-Did you like the actors and how the characters were translated to screen?
Perfect!

-Did you like what was added/taken away/changed from the book?
I didn't care for how they portrayed Susan.

-Did you like the set design?
It was great

-How did you feel about the dialogue?
It did the job, not Oscar worthy but not bad either.

-How have your inital feelings on the film changed?
not really.

-Do you think the film has "aged well"?
The special effects look kind of awkward now, but aside from that it's great!

I just watched the movie again this weekend, so it is very fresh in my mind!

Acting/Characters: The acting of Georgie, Tilda, Skander, and James was phenomenal. Those four were the best character translations from the book as well. Decent acting by Will and Anna. I never really felt connected to their characters though. I'm not sure if that was because of their acting or because of the way their characters were written. Most of the minor characters such as Ginnabrick and the beavers were done nicely. I absolutely LOVED Liam Neeson as Aslan, but I didn't like how his character was portrayed. It felt like they weakened him.

Design of the Film:
Excellent! I loved the way the Wardrobe looked. Professor's house was great. Snowy Narnia was well done. Tumnus' house was fantastic. Beavers dam was good. The Stone Table was done nicely as well. The only major set I did not like was Cair Paravel. It just felt way to Disneyis. As far a locations, nice selection! It wasn't LOTR, but it didn't need to be. Fairly good animation on the beavers, wolves, and fox. Aslan was good,. He obviously had the most attention payed to. He could have been a little bigger though. Nice lighting throughout the movie.

Script:
It was alright. Certain parts of the dialogue were cheesy and cliched. It would have been nice if they kept more line from the book.

Major Changes/Additions:
The Blitz at the beginning was nice. It helped set the mood for the movie. Waterfall scene was silly and unnecessary. One of the biggest changes in my opinion, was the demotion of Aslan to an almost minor character. All the glory was given to the Pevensies for saving Narnia. They certainly helped, but without Aslan it could not have happened. My favorite addition to the movie was the jail scene at the White Witch's castle. Great character moments for Edmund there.
I think this movie has aged the best out of the three movies. Nothing in it is super out-dated. Definitely will always keep it in my collection and will show my kids someday (something I cannot say about another Narnia movie *COUGH*)

I don't think my opinion has greatly changed since I first saw it. A little bit of the magic has worn off now though. It's still extremely enjoyable. Good movie and decent adaptation.

A solid 3 stars (out of 5)

Well, it's been six years now. Wow.

As a book fan now, I can say my views on the film have changed greatly. As an eight year old, the film was pure magical and perfect for Christmas.

Now, I think as it differently. It is a good movie, but I wish that Aslan's character had more development. Aslan just felt like a secondary character, whereas in the book, He was the center of it.

And you know, as with the rest of the Narnia series, I think that LWW could have been even more special if more risks were taken. If that had happened, I have beliefs that Narnia could have been as successful, or even more, than Lord of the Rings was.

has it really been 6 years?! wow
I was 12 when my family and I went to see LWW for the first time. I still remember it. it was magical. I remember being blown away by how awesome and epic the movie was and still is. I love it I did then and I still do
my sister and I dressed up to see it - I was Lucy, my sister was Mr. Beaver (don't ask... )
from the first time I saw it until now, the Frozen River sequence has been my favorite scene it's so awesome!
I love everything about the movie. the acting. the score, the visual effects, the sound, the directing, it's all so awesome!

I haven't watched this movie in 2/3 years-- I really, really need to. *has been intending to* LWW always has a special place in my heart because it was the movie that made me love Narnia. I was so depressed when they came back from Narnia, until we saw the last scene when the professor tells her that they might go back and then Aslan's roar comes from the wardrobe... Reading the rest of the books and learning that the same characters were related to the whole series just made my reading life. This is one of those movies that I can concurrently enjoy with and separately from the book. Because despite the very present differences from the book, the essence and spirit of this movie was so close to that of the book. Because LWW prompted me to read the book and the rest of the ones in the series, so it holds a very, very special place for me. I watched it for the first time in 2005/6, I think it was. After watching it, I could not watch any other movie because I was so blown away and enchanted by Narnia, so my sister and I watched it literally around 33 times before owning it. The scenery, the CGI, the emotions, the soundtrack (!!!), and the sets... all of it is so beautiful, I want to live in that movie.

