All three versions of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe- BBC, Disney live action and this version- are well worth seeing, though neither are perfect. BBC's did have some crude special effects, ridiculous-looking beavers and Edmund was too much of a brat with his change too sudden. The set design is absolutely beautiful though as is the music, while the acting to me is not as bad as it has been said to be, Aslan is very well done and Maugrim while much scarier from a child perspective is still creepy. Disney's was also good, the costume and set design were excellent, the children were more natural than in BBC's and there are great performances from Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan and especially Tilda Swinton. The CGI did seem at odds with things though, most scenes were epic and others had a cartoonish look and there were occasions where the story did seem a little cold and unengaging due to the effort to make things darker and grander.
There is not much that is wrong with this 1979 animated version, the only really big caveat actually is the animation. Not to say that it is bad, the right word if anything else would be inconsistent. The bright spots are the lovely scenery which has that magical, imaginative Narnia feel and look, that beautiful glimmering effect of the light on top of the lamppost, the Mr Tumnus and Edmund's encounter with the White Witch scene are done with an oddball, mysterious yet also really charming and magical in its simplicity quality and the little sequence with the stag likewise. Where it isn't so good is in the character designs, Aslan and the White Witch excepted, and there is a rough, sketchy quality in the non-Narnia scenes and once all four children are in Narnia(or at least at first). The children though did seem lacking in expression at times, particularly Lucy, and characters like the Dwarf and especially Mr Tumnus are rather poorly drawn, the Dwarf just looked weird and Mr Tumnus looked too much like a little devil/satyr than a faun.
However, the music score is stunning. The early scenes are sensitively scored and melodically beautiful, while the Aslan humiliation/sacrifice scene is genuinely powerful(neither the BBC and Disney versions had this scene done with this much impact) thanks to the score and that of the final battle is rousing. The dialogue has some lovely humour, yet is really thoughtful, cohesive and emotionally involving. It is also very faithful to the book's prose(and with the right amount of mystery, poignancy, humour and tension), much of it word-for-word with some of the additional(maybe more updated) dialogue doesn't jar in the slightest. The storytelling is also the most faithful of either three versions in detail and spirit(though the BBC version was also very faithful in this regard too). Pacing-wise it flows the best, it takes time to tell the story simply and allowing us to get engrossed in the atmosphere and characters but it is also the adaptation that matches the pacing of the book the best. With the story there are changes(like changing Maugrim's name, starting with Lucy's first venture into the wardrobe and us hearing of Father Christmas but not seeing him) but all the crucial scenes are here and are done really well. Edmund's scenes with the White Witch are entertaining and suspenseful, while Lucy's encounter with Mr Tumnus is charming and the final battle doesn't feel like an anti-climax or too epic. One of the highlights was definitely Aslan's humiliation and sacrifice which was intense and incredibly moving.
Every single one of the characters are engaging, not all of them look great but the personalities(the White Witch especially are all maintained and those are all reflected in the voice acting. Both the American and UK versions are done very well, I am more familiar with the UK version admittedly and prefer it just a tad. The children are very natural especially Edmund, who is appropriately spiteful but later redemptive. The Disney version portrays Edmund's change the best but thankfully here it doesn't feel rushed like BBC's. Steven Thorne voices Aslan majestically, noble without being too gentle and authoritative. For personal preferences, the Beavers are voiced better in the UK version, very distinguished-sounding and Mr Tumnus voiced by Leslie Phillips is more dithery as he should be. The highlights of both versions are definitely the White Witch, the American with Beth Porter and UK with Sheila Hancock. Both voice this memorable character with icy menace and with much gusto, sounding like they're having a lot of fun. This said, Hancock does have a touch more subtlety.
Overall, for any fan of the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe(always was my personal favourite of the series), while the animation is not the best from a music, script and storytelling point of view this film will enchant them or anybody. 8/10 Bethany Cox
There is not much that is wrong with this 1979 animated version, the only really big caveat actually is the animation. Not to say that it is bad, the right word if anything else would be inconsistent. The bright spots are the lovely scenery which has that magical, imaginative Narnia feel and look, that beautiful glimmering effect of the light on top of the lamppost, the Mr Tumnus and Edmund's encounter with the White Witch scene are done with an oddball, mysterious yet also really charming and magical in its simplicity quality and the little sequence with the stag likewise. Where it isn't so good is in the character designs, Aslan and the White Witch excepted, and there is a rough, sketchy quality in the non-Narnia scenes and once all four children are in Narnia(or at least at first). The children though did seem lacking in expression at times, particularly Lucy, and characters like the Dwarf and especially Mr Tumnus are rather poorly drawn, the Dwarf just looked weird and Mr Tumnus looked too much like a little devil/satyr than a faun.
However, the music score is stunning. The early scenes are sensitively scored and melodically beautiful, while the Aslan humiliation/sacrifice scene is genuinely powerful(neither the BBC and Disney versions had this scene done with this much impact) thanks to the score and that of the final battle is rousing. The dialogue has some lovely humour, yet is really thoughtful, cohesive and emotionally involving. It is also very faithful to the book's prose(and with the right amount of mystery, poignancy, humour and tension), much of it word-for-word with some of the additional(maybe more updated) dialogue doesn't jar in the slightest. The storytelling is also the most faithful of either three versions in detail and spirit(though the BBC version was also very faithful in this regard too). Pacing-wise it flows the best, it takes time to tell the story simply and allowing us to get engrossed in the atmosphere and characters but it is also the adaptation that matches the pacing of the book the best. With the story there are changes(like changing Maugrim's name, starting with Lucy's first venture into the wardrobe and us hearing of Father Christmas but not seeing him) but all the crucial scenes are here and are done really well. Edmund's scenes with the White Witch are entertaining and suspenseful, while Lucy's encounter with Mr Tumnus is charming and the final battle doesn't feel like an anti-climax or too epic. One of the highlights was definitely Aslan's humiliation and sacrifice which was intense and incredibly moving.
Every single one of the characters are engaging, not all of them look great but the personalities(the White Witch especially are all maintained and those are all reflected in the voice acting. Both the American and UK versions are done very well, I am more familiar with the UK version admittedly and prefer it just a tad. The children are very natural especially Edmund, who is appropriately spiteful but later redemptive. The Disney version portrays Edmund's change the best but thankfully here it doesn't feel rushed like BBC's. Steven Thorne voices Aslan majestically, noble without being too gentle and authoritative. For personal preferences, the Beavers are voiced better in the UK version, very distinguished-sounding and Mr Tumnus voiced by Leslie Phillips is more dithery as he should be. The highlights of both versions are definitely the White Witch, the American with Beth Porter and UK with Sheila Hancock. Both voice this memorable character with icy menace and with much gusto, sounding like they're having a lot of fun. This said, Hancock does have a touch more subtlety.
Overall, for any fan of the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe(always was my personal favourite of the series), while the animation is not the best from a music, script and storytelling point of view this film will enchant them or anybody. 8/10 Bethany Cox
