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Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (The)
R1 - America - Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Tom Williams & Noor Razzak (19th December 2006). |
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The Film
 The film adaptation of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" from the children's classic book by C.S. Lewis was always a somewhat risky proposition, but director Andrew Adamson does more than make the story work on the big screen- he makes it very good. The road Adamson takes in making the film involves fleshing out some of the missing details of the novel, such as characterisation, as well as adding more believable interactions and detailed action sequences. Perhaps the most important thing to notice about Adamson's changes is that they perform that rare task of improving upon the subject matter. His attempts to give depth to the characters of the Pevensie children give the film a greater element of realism- if such a thing can be said for a film with a talking lion as its centre point. Edmund's (Skandar Keynes) character is given particular care, although all the children receive a little attention. Edmund is transformed from a child who simply seems to delight in doing wrong in a family of essentially well brought up children into a scared boy who misses his father, with any boy's propensity and capacity for trouble, who greatly resents the new authority his elder brother seems to have acquired. Peter (William Moseley) is likewise given new depth as authority is thrust upon him along with responsibility no longer for just his family, but that encompasses an entirely new world. Lucy (Georgie Henley) is more or less the same character as in Lewis' book, as she was always the most fleshed out of the four, but sadly Susan (Anna Popplewell) is left rather two-dimensional in the film, given the position of what can best be described as doubter. It is also noticeable that the work gone in to the characters and the worlds of the movie come at a price- the film is a hefty two and a quarter hours long, which is possibly more time than it takes to read the book. The length helps contribute to a more epic feeling, which is worthwhile insofar as the Narnia franchise could well be made into more movies, but conflicts with the personal view of Narnia we are given. As we rarely leave the children for any length of time, there is little sympathy for the other inhabitants of Narnia- indeed, until the children come to camp and see their army, you could be forgiven for thinking there might only be a half dozen inhabitants of the country. This is perhaps the biggest flaw of the film- the disjointed feeling between a character study of children who have already had their characters fleshed out about as much as they can and the epic fight for freedom that the battle scenes represent. The action scenes and special effects are, by and large, done well. The few noticeably poorly done special effects are jarring, but largely because of two reasons: The world of Narnia required an enormous investment in effects to create its unreal landscapes and inhabitants. Especially well done are the land effects such as the Stone Table set and the White Witch's castle. Special mention too has to go to Tilda Swinton, who performs incredibly as Jadis, The White Witch. Her performance is extremely polished, with a delivery that absolutely cements the White Witch's inhumanity, malice and lust for power. Her foil, the mighty lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) is inspiring and realistic- in fact, one of the few well made CGI animals in the film. The supporting productions- set, costuming, characters etc. – are in fact generally of such a high standard that they dwarf the somewhat patchy story and characterisation. The film adaptation of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" was an ambitious project which unfortunately did not quite meet standards in some areas, acting perhaps somewhat as a test project for upcoming movies in the franchise. This said, it is still deeply enjoyable and certainly an adequate adaptation of its source material, which was fairly sparse as far as detail was concerned anyway. Patchy acting and special effects do not undermine what is still an excellent movie for children or adults who grew up reading the books. This new Extended Edition includes 7 minutes of additional footage, the footage is all extensions to existing scenes, there are no new scenes. The additions include the following: - The new Walt Disney Pictures logo starts the film off. - At the train station, the kids saying goodbye to their mom has been extended by a several seconds. - While on the train, Lucy gives Edmund a doll who then hands it off to a younger child. - The scene when the children are running through the house looking for a place to hide after Edmund breaks a window with the cricket ball has been extended by several seconds. - When all four kids have crossed over to Narnia there are additional seconds of them admiring the scenery, and Susan makes a snow angel. - The trek to Beaver's house has also been added to and now includes slightly longer shots of the Beaver house, as well as a shot of Lucy noticing a frozen fish under the ice. - When Edmund is inside the White Witches castle his walk through the statues has been extended by around 15 seconds. - There is additional footage of the wolves searching for Beaver. - The transition from winter to spring has been extended, with additional shots of snow melting and plants popping up. - There is an extended scene of Susan learning to use her bow. - In the final battle the White Witch's approach has been extended a few seconds. - In the final battle we see the presence of bat creatures that do battle with the Gryphons. - In the final battle there are seconds of additional fight contact between the two sides as well as extensions to the Phoenix flying through the air and lighting the fire in the battlefield, as well as additional close ups and fight footage is also included. Overall these extensions will go largely unnoticed, these scenes don't really change or alter the film in any major way and don't really add anything either, I was rather disappointed that there were no new scenes and hoped for much more.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1 and this anamorphic widescreen image is a solid effort. Much like the previous 2-disc release the transfer here is another beautiful depiction of the film, the image is detailed and displays a stunning array of colors and depth. Blacks are bold and shadow detail is impeccable. Skin tones are spot on an there was no evidence of color bleed or other problems such as dirt, edge-enhancement or compression issues.
