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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Charming and faithful to the books, September 15, 2002
This review is from: The Chronicles of Narnia - The Silver Chair [VHS] (VHS Tape)
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.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Verry Enjoyable Adaptation of One of My Favorite Books, May 28, 2003
This review is from: The Chronicles of Narnia - The Silver Chair [VHS] (VHS Tape)
"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!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Azlan sends two children off to rescue Prince Rilian,, April 28, 2005
This review is from: The Chronicles of Narnia - The Silver Chair [VHS] (VHS Tape)
"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.
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