Customer Reviews

Chronicles of Narnia - Silver Chair (1990)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Years before Walden Media debuted their big-budget version of "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," the BBC created their own Narnia Chronicles. Despite some goofy prosthetics and a shoestring budget, this is easily the best of the three movies, with excellent acting, pacing, and even some decent special effects.

The story opens at a trendy school that Eustace Scrubb attends. But a garden shed doorway leads Eustace and his bullied schoolmate Jill to Aslan's country. But after Eustace is almost killed because of Jill, the god-lion Aslan gives girl an assignment and four signs to follow. King Caspian is now an old, dying man with no heir to follow him, because his son was lured away by a strange serpentine temptress long ago.

Jill and Eustace team up with a gloomy Marshwiggle, Puddleglum, who serves as their guide as they go to north Narnia. Along the way they must deal with carnivorous giants, enormous bridges and bad weather. But the enigmatic signs that Aslan gave Jill are hard to follow -- and they soon find that the missing Prince is ensnared in a web of madness and magic.

Don't expect this to be a mere copy of the past two movies -- the Pevensies are nowhere to be seen, and old faves like Caspian, Aslan and Trumpkin only have cameos. Sure, they ride owls and hang out with giants. But this is a grimmer, darker story, with a cataclysmic finale and a tight, sometimes harrowing storyline.

The past two Narnia movies suffered from hokey special effects and some spotty acting. "The Silver Chair" cleans all that up, trimming the special effects edges and focusing on the more majestic sets, costumes and scripting. And for the most part, it's quite a success. Even the flashbacks to the queen's death and Rilian's disappearance are heartrending and quietly effective.

There are a few flaws -- for a paradise, Aslan's country looks pretty scrubby and brown. And the final battle with the Emerald Witch is downright silly, with a giant snake puppet twisting around on the floor. But the special effects are infinitely improved in this one, ranging from convincing giants to some genuinely harrowing moments on a giant bridge.

Lewis had become a bit less hamhanded with the allegory and Christian symbolism by this time. Instead, he gives jabs at anything-goes attitudes and nihilism. Additionally, he creates one of the most intense and outstanding scenes of the entire Chronicles, with the Witch playing elaborate brain games with Rilian and the kids, slowly convincing them that all they know and believe is a lie -- including the sun and the world above ground.

Thwaites and Power both give excellent, understated performances as two kids who bicker constantly, but really care about each other, and Tom Baker (of "Dr Who" fame) is glorious as the perpetually pessimistic Marshwiggle. Barbara Kellerman, alas, is still hamming it up, with lots of over-the-top laughter, screeching, cooing and snarling.

Despite Kellerman and some primitive CGI, "The Silver Chair" is probably the best of the three BBC Narnia movies, with its darker storyline and excellent lead acting.

In the December, C.S. Lewis's "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" will follow in the footsteps of Lewis' pal Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings Trilogy," with a gleaming new big-screen adaptation, full of top-notch CGI, costumes and settings.

In the months before it's released, however, it might be time to dust off the 1990 BBC adaptation of "The Silver Chair," one of several sequels to that first book of Lewis's. Despite some goofy prosthetics and more hammy witches, this is easily the best of the three movies, with excellent acting, pacing, and even some decent special effects.

The story opens at a trendy school that Eustace Scrubb attends. But a garden shed doorway leads Eustace and his bullied schoolmate Jill to Aslan's country. But after Eustace is almost killed because of Jill, the god-lion Aslan gives girl an assignment and four signs to follow. King Caspian is now an old, dying man with no heir to follow him, because his son was lured away by a strange serpentine temptress long ago.

Jill and Eustace team up with a gloomy Marshwiggle, Puddleglum, who serves as their guide as they go to north Narnia. Along the way they must deal with carnivorous giants, enormous bridges and bad weather. But the enigmatic signs that Aslan gave Jill are hard to follow -- and they soon find that the missing Prince is ensnared in a web of madness and magic.

Don't expect this to be a mere copy of the past two movies -- the Pevensies are nowhere to be seen, and old faves like Caspian, Aslan and Trumpkin only have cameos. Sure, they ride owls and hang out with giants. But this is a grimmer, darker story, with a cataclysmic finale and a tight, sometimes harrowing storyline.