Audio
Four tracks are included on this film, an English DTS 5.1 track as well as an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Home Theater Mix, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the film with its DTS track. Much like the previous release this soundtrack is spectacular, the track is aggressive and totally immersive, exhibiting a depth and range that far exceeds my expectations. From dialogue to the multitude of animals and creatures that inhabit the world to the direction and special effects created this one dynamic sound mix that gets my vote for one of the best of the year. Optional subtitles are also included in English for the hearing impaired, French and Spanish.
Extras
Buena Vista Home Entertainment has provided fans with a collection of extras spanning 4-discs that includes 2 audio commentaries, bloopers, a fact track, several documentaries are thrown in as well as many featurettes, also included in the set are some trailers. Below is a closer look at these supplements broken down per disc. DISC ONE: The extras on this first disc are the same extras seen on the previously released 2-disc set, with the exception of a new introduction by the film's director. The commentaries have been ported over and extended to the length of this new cut, you'll notice some quiet moments throughout the film which features additional footage. The following review of extras has been copied over from the previous review of the 2-disc set, since my thoughts on them haven't changed: First up we have a new video introduction from the film's director Andrew Adamson which runs for 23 seconds. In this intro Adamson welcomes us to this new extended cut. There are two feature-length audio commentary tracks for the film, which are always welcome additions. Both feature director Andrew Adamson, firstly accompanied by the child actors William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley who oscillate frequently between amusing and irritating as they discuss their experiences on the set. It's hard not to enjoy how much they enjoyed themselves and the company of each other- but if your fondness is not for children, the kids will likely annoy. The second audio commentary involves director Andrew Adamson along with the production designer Roger Ford and producer Mark Johnson, and consequently is of much greater interest to fans of the film or of film making in general. Given how much enjoyment there is to be had from the design of the film, the commentary is a pleasure to listen to. "The Bloopers of Narnia" featurette runs for 4 minutes 36 seconds and is a reel much like blooper reels we've seen elsewhere- possibly good for one watch, but really only if you enjoy endless smiles at the camera and dropped lines. Also on the disc is a "Discover Narnia" pop-up facts feature, which is fun in its way, popping up tidbits of information as the film progresses. The facts range from details in filming to facts on the creatures from the movie, and are generally interesting, if a little sparse. Given that this is the sort of feature to activate for a re-watch, a constant assault of facts would probably have been appropriate. As it is, there are many stretches without any trivia. Rounding out the extras on the first disc are a collection of start-up bonus trailers that include: - "Peter Pan: 2-disc Special Edition" which runs for 1 minute 35 seconds. - "Meet The Robinsons" which runs for 55 seconds. - "Disney Blu-ray" spot which runs for 53 seconds. DISC TWO: All the content on this second disc is exactly the same as previous seen on the 2-disc edition, below is the original review of these extras copied over here considering my thoughts on them haven't change: The second disc is comprehensive, and divides neatly into two thematic halves that match our world and the Narnian world element of the film itself. The features on the real people involved in making the movie include an extended look at C.S. Lewis which is entitled "From One Man's Mind" this featurette runs for 3 minutes 55 seconds and is very compelling, and yet misses some of the more interesting facets of his life and instead concentrates on those elements of his life that pertain to the movie, and the chronicles of Narnia in general. There are also documentaries on the director and his lead actors, although the first entitled "Chronicles of a Director" and runs for 37 minutes 45 seconds is more a "making-of" than an exercise in auteur theory featuring Adamson. The second documentary that focuses on the children is entitled "The Children's Magical Journey" and runs for 26 minutes 21 seconds. The time spent on the children is of limited interest, although it's nice to see that they apparently get on well. The features on the work that went in to creating the magic are more interesting, and emphasise the detail of the movie. Particularly interesting is "Cinematic Storytellers" with a total run time of 55 minutes and is divided into 8 featurettes, which looks at the efforts of eight of the people that worked in jobs as diverse as costume design and editing. The length of this feature helps to understand the amount of work that needs to be put in to create works on this scale, and also the importance of each individual member of a team on a film like this. The 8 featurettes that make up this section include: - "Richard Taylor, WETA Workshop" which runs for 6 minutes 34 seconds. - "Howard Berger, KNB Creature Shop" which runs for 5 minutes 26 seconds. - "Isis Mussenden, Costumes" which runs for 7 minutes 42 seconds. - "Roger Ford, Production Designer" which runs for 8 minutes 8 seconds. - "Don McAlpine, Director of Photography" which runs for 8 minutes 2 seconds. - "Sim Evan-Jones, Editor" which runs for 6 minutes 46 seconds. - "Harry Gregson-Williams, Music Composer" which runs for 6 minutes 23 seconds. - "Mark Johnson, Producer" which runs