Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		5.0

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Blu-ray Movie Review

Arguably the best overall Blu-ray package to date is here.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 6, 2008

Always winter, never Christmas. It’s been a long winter.

Not only is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe a sensational movie, a truly epic-in-scope-and-scale action/fantasy/drama film depicting the simple yet timeless story of good versus evil, but it also serves as a template for how to make a fantastic movie adapted from a cherished childrens' novel. Time and again we've seen films that may recreate a book, but fail to capture its spirit which the author so methodically placed on paper, but in this case, the transition seems easy and flawless, nothing about the movie seeming out-of-place, phony, tedious, or forced. Of course, when filmmakers are working from a novel that is timeless and timely, beloved, and awe-inspiring, written by one of the great authors of his time (C.S. Lewis), it's almost imperative that the film become the story, not simply retell it. In this case, it has, and this first film based on The Chronicles of Narnia series is not only a visual and aural feast for the senses, but it represents a leap forward in special effects, style, grandeur, and grace, arguably the finest fantasy novel turned film, competing only with the Lord of the Rings trilogy for that title.

This doesn't look like Finchley.

At the beginning of World War II, shortly after the Nazis begin their nighttime bombing raids of London, four children -- Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and Lucy (Georgie Henley) are evacuated to the countryside. The four are relocated to a large estate populated by only a maid and a reclusive old professor, an estate where nothing is prepared to entertain children, so that Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy must create ways to pass the days, such as asking one another the origin of words out of the dictionary. On one particularly boring day, a game of hide-and-seek becomes an adventure they never hoped for. Young Lucy finds and hides inside a large wardrobe in an otherwise empty room, only to suddenly find herself in a serene, snow-laden forrest, and soon to make the acquaintance of a Faun named Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy, Becoming Jane). Mr. Tumnus invites Lucy to his den. There, the two will share a delicious snack of tea, cakes, toast, and sardines. In a fit of guilt, Mr. Tumnus informs Lucy that he's kidnapped her under orders from the White Witch (Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton), an evil queen determined to rule Narnia. The faun helps Lucy escape back to the wardrobe from whence she came. Lucy relates her tale to Peter, Susan and Edmund, who find her story preposterous, not to mention impossible, since she only hid in the wardrobe minutes ago rather than the hours she recounts with the faun. Soon enough Edmund follows Lucy back through the wardrobe and meets the Witch, but upon his return through the wardrobe nevertheless denies Narnia's existence when confronted by Peter and Susan. It's not long until all four children find themselves in the wardrobe and therefore Narnia, a consequence of needing a place to hide after a squarely-hit cricket ball smashes through a window. Once inside, the children meet many brave and friendly creatures, as well as some bent on their destruction. Ultimately, under the guidance of the wise and brave lion, Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson, Batman Begins), the children will learn their destinies, the secrets of Narnia, and battle forces of evil to save their new friends in this strange, mystical land.