The past two Narnia movies suffered from hokey special effects and some spotty acting. "The Silver Chair" cleans all that up, trimming the special effects edges and focusing on the more majestic sets, costumes and scripting. And for the most part, it's quite a success. Even the flashbacks to the queen's death and Rilian's disappearance are heartrending and quietly effective.

There are a few flaws -- for a paradise, Aslan's country looks pretty scrubby and brown. And the final battle with the Emerald Witch is downright silly, with a giant snake puppet twisting around. But the special effects are infinitely improved in this one, ranging from convincing giants to some genuinely harrowing moments on a giant bridge.

Lewis had become a bit less hamhanded with the allegory and Christian symbolism by this time. Instead, he gives jabs at anything-goes attitudes and nihilism. Additionally, he creates one of the most intense and outstanding scenes of the entire Chronicles, with the Witch playing elaborate brain games with Rilian and the kids, slowly convincing them that all they know and believe is a lie -- including the sun and the world above ground.

Thwaites and Power are the stars here, and they both give excellent, understated performances as two kids who bicker constantly, but really care about each other. Richard Henders gives a good balance between overwrought madness and cool, calm nobility. Barbara Kellerman, alas, is still hamming it up as much as she did for the White Witch, with lots of over-the-top laughter, screeching, cooing and snarling.

Despite Kellerman and some primitive CGI, "The Silver Chair" is probably the best of the three BBC Narnia movies, with its darker storyline and excellent lead acting.

"The Chronicles of Narnia," by C. S. Lewis, are truly superb books, and I believe that "The Silver Chair" is my favorite from the series. The beautifully conveyed morals are truly wonderful! This particular installment in the series is terrific, because it concerns the daring mission of two children, (Eustace Scrubb, and Jill Pole,) and a Marsh-Wiggle, (Puddleglum,) who are commanded by The Great Lion Aslan, to go in search for "The Lost Prince Rilian," who has been seduced and held captive by an unsurpassably evil force. They face many perils during their quest, and must use caution in order to discern between those whom they meet, in order to see whom they can trust. The BBC adaptation of this book is verry good, with the children turning in nice performances, (although Camilla Powers, who portrays Jill, is a little too whiny for my liking,) and the actor portraying Puddleglum does an exceptionally terrific job! A special compliment is needed for the performance of Barbara Kellerman, who portrays "The Emerald Lady." Her brilliant seductiveness, and ultimately her true sinister purpose is revealed, and she does a great job. Ronald Pickup, (the voice of Aslan,) does well at conveying his authority and love. The only minor complaints I would make is that the the director takes some liberties with a scene in which Jill, Eustace, and Puddle-Glum encounter a knight (who is more than what he seems.) This particular character is far too sinister in manner, quite contrary to the chearful character in the book. I realize the directors intention in doing this, but perhaps it was a little overdone. The only other complaint that I have is that the ending of the film differs greatly from the book, for the director took a sceen from "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," and wove it into the plot, yet if anything it enhances the plot, and is no cause for distress in my opinion. All in all, a verry good adaptation, and truly worth your time. Take care, and happy viewing!

My children (ages 8 and 9) both watch this and the other BBC Narnia videos time and time again. They never tire of them and neither do I. The moral tales that are included are wonderful "teachable moments" and the overall tone is intelligent as well as magical. I highly recommend the whole series.

"The Silver Chair" is the fourth and final adaptation of one of "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C. S. Lewis, although I am surprised that this series was not able to complete the entire set of novels In this story Eustace Scrubb (David Thwaites) is being tormented at school and while looking for a place to hide from the bullies ends up entering the magical world of Narnia from a garden shed, along with another persecuted classmate, Jill Pole (Camilla Power). There Aslan gives them the task of rescuing Prince Rilian, the stolen son of King Caspian. This requires them to travel, along with Puddleglum the Marshwiggle (Tom Baker), north to the Deep Lands of the underworld belonging to the Green Lady (Barbara Kellerman). There they meet the Black Knight, who is under the enchantment of the evil Green Lady, who tortures him in a Silver Chair that sends him into a terrifying rage.