for 5 minutes 50 seconds. There are two sections of the disc focused on the creatures of Narnia, looking at either the inhabitants that Lewis thought up or the process of taking those beings from books and putting them into a movie. The feature on the character design shows a host of people and their input on important design elements such as the White Witch's many looks and the possibilities of a figure like Aslan. The two sections include: "Creating Creatures" this features 11 featurettes that total 53 minutes 15 seconds and includes a 'play all' function. The individual featurettes are: - "White Witch" which runs for 7 minutes 20 seconds. - "Aslan" which runs for 9 minutes 38 seconds. - "Tumnus" which runs for 7 minutes 14 seconds. - "Wolves" which runs for 3 minutes 53 seconds. - "Centaurs" which runs for 5 minutes 55 seconds. - "Minotaurs" which runs for 4 minutes 6 seconds. - "Ankle Slicers" which runs for 1 minute 30 seconds. - "Ginarrbrik" which runs for 2 minutes 9 seconds. - "Beavers" which runs for 5 minutes 49 seconds. - "Satyrs" which runs for 2 minutes 34 seconds. - "Goblins" which runs for 3 minutes 5 seconds. The second section as noted above focuses on the Creatures, Lands and Legends and includes the "Creatures of the World" that features 11 more featurettes that total 14 minutes 14 seconds. Although brief these clips included a fair amount of information that will likely please fans, especially if viewed as one whole rather than individually. Much like the previous section this also includes a 'play all' function and includes: - "White Witch" which runs for 1 minute 26 seconds. - "Aslan" which runs for 1 minute 27 seconds. - "Tumnus" which runs for 1 minute. - "Wolves" which runs for 1 minute 15 seconds. - "Centaurs" which runs for 1 minute 20 seconds. - "Minotaurs" which runs for 1 minute 22 seconds. - "Ankle Slicers" which runs for 1 minute 8 seconds. - "Ginarrbrik" which runs for 1 minute 27 seconds. - "Beavers" which runs for 1 minute 15 seconds. - "Satyrs" which runs for 1 minute. - "Goblins" which runs for 1 minute 15 seconds. Next up is the "Anatomy of a Scene: The Melting River" which runs for 11 minutes 30 seconds. This feature focuses on one of the original creations for the film- a scene in which a frozen river begins melting. Very little is surprising, but the detail of the feature from concept to post-production makes it worthwhile, especially since the entire scene is essentially inspired by a single passage in the original text. "Explore Narnia" an interactive map and "Legends in Time" time line are two interactive features let you explore the space and time of Narnia, though they tend towards the pretty rather than the informative- with the exception of a coda to the final battle in the time line feature. DISC THREE: A single documentary is included on this disc entitled "C.S. Lewis: Dreamer of Narnia" and runs for 75 minutes 39 seconds. This feature-length piece is a biography on the author and spans his life and career. The feature is presented much like Lewis telling us a story, and the story is his life. It covers the beloved author's real life inspirations for the stories of Narnia along with the themes that run through the stories. The documentary covers his childhood, religious beliefs, his war time experience as well as his forays into writing and teaching English. The feature includes interviews with many people including his grandson. DISC FOUR: The major extra on this disc is the fantastic "Visualizing The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" which runs a whopping 140 minutes 10 seconds, this runs through the entire film and is introduced by the film's producer Mark Johnson (this intro lasts 1 minute 12 seconds). This feature is a comprehensive look at how a fantasy film such as this is developed, designed, built and completed. Throughout this piece you'll see split screen references to concept artwork, storyboards, pre-viz sequences, raw elements and shot footage as well as the completed footage as seen in the film, these various elements are accompanied by technical interviews with the creative team that includes the director, cinematographer, editor, special effects crew, costume and make-up crew, etc. This extensive and well produced feature allows the audience to witness the challenges the film crew had to overcome in bringing this classic story to the big screen and is one of the best extras ever produced for a DVD collection. Next is "Anatomy of a Scene: Behind the Battle" featurette which runs for 7 minutes 45 seconds, this is an in-depth look at how the final battle was shot on location in New Zealand, it looks at the logistics, the filming, the make-up and CG effects that were created to make the battle scene broad in scope. Finally the disc also includes 3 galleries entitled "Art of Narnia" this includes the following: - "Concept Art" which features 91 stills of artwork created for the film. - "Landscapes" which features 35 stills of landscape artwork that helps visualize Narnia. - "Maquettes" which features 53 stills of the various maquettes created for the film. The packaging states that a booklet is also included but there wasn't one to be found in this set.
Packaging
This Extended Edition DVD is packaged in a 4-disc digi-pack case housed in a handsome silver slip-case.
Overall
This 4-disc collection is a stunning set which enough extras to make any fan happy, the Extended Cut of the film was a dissapointment in the sense that the additional footage doesn't really add anything to the film. If you don't already have this film then this is the version to get, if you already have the 2-disc then it's up to you whether you want to spend the extra money to double-dip for the additional features. Note that a Gift Set is also available which includes some bookend statues.
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