I learned a lot by watching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. First and foremost, as a war movie fanatic, I now find myself yearning for a modern, true-to-life film about the Nazi Blitz of London. My favorite genre has definitely found itself on the upswing since Saving Private Ryan, and the opening moments of this film left me wanting more, much more. I also gleaned that blood and guts alone don't make a battle scene. The epic and climactic sequence at the end of the film is about as far away from something like Braveheart one could possibly imagine while still depicting exhilarating and well-choreographed combat scenes. Flair for the dramatic, an eye for just the right shot, and great-looking effects (not to mention some hellacious-looking monsters thrown in for good measure) more than makes up for the lack of the red stuff, and many viewers probably won't even notice that it's not there in abundance. I also learned that CGI effects are getting very good. There were times when neither my wife nor I could figure out if some of the wolves seen in the movie were real or fake. Talking Beavers, Fauns, or Centaurs never looked so good. Finally, the right score can elevate a great movie just as much as the acting, writing, direction, and all the other imaginative ingredients that go into making a movie stand out. For my money, Harry Gregson- Williams' (Gone Baby Gone) score is utterly fantastic, right up there with John Williams' work as heard in Star Wars and Superman.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is probably best-known for its parallels to Christianity, though discussing them here would result in spoilers for the movie and won't be brought up. Needless to say, said parallels are here, though veiled, and certainly not overt or demanding. Viewers will perceive what they choose in allegorical films. There is no denying the message of salvation here, paralleling that found in New Testament Scripture, which was C. S. Lewis' reason for writing The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Watching the film purely for entertainment, any significant overtones are simply played as part of a magical and mesmerizing tale, one that's hard to believe but difficult to forget, a story of love, courage, loyalty, forgiveness, belief in oneself and in one another, and most importantly, the will of goodness to prevail over evil. That's the central theme here, a theme we've seen countless times in any and every movie genre from Commando to 3:10 to Yuma to The Lives of Others to Ice Age, but never quite as powerfully spoken and displayed as it is here. A truly remarkable achievement, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a film for all ages, and one for the ages.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Framed at 2.35:1 and presented in 1080p Blu-ray high definition, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe never once fails to be anything short of visually perfect. One of the most intriguing aspects of the movie, and hence the visual style, is the juxtaposition of the look of the film between good and evil and between hope and despair. Scenes representing danger and hopelessness, such as those of war-torn England or in the witch's chamber, are devoid of color while those with our heroes in Narnia are bright and vibrant. The imagery is a bit gloomy and colorless at first as the children flee war-ravaged London; everything is seemingly drained of color leaving only the most basic muted tint of the color to make it identifiable on the image. This transfer sports impeccable attention to detail; even the gravel on the ground as the train pulls away from the station looks great as you can clearly make out the individual pieces. Clothing is intricately and finely rendered, the transfer never failing to show us the most subtle of details. Almost any surface is wonderfully reproduced; we can see every grain and line in wood, and every needle on the pine trees is visibly sharp and well-defined. The entire image is a case study in how to make a movie look great, and this Blu- ray looks as real and true-to-life as I've yet seen. Darker scenes, such as one after Edmund leaves his brother and sisters behind, don't falter one bit as detail remains high and visible, though black levels aren't sacrificed to do so. This print is flawless in presentation with no hint of any markings or blemishes. As good as the movie looks, it is not until our heroes arrive at Aslan's war camp that we really begin to perceive this transfer's true glory. Even though colors looked great earlier in the film, they simply jump straight off the screen, perhaps the finest reproduction I've seen yet on Blu-ray. You can almost touch not only the colors, but every texture upon which they reside. The armor worn by our heroes is more than incredible with its intricate details, no doubt resulting in the best, cleanest and clear-in-appearance imagery I've yet seen on Blu-ray. It's absolutely, undeniably stunning. Obviously, I feel this disc rivals the very best, and it can easily make a claim as the finest looking Blu-ray disc to date.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Presented in PCM 5.1 uncompresses audio, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is bar-none one of the finest sounding titles yet to arrive on Blu-ray high definition. The movie begins with a Nazi bombing run on London, and it sounds stunning, a fantastic sequence worthy of the best war movies, and from here on out, every moment of the movie, from the most raucous battle scenes to the quietest whispers of dialogue are fabulously reproduced for our listening pleasure. Dialogue is impeccable and perfectly rendered from the first line to the last; each voice is distinct, clear, and marvelous with absolutely no issues to make this aspect of the soundtrack anything less than sheer perfection. The movie boasts the fantastic score as noted above, and it too is stupendous. We own and have listened to the CD soundtrack many times over, but the PCM 5.1 uncompressed audio proves itself far superior. The music naturally and effortlessly fills the room, its placement is in all the speakers, the result a bewildering, fantastic listen of a wonderful score. This fabulous mix never presents any extraneous sounds; quiet is absolutely quiet, loud is clearly defined and powerful without becoming deafening, and everything in the middle is simply perfect, and the track remains impeccable no matter what's thrown its way. Ambiance is wonderful; even the most basic of sounds, such as footsteps in snow, are remarkably clear, distinct, and pronounced just to the point of believability, nothing more and nothing less than splendid realism. Take a scene as Edmund enters the White Witch's chambers. There is always something going on in the rear, perhaps the cracking of ice, the tumbling of ice chips, something to create a profound sense of realism. Some of the howls of the wolves can almost be ear piercing, the clarity of such noises second to none.

No doubt about it, as good as the disc sounds, the bread-and-butter of the track is in the battle scenes, and I was never once disappointed with the results. Every clink and clank of armor, even when not in battle, just as it moves and hits other pieces of armor as soldiers walk, makes for a realistic experience. Once the action gets underway, we're placed in the middle of the battle. Arrows whoosh across the field and therefore through our living rooms; rocks used as bombs impact with the appropriately deep thud. Horses run with hooves beating into the ground; combatants scream; and, a rhinoceros charges through the battlefield, each of its footsteps a deafening reverberation courtesy of your subwoofer. In each instance, we are left breathless by the sheer brilliance of the sound. Nothing says "perfect" quite like the sound mix found on the Blu-ray disc of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and it's easily demonstration-worthy as well as 5-star material, and then some.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe comes to Blu-ray just in time for the release of the next film in the series, and there might just be enough material on this two-disc set to keep fans busy from the disc's Tuesday release all the way through the sequel's Friday debut. The first disc features two commentaries, the first with director Andrew Adamson, producer Mark Johnson, and production designer Roger Ford Share (coming to us from Sydney, Australia via telephone), the trio detailing what it took to bring the novel to the big screen. A technical but at the same time interesting track, we learn how back-to-back shots may have been filmed thousands of miles apart, for example. Details on set design, the personalities of the cast, and the creation of the special effects and fine-tuning real creatures with CGI (for example, tails were removed from some of the wolves so they didn't appear to be happy with the tell-tale sign of a wagging tail). This is a fine track, definitely one worth a listen for fans of the movie. The second commentary track once again features director Andrew Adamson this time accompanied by actors Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Anna Poppwell, and William Moseley. Adamson approaches the material from the perspective of children this time, and this approach works, but the kids definitely take the opportunity to enjoy the experience, sometimes having fun, sometimes becoming a bit more serious. Continuing on the first disc is The Bloopers of Narnia (480p, 4:36) short feature showcasing some of the lighter moments on-set during the filming of the movie. Discover Narnia Fun facts is yet another pop-up trivia track that plays over the movie. Rounding out disc number one are 1080p trailers for Sleeping Beauty, Wall-E, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tinker Bell, and a Blu-ray promotional montage.