By the time you get to "The Silver Chair" you have either accepted the limited special effects of this production or not. Yes, the animatronics of Aslan are almost unbelievably simplistic, but the kids always talk to him like he was a real lion and ruler of Narnia and that is all that really matters in the end. The costumes and sets are pretty good and above all the story is faithful to the Lewis narrative. One of the things I enjoyed most about the "The Silver Chair" is the way that Lewis elegantly works in Christian elements into the story. Azlan works hard to have Jill learn a series of signs, by which she and Eustace will be able to achieve their goal. However, Jill has problems remembering the signs and Eustace does not really seem up to the challenge. Then again, most great children's literature works on two levels, although clearly "The Silver Chair" and the other chronicles will appeal more to the kids, which is fine, because that is really who they were intended for even though they are arguably too good for the little ones.

Back at school, Eustace finds that he no longer fits in with the people he once considered friends. When he helps Jill Pole escape from the bullies, they find a doorway that takes them to Aslan. Aslan has a special job for Jill, she must rescue Prince Rilian, the long-lost son of the venerable King Caspian. With the help of Puddleglum (played by Tom Baker, the 4th Doctor Who!), the two children set off on an adventure. [Color, originally aired in 1990, with a running time of 2 hours.]

This movie (actually two television episodes) is based on the fourth book of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, and (unfortunately) is the last in the series made by the B.B.C. The production is excellent, with the special effects being even better than those of the earlier shows. The story is grittier, reflecting a darker, harsher story than the previous ones. As such, my children did not quite like it as much as those earlier ones.

However, it still was a great movie, and I enjoyed sharing the Christian symbolism that I saw throughout the movie. We all really liked this movie, and highly recommend it.

-This review pertains to the original DVD release, not the remastered edition-

In 1990, the final film in the BBC's Narnia series made its debut. The series, which consisted of four films, was based on The Chronicles of Narnia books by C.S. Lewis and remained very faithful to the source material. However, after having produced the first three films, the budget seems to have shrunk for this, the final installment. And for the first time it hurts the overall quality of the film. The Silver Chair is probably the weakest of the film series mainly because of the shortcuts that the filmmakers were forced to take to accommodate the low budget. Actors who appeared in previous episodes are recast in new roles, special effects are hurried and unconvincing, and the production design seems uninspired. All of this is unfortunate as this film had perhaps the greatest potential as a darker adventure, but overall numerous minor disappointments make this film less satisfying. Still, The Silver Chair is the must-have conclusion to the series and despite its flaws has become a family favorite.

While at their unpleasant boarding school, Eustace and his schoolmate Jill frantically search for a place to hide from school bullies. After asking Aslan for help, Eustace and Jill are magically transported to Narnia, where Aslan has an important mission for them. They are to find and rescue Prince Rilian, King Caspian's son and only heir to the throne of Narnia. Furthermore Aslan also appoints Jill the task of remembering four cryptic signs that will help them on their quest. They are given aid by a talking owl named Glimfeather, who takes them to the Parliament of Owls. There, Eustace and Jill are told of how Rilian's mother was killed by a poisonous serpent, and that Rilian later disappeared while visiting the site of his mother's death. The owls then take the two children to the swamplands where a marsh-wiggle named Puddleglum will serve them as a guide on their epic quest. Puddleglum turns out to be a curmudgeonly pessimist, but an invaluable companion. His knowledge of Narnia's history, geography, and culture and his abundance of survival skills prove to be an under-appreciated asset for Eustace and Jill. On their journeys they have many adventures such as an encounter with a dragon, an attack by savage giants, and they even cross a colossal ancient bridge that spans the distance between two mountains. Also they meet a beautiful traveler who calls herself the Lady of the Green Kirtle, and her escort, a black knight, who neither acknowledges them nor shows his face. The Lady of the Green Kirtle tells the children that they look awfully tired and should take respite at the castle of Harfang, the home of the gentle giants. After she and the knight depart, the children insist on going to Harfang against the advice of Puddleglum, who has a bad feeling about the lady and her motives. It turns out that he was right to. The giants of Harfang are jovial and hospitable, but something about their behavior is off-putting. To their horror, Eustace and Jill discover that the "gentle giants" intend to eat them as part of their autumn feast. Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum just barely manage to escape, but they do so by taking shelter in a cave, which collapses. After regaining consciousness, they find themselves deep underground in the darkness, in the gloom, in the terrible depths of the Earth. They are taken prisoner by a race of grotesque beings called Under-Earthmen, who are ruled over by a tyrannical queen. They also meet a strange masked man who reveals himself to be the black knight, and they learn from him that queen is none other than the Lady of the Green Kirtle. The knight explains how the queen has been preparing him to lead an army to the over-world, where they intend to defeat the natural leaders of all countries and declare themselves as overlords. The knight also tells them that he suffers a strange enchantment, which drives him mad at night, so he is restrained in a magical silver chair for his own protection. The knight asks Puddleglum and the two children to watch over him in his madness to ensure that he does not escape and he forces them to swear an oath that under no circumstances whatsoever are they to release him from his restraints. But when the time comes, the knight begs and pleads that they set him free. But do they dare defy the malevolent queen and what of the consequences to setting this lunatic free? And most importantly of all will they ever find Prince Rilian and return to their own world?

