Lion the Witch & The Wardrobe [VHS]

C.S. Lewis's beloved children's fantasy is as delicate as a Fabergé egg, and bringing it to film has tons of inherent risks. Faithfulness is not the problem in this live-action version from WonderWorks, but pacing most certainly is. This realization is poky at times when it should be absolutely riveting, and yet it manages to be diverting during sequences that are primarily set-up or exposition. Four young children travel through an attic wardrobe to the magical land of Narnia. There, the White Witch keeps it "always winter and never Christmas," but her rule is in jeopardy as the fabled lord of the land, a huge lion named Aslan, is rumored to have returned. Sadly, near the end of the film, it's almost possible to hear the production team debating just where to spend its cash. They gave it their all to create the lion Aslan but had to settle for rudimentary animation for many of the truly magical creatures of Narnia. Suffice it to say, it's a nice try. --Keith Simanton

Price: $12.98

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