Product Details

• Actors: Richard Dempsey, Sophie Cook, Jonathan R. Scott, Sophie Wilcox, Barbara Kellerman
• Producers: Ellen Freyer
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rating: Unrated
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: Bridgestone
• VHS Release Date: February 26, 2002
• Run Time: 174 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (114 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000007PRD
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,443 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
In a misty London train station, four siblings await their journey to the country, a place to avoid the bombs of World War II, a place where one boy imagines nothing ever happens. As it turns out, the old professor's spooky country house is ripe for exploration. Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter's adventures begin when the back wall of a fur-coat filled wardrobe opens up into the magical world of Narnia, where, because of the malevolent White Witch's spell, it is "always winter and never Christmas." Before long, the children (the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve) are participating in an epic, allegorically Christian battle between good (Aslan the lion) and evil (as represented by the diabolical White Witch, played with wonderfully hideous zeal by Barbara Kellerman).

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, first published in 1950 and designed to be the second book chronologically in the Narnia series, was faithfully, painstakingly adapted into a BBC TV series, and then edited into a feature-length film in 1988. The snowy landscapes of Narnia are lovely, but youngsters accustomed to stunning silver-screen special effects may pooh-pooh this rather slow-moving, homespun production, with humans dressed like beavers, a large stuffed-animal-looking lion, and oddly patched-in Disneyesque animated winged creatures. Still, there's an arresting sweetness and simplicity to this fantasy adventure in two episodes (59 minutes and 110 minutes) that suit this old-fashioned, well-loved classic to a T. --Karin Snelson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Re-Release!, February 23, 2000

By A Customer

I have been searching the Internet for a copy of this video. Nobody carries it. It is not even available in video stores to rent. I remember watching the animated film with my sister when I was little and I want so much to be able to see it again. Please consider re-releasing this classic film. I guarantee that I am not the only little child that used to think that a whole world existed inside her closet....

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PLEASE RE-RELEASE, December 6, 1999

By A Customer

I loved this video as a child and can not find it anymore! It would be so wonderful to bring this imaginitive and delightful story and the rest of the Narnia chronicles to VHS. Please consider re-release. The books are hard to find as well.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The enchanting first adventure in the magic land of Narnia, May 7, 2003

By	Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (DVD)

One of the lessons of this production of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is that a good story can forgive many things. I mean, the special effects of this 1988 adaptation are pretty much on a par with "Barney," which is most apparent every time one of the hand drawn animations appears. However, they are done in the style of Pauline Baynes, the original illustrator of this classic tale by C.S. Lewis, which amply evidences that whatever budgetary considerations the hearts, minds and souls of the producers were in the right place. The costumes of the talking animals and the soldiers of Narnia are all pretty good, as are the simple sets (clearly where the money went), but the proof of the pudding here is obviously going to be Aslan. We are talking minimalistic animatronics here, but it all works. Mainly that is because the four children who meet up with the great lion who rules over Narnia clearly believe in him and accept him, which is all the magic that is needed. The result is admittedly not great, but it is very good, and, most importantly, it is in the spirit of the original story.

"The Chronicles of Narnia" have their origin in the Second World War when Hitler's Luftwaffe was subjecting London to the blitz and the city's children were evacuated to the country for safety. Four such children ended up at the Kilns, the Oxford home of C.S. Lewis, where they were entertained by the stories he told to them. In 1950 Lewis published "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," the first of the seven tales that would made up "The Chronicles of Narnia." The tales hold their own as adventures for children, who get to use magic and fight with swords, but there is also a wonderful amount of depth only available to adults who are wise enough to look at such things.

That was because Lewis was not just an acclaimed author of children's literature; he was also a distinguished Oxbridge literary scholar and critic and a popular writer and broadcaster of Christian apologetics. While clearly Lewis carved out a distinguished career as a novelist, scholar, and theologian with three decidedly different audiences, it is equally obvious that a full appreciation of any of his writings is impossible without recognizing the elements of his other personas. Certainly there are Christians who would be troubled by Lewis's incorporation of talking animals, witches and other fairy folk into his fictional tales, but ultimately the potency of this tales from a theological perspective is his ability to make it all work. Besides, the fact that the children one day become too old to return to Narnia but are expected never to forget the lesson learned there is something like a broad hint as to how this is all supposed to work out.

The story tells of Lucy (Sophie Wilcox), Peter (Richard Dempsey), Susan (Sophie Cook), and Edmund (Jonathan R. Scott), who are sent off to the country home of Professor Kirke (Michael Aldridge) during the war. On a rainy day they explore the old home and Lucy enters a large old wardrobe in the attic to discover it opens into a fantastic world of mythological creatures and talking animals, all under the spell of eternal winter cast by the White Witch (Barbara Kellerman). Lucy is not believed when she returns, for time passes differently in Narnia, but eventually they all end up in the wondrous world. There the White Witch gets Edmond to betray his siblings and their newfound friends in Narnia with promises of Turkish Delight treats. But against here is Aslan, the brave lion king who returns to save his people and the land of Narnia. Not surprising, the story rests on the importance of acts of sacrifice and salvation.

This was the third television version of "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" and the best of the bunch. The children are believable as such, whether acting horrible towards one another or behaving heroically on behalf of the people are Narnia. It is that believability that the cast brings to the production and the fidelity to the original story that makes this work, especially for children. A new production is slated to be made in 2004 and the improvements in special effects are such that you would have to think that there will be noticeable improvements over the 1988 version. But if it fails to be true to the original story and loses the sense of believability at the heart of this production, any improved special effects will come to naught.