As a lot of you know, The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe has been adapted the most (counting stage productions and radio dramas). I thought we should do a comparison with different adaptions there has been (the animated, BBC, Walden, BBC Radio 4 and Focus on the Family Radio Theatre) and see which one is the best.
I haven't seen the 1967 TV series, though I did hear that most of the episodes were lost. So there's no sense of comparing it to the others.
The 1979 was the first adaption I've watched, and it's good in itself. While the animation is kind of dated by today's standards, it was good enough to keep me entertained as a kid. I thought it was a cool idea to they had it start with Lucy coming out of the wardrobe and telling her siblings that she's been to Narnia. Then Lucy's journey to Narnia was all shown in a flash back. It may not be the best introduction to Narnia, but it is good enough to keep kids entertained.
BBC series is also good in itself. It's not great, but it does set a bar. The acting is good for the most part, but the visual effects are just so and so. I like Barbara Kellerman as the White Witch (she does a look a lot like Angelica Houston) though she does come off as over the top at times. I'll give credit that it followed the book closely for the most part.
The Walden is also good in itself. It's not the best adaption, but it is well done. I thought it was creative to have the White Witch's hair frozen and slowly melting off. And I thought Tilda Swinton was well cast. There were some scenes I could do with or without though. I would say that the scene with the melting river was much like a cheap thrill. In the book, it's quiet and suspenseful and in the movie, they made it into a chase scene. Though I thought that when they had Edmund in the dungeon was a good way of showing making him realize he made a wrong choice, and seeing the consequences of his actions.
BBC Radio 4 is one that most people don't know about. I've listened to it a couple of years ago, and it is good for the most part. It's probably not the best introduction to Narnia, but it's fine to listen to, especially on a road trip.
Focus on the Family Radio Theatre Drama is probably the best adaption because, for the most part, it follows the book very closely. And top notch with the prologue and epilogue given by Douglas Gresham! The music is beautiful, and the voice acting, for the most part, do a superb job!
Do you agree on any of these? Which do you think is the best adaption?
"And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me beloved."
(Emeth, The Last Battle)
Topic starter
Posted : April 13, 2023 11:26 am
Courtenay liked
Focus on the Family’s Narnia is the best of all for its faithfulness to the book. Sometimes I wish that an animated version could be made with using the radio drama as the soundtrack. But of course it stands very well on its own as a radio drama. Of the Walden movies the first is the best in being closest to the book. The BBC series was good in the scripts for the most part, although the acting could probably have been better. And with their small budget they were so limited in the production values that were available. The 1979 cartoon may have been a little too much for the 1970’s in appearance when the story should have taken place during World War II. Each version has its own shortcomings and fine achievements.
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I think we can all agree on that in order to adapt a book into a movie, you have to draw the line somewhere. Though there are times where they have crossed the line.
The Walden version was the most successful in that franchise, so I won't deny that. It was good in itself, and it didn't stray too far from the book.
I think it will be kind of interesting how a new LWW adaption will come up with the scene with Edmund walking to the White Witch's castle and thinking these thoughts. One option would be like BBC, where he disembodies from himself and his conscious talks to him. Another would be like Walden, where he sits on the White Witch's throne (indicating he wants to be king) and had him in the dungeon (seeing the consequences of his action). So I think that will be interesting how a new adaption will come up with that.
Overall, I would say that the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre is the best adaption, since it followed the book very closely.
"And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me beloved."
(Emeth, The Last Battle)
Topic starter
Posted : April 14, 2023 11:42 am
Narnian78 liked