The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe

This cartoon has impressive credentials. It is a co-production of Bill Melendez (Charlie Brown) and the Children's Television Workshop (Sesame Street and The Electric Company).

It is simply and economically animated. The draughtsmanship may be rudimentary, but that is not a serious drawback. The music is very good. The humiliation, death, resurrection, and ascension of Aslan, the lion, are handled movingly. The parallels with Christ are clear.

This is the first novel, in publication order, in C.S. Lewis's Narnia series. The books have most recently been reissued in internal chronological order, according to the author's posthumous wishes. Franz Kafka's posthumous wish to have all of his works destroyed was ignored by his literary executor, Max Brod. If only Lewis's nonsensical request had also been ignored. This book unfortunately and regrettably now appears as Volume 2 in the current series.

I recently saw this programme in French, not English, under the title "Le lion, la sorcière et l'armoire". If there was a shortcoming to the French version, it was in the actor cast to portray Aslan. His voice was too gruff and did not have the majesty necessary for a Messiah, as English-language Aslans can normally be counted upon to have.

The excellent live-action BBC series from 1988 based on the Narnia books improves even on this praiseworthy cartoon.

This is one of the best animated films I've ever seen. C.S. Lewis' classic book comes alive with vigor and fun. I recommend this to anyone who has read books by Lewis, and especially to fans of the Chronicles of Narnia. The illistrations are exceptional and the music is very good.

This one is even superior to the 1988 BBC TV presentation, which was dull in story, shoddy in effects, less-than-mediocre casting, and horrible action. But I do wish the animation was better. However, the animators did do good on the expressions of the characters. Just as with the 2005 version, everything was as I had imagined, it's just that this was an animated feature, and that was a live action feature. That is the only difference. Some people might wonder why the only thing I dislike about it is the animation, and say that I should have given it a higher rating, since that was the only thing wrong with it. WRONG! With animated films, it is always very complicated to try to understand how to write a review on them. The animation in movies that are animated all the way through should at least mean something when you review them. With movies that are animated at only some parts, this opinion should not be used as much, because, more than likely, there is more live-action in the movie than there is animation.

This charming animated film is great for stirring up the imaginations in children. I first saw The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was 7 years old, and have loved it ever since. We had it on tape when I was a kid and watched it over and over. But after I grew up a little I forgot about it. Then when I was 17 I read the book for the first time and searched for the animated movie again. It was not only nostalgic to hear the familiar, old dialogues and music and to see my favorite characters again, but I realized how true to the book the cartoon movie really is. I was also old enough to recognize and appreciate the message that the story delivers in such a clever way.

The animation sometimes looks inconsistent (maybe the artists got tired, or took shifts drawing!) but the drawing style is so unique and unforgettable. Some scenes and sounds really are funny, too, if you're paying attention. I really do like the actors' voices, also; they all did a great job. They sound kinda British? The music is really cool, too! I wish the score was available on CD.

I give The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe a 10/10 for originality and overall charm. It's not an obnoxious Disney cartoon. Nor is it a musical with drawn-out songs that take time away from the story.

This version is by far the best and most faithful to the original books, including the new one Disney just put out. Though a few things are missing and one or two changed, it is 90% true to the book with a good portion of the dialogue. True, the animation is from the 70s but that makes it even safer for younger kids and I still find it enjoyable. The voice characterizations were incredibly on the money. The witch seemed to come straight off of the pages of the book as did Aslan. The musical score for this production is absolutely beautiful and captures the feeling of Narnia, and should not be overlooked. The scene beginning with the girls following Aslan to the stone table and culminating with his death was portrayed very tastefully yet powerfully. I can never watch it without crying. My children and I have seen all of the versions (including Disney's latest) and this one is by far the favorite. A classic.