Moving along to disc number two, we're first treated to a game entitled Battle For Narnia. Presented in 1080p video and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, the player is prompted to choose one of two characters (male or female) and the Beaver tells us of the story of the battle we must fight. Each battle is ranked based on difficulty, and the more you win, the more allies you gain. The game plays in a role-playing strategy style, choosing what maneuver your character will perform and then watching them carry it out rather than button mashing. While fairly basic, the game is no doubt a harbinger of things to come on the format, and I bet by the time Prince Caspian makes its way to Blu-ray we'll see a more advanced style game. Creating Narnia is a six-part look into the making of the film. Chronicles of a Director (480p, 37:47) looks at the choosing of the director (fresh off Shrek) and the concerns some had as to how he would handle live action material. Adamson discusses a wide range of topics, from his idea to making the film based as much on his memories of the book as much as the book itself, and the feature eventually delves into the creation of everything from Mr. Tumnus' home to the intricate detail on the wardrobe itself to the realization of all the mythical creatures seen in the film. The Children's Magical Journey (480p, 26:24) looks in-depth at the children featured in the movie, their reaction to being in the film, traveling to New Zealand for the shoot, working with the cast and crew, and so on.

Cinematic Storytellers is an eight-part look at the artists and their work on bringing Narnia to life. Weta Workshop with Richard Taylor (480p, 6:35) looks at the three-year process of conceptualizing armor, weapons, creatures, and the like. KNB Creature Shop with Howard Berger (480p, 5:27) examines the creation of the 170+ inhabitants and creatures of Narnia. Costumes with Isis Mussenden (480p, 7:44), no surprise, looks at the production and design of the costumes of the film, telling the story through the clothes and helping the actors feel like the character they portray through their costumes. Production Designer with Roger Ford (480p, 8:10) is a piece that discusses the formidable task of creating a vast world that is believable and worthy of the original story. Director of Photography with Don McAlpine (480p, 8:03) discusses his uncanny ability to imagine scenes from the very first reading of the script onward, and the importance of knowing exactly where the film is going right from the get-go. Editor with Sim Evan-Jones (480p, 6:48) takes us on a journey through the editing process, beginning with early animated storyboards through the final cut of the movie. Music Composer with Harry Gregson-Williams (480p, 6:25) focuses on the process of composing music for a film, trying to glean what the director wants and working with firm deadlines. Finally, Producer with Mark Johnson (480p, 5:52) examines the work of a producer on a major motion picture.

Anatomy of a Scene (480p, 19:18) is a detailed look at the process of creating two important sequences from the film (The Melting River and Behind the Battle). From One Man's Mind (480p, 3:54) is a brief look at the life of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe creator, C.S. Lewis. Creating Creatures (480p, 53:55) provides viewers with a comprehensive look at the making of some of the key characters seen in the film, including The White Witch, Aslan, Tumnus, the Wolves, the Centaurs, the Minotaurs, Ankle Slicers, Ginarrbrik, the Beavers, the Satyrs, and the Goblins. Creatures of the World (480p, 13:39) teaches the viewers about some of the many mythical creatures found throughout the film, the same ones as seen in the previous feature, in fact. Concluding this exhaustive set of features is Explore Narnia, a three-dimensional interactive map that shares facts and visuals about each locale with a click of your remote.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Obviously one of my favorite movies from 2005 (or any year for that matter), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first film based on a series of books I grew up reading, wowed me in many ways. The film is brilliant in its simplicity; elaborate special effects are seamless, as is human interaction with them; the story never gets bogged down in anything extraneous or dull; the well-written adaptation is performed grandly by all the leads; the epic battle at the end left me breathless without a churned stomach. Fantasy and swordplay movies are not exactly amongst my favorite genres, but the timelessness, brilliance, and simplicity of this tale and its wonderful film adaptation makes this one a surefire exception to the rule, leaving me not only satisfied with the experience, but having me feeling like a child all over again, yearning to one day open my wardrobe and find a mystical land inside. Thankfully, Disney has provided what is arguably the finest Blu-ray set yet. Visually, the disc is a treat. It's easily 5-star material throughout, but once combatants don the armor and go into battle, the quality spikes yet again, easily becoming the most brilliant sequence yet on a Blu-ray disc. The audio is equally superb, creating a living, breathing environment from the first frame to the last. Finally, the supplemental package is wonderful and detailed, the only blemish being that the majority of the extras are not presented in high definition, a shame considering most were placed on a second, standalone disc. Still, Disney has truly hit this one out of the park, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe receives my highest recommendation.