I can't understand why because Aslan is truly one of the best things about this production and looks more real than Disney's.) This flows well into my next good thing. The live-action actors have wonderful, beautifully well-done costumes, hair and makeup and each section- dwarfs, fauns, dryads and nydads, talking animals- seem to have mythological looks and battle skills of their own. The sets and scenery are great too! From the proffessor's old country home to the barren, winter wasitland of the White Witch's Narnia, to the cramped dwellings and simple dwellings of Tumnus and the Beavers, the film is visually pleasing to the eye that does not look for huge-scale FX. By the way as for one reviewer who noted that many of the indoor sets/props looked made up of things foud around the house- is it not natural that an indoor set of HOUSE should have common household objects? and just because everything may not have been specially crafted like in modern films, does not mean it looks bad, rather I find it all cosy and pleasing to the eye, especially the Beavers' house. While were at it the statue effects were pretty realistic and Maugrim's face appearing on the letter Peter reads about Tumnus' arrest is still breathtaking. I also thought the green-screen flying sequence was reasonably well-done for 1980s TV and the camera trickery and other techniques used for the giants in the queen's courtyard were extremley well done. Also of note is the scene where the witch falls off of the cliff when Asland shakes it roaring- it' s by far the best part of the battle, which was all things considered pretty exiting. Sure there are some questionable creature-cartoons but at least the animation is remotley likeable. Overall, 4/5- great BBC TV Serial.
C.S. Lewis fan 2007-01-22
Lucy, Peter, Susan, and Edmund find themselves transported to the enchanted world of Narnia after wandering into an old wardrobe in a countryside estate. In Narnia the children discover an evil White Witch who has turned her enemies to stone and placed permanent winter over all the land. According to legend, the brave children are to be lead by Aslan the Great Lion to destroy the witch and transform Narnia back into the paradise it was meant to be. But the evil witch has plans of her own.
Susan and Lucy have style! 2007-01-04
This movie was sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo awesome! Wow! Now, I'll start with the cast Sophie Cook who played Susan was so loveable and heart warming. Her turquoise hair ribbon was so cool. Lucy was very happy, and cheered my heart. I love the scene where she was with Mr. Tumnus. Well, bye and I love this so much, and I Will remember everyone. Oh, yes Aslan was so cute in the collosal puppet suit. I just want to kiss him. Well it's my bedtime, bye Narnia
wonderfull for children 2006-08-17
superb
This is a captivating and memorable dramatic tale which teaches basic good vs evil morality to small children in a way they remember and understand. Older children and adults can understand it more deeply and the story's ultimate message is profound. There is no superfluous violence, no excessive special effects or scenes unsuitable for children. This is not like the many Disney "childrens" movies which turn out to be PG rated. Why can't Hollywood make movies like this?
A Faithful Retelling of The Lion,and the Witch,and the Wardrobe 2006-06-19
The seven Chronicles of Narnia written by C.S Lewis sold more than one hundred copies. The first film adaption of the first book, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was a television movie made by Bill Melendrez who also made Sesame Street. It was good, but not as decent as other cartoons I have seen. I was somewhat disapointed that they did not show Father Christmas. The Rankin/Bass cartoons have far better drama and backgrounds. Still, just because it isn't my favorite movie, doesn't mean it is bad. A live-action version of the first book was finally made in 1988. The live-action The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is a BBC and WonderWorks production, directed by Marilyn Fox, produced by Paul Stone, and dramatised by Alan Seymour. Unfortunately, the BBC Version has poor special effects and sets. Fortunately, it is a faithful adaptation of the book, and it has good acting, especially the professor and Lucy. Aslan, the great Lion, is magniciently voiced by Ronald Pickup. The White Witch is a little overdone with her acting, but apart from that is fine. The Christian tones of the book are emphasized or else it would not be faithful to the book. C.S Lewis said that the Narnia books were Christian paralells, not Christian allegories. He said everything began with images, such as the faun and the witch. His idea of Aslan came when he was having dreams about lions. This is around the time he became a Christian. The film has beautiful scenery, rather like that of the Laurentians in Quebec, although it was actually shot in rural England and Wales. Cair Paravel was located next to the Atlantic Coast in Wales. The five stars rating is more of a personal opinion than anything else. I don't mind the occasionally weak special effects and sets. I first began to watch to watch the movie at a youth group, but unfortunately it was stopped because some of the smaller children were scared of the White Witch. I was disapointed, because the moment I began to watch it, I knew how wonderful it was going to be for me.I found it at the library and watched the rest of it. It is one of my very favorite movies.
Not the best version of "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" 2006-05-15
It followed the storyline very well, and the cast wasn't bad. However, it wasn't smart to make this movie at the time they made it. The 80's and early 90's didn't have the special effects that we have today. The scenery wasn't too good and the battle wasn't exciting at all. Also, it's not smart to have actors were animal costumes. It's too childish.
