The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) [w/Commentary]

Four children from the same family have to leave their town because WW1 is happening. A women and a professor take the children to their house. While playing a game of hide and seek the youngest member of the family 'Lucy' finds a wardrobe to hide in. She travels back and back into the wardrobe and finds a place named Narnia. After going in twice the four children go in together for the last time. They battle wolves, meet talking animals, encounter a evil white witch and meet a magnificent lion named 'Aslan'. Will this be the end of their journey to narnia or will they stay?

I was fortunate enough to attend an advanced screening and was magnificently surprised. The film was beautifully made. The acting/voices were all wonderful, including the young talent. I think all ages will be entertained. The story contains important lessons for children, but also relevant reminders for adults. I also think attempts to compare the film to Lord of the Rings and/or Harry Potter would be unfortunate for all parties. They are each uniquely wonderful. Make sure you see this!

By the way, make sure you stay through the end credits to hear a beautiful song Alanis Morisette wrote especially for the film.

Audio Commentary 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 Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) [w/Commentary]
The Chronicles of Narnia: The ... Treader (2010) [w/Commentary]