The Silver Chair features a cast of veteran British actors (most of which American audiences will be unfamiliar with). The cast includes David Thwaites as Eustace, Camilla Power as Jill, Geoffrey Russell as Aged King Caspian, Richard Henders as Prince Rilian, Big Mick as Trumpkin, Warwick Davis as Glimfeather, Tom Baker as Puddleglum, Barbara Kellerman as The Lady of the Green Kirtle / The Queen of the Underworld, and Ronald Pickup as the voice of Aslan. As far as the cast goes, most of the actors are clearly stage performers and unfamiliar with the medium of film, which leads to some pretty hammy, over-projected acting. However, in an odd way this actually suits the story.
Despite its obvious flaws, The Silver Chair is a worthy finale to the series.

The DVD also includes a still gallery and an animated trivia challenge. All three DVDs containing the four Narnia films can be found together in a moneysaving box set, which includes beautiful artwork on the packaging. Also available is a newly remastered box set.

Also recommended:
The Chronicles of Narnia Pop-up: Based on the Books by C.S. Lewis by Robert Sabuda
C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia
Bridge to Terabithia (1985 PBS version)
A Wrinkle in Time
Jim Henson's the Storyteller: The Definitive Collection
MirrorMask
The Hogfather

Of the Chronicles of Narnia videos, this is my favourite. To some extent, this might ahve been inevitable, as the Silver chair is the best of the books - but that also meant the video production had the most to lose. It did not, however. There was less animation to clash with the live figures, and a crop of sincere adult actors to support the children in their efforts.

I did not think Tom Baker, best known for his frizzy hair and scarf in Doctor Who, would do a decent rendition of Puddleglum, a very tall, very thin creature. However, his voice was properly dolesome, and gloomy, and he carried a real conviction underneath.

The Prince was manic and mad, much more so than the original story suggests; and yet he held me spellbound until his spell was itself broken. The whole climax was surprisingly well done.

The one criticism is that the story after the climax is rushed. There is no explanation as there is in the book for why they happily pop up right back in Narnia after so much journeying. Nothing but an easy emergence from a hole in the ground. One more minute of film, a quick exchange of dialogue, would have answered the plot holes left in the closing, and given it much more depth.

Nonetheless, after two tapes of adventure, it seems a small price to pay.

The third volume of the series in The Chronicles of Narnia is probably the best. Although it is best viewed with the first two volumes it will take young as well as old viewers through a magical journey. The story is somewhat slow in the beginning, but a great and unusual ending is well worth the wait! Be sure to buy this one -- it is a classic to keep for years to come!

I have been trying for 5 years to find the 3rd volume to this 3 box set. I finally have my complete collection. Thank you very much. I hope everyone enjoys the adventures in Narnia as much as I have.