-Did you like the actors and how the characters were translated to screen? Most definitely. I think they all did their roles immense justice.
-Did you like what was added/taken away/changed from the book? I don't know... to be honest, I don't think I've read the Narnia series enough to be able to compare properly (unless it's PC or VotD). I don't know if I like it, but I can embrace the book and the movie. The Great River was not in the book and I enjoy reading the book with the sequence it has without that scene, but I ditto Liberty, the Great River scene gives me goosebumps to this day. I love it to pieces. (just thinking of it and the gorgeous soundtrack, too)
-Did you like the set design? Very much so.
-How did you feel about the dialogue? On this point, I definitely need to rewatch the movie. I think the only thing I recall being a bit not to my liking was when Maugrim was talking to Peter before the Great River scene.
-How have your inital feelings on the film changed? Not very much.
-Do you think the film has "aged well"? Yep.

I do need to see because I am very slightly convinced when people say there was more emphasis on the children saving Narnia rather than Aslan. I do need to watch it to determine how I feel about that. I definitely do need to re-watch the movie to re-judge on dialogue and character development, but I think there will always be a part of me that will love LWW for all that it is because of the special place it holds in my heart.

There isn't one thing in the whole movie that I could say "I don't like that"!
It still makes me cry, I still get chills, I still laugh at all the funny parts (even though I know pretty much every line!).
Some the special effects don't seem quite so amazing now, but neither does LotR, and it really doesn't take away from the story at all!

I've finally received the 'round tuit' which allowed me to watch Walden's LWW as well as PC & VDT. Yes, I saw the movie and even have the DVD. It is just that I haven't watched it in a while, and only started to watch it in comparison with a DVD version of the old cartoon LWW.

How do you feel about LWW as a film in general and as an adaptation?

I felt Walden's LWW is still a far better version of LWW than either the cartoon version or BBC's television version. I thought the air-raid beginning of the film was most appropriate and set the background creditably for the ensuing films as well.

Overall, I thought the movie was good, though I did not feel quite the same shiver of wonder that I felt when I first saw the movie. As an adaptation, I had no problems with any changes and thought the film still works well.

-Did you like the actors and how the characters were translated to screen?

The two child actors who played Lucy and Edmund did amazing jobs with their characters. But what I noticed most about them was how young these two actors playing the Pevensies were, compared to the other movies. Probably if there had not been such a big gap between LWW and PC, this ageing of all the Pevensies would not have been quite so obvious in the later movie. Even Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes had grown up quite considerably by PC, whilst by that time, the older Pevensies were really pushing it to play 14 or 15 year olds.

I did notice though that Will Moseley's LWW Peter was every bit as bad-tempered, especially with Edmund, as his PC version of Peter was to be with Caspian. The main difference between the movies was that LWW's Peter's anger could be considered more justifiable than is the case in PC, and that his LWW version of Peter was a bit more inclined to apologise for his angry treatment of Edmund.

I have to admit that even in the book, Susan is not one of my favourite characters, and that my views about how this character was portrayed have not changed from six years ago. I still think Anna Popplewell's version of her character was spot on. She played the character with so much denial of what Lucy was trying to tell her. I also noticed that just as in the book, Susan seemed so much less perturbed than was Peter by Edmund's duplicity and so much more ready to think that there was something wrong with Lucy.

Did anyone notice that it was Susan whose archery killed the Witch's dwarf sleigh driver?

I loved Jim Broadbent's version of the Professor, in particular. Tilda Swinton was suitably sinister as the White Witch. On the whole, I liked the acting, and felt that with abounding theatrical versions on show that trying a new film version would be most inappropriate at this time.

-Did you like what was added/taken away/changed from the book?

I had no problems with most changes from the book, especially the waterfall/ice-breaking scene which made the Pevensie escape look somewhat less predictable and easy than is the case in the book. However, I felt confused by how close the Beavers and the remaining Pevensies got to the Witch's house, in pursuit of Edmund, in contrast to the book. I don't think this closeness is necessary and gives them less creditable movie time to get away.

The Father Christmas scene was done to perfection, but I missed the Christmas dinner party Edmund and the White Witch came across whilst sledding to the Stone Table. Unlike the book Susan, Anna Popplewell's character does do a bit of shooting - she kills the Witch's dwarf. A prelude for the PC Susan's battle performance, perhaps?

-Did you like the set design?

No problems with it, overall. I notice that LOTR-style architecture is still to be expected in other fantasy movies as well as the Hobbit.

-How did you feel about the dialogue?

I've had to watch over a lifetime whilst just about everything that was ever said in my post WW2 youth has become 'cheesy' and overused to later generations, including the very word 'cheesy', so I can't really complain about dialogue, can I? At least there is some. Do we really want to go back to the silent movies of my grandmother's youth? Meanwhile, I thought the Cartoon version of LWW was too 1970's.

I do agree that Philip (meaning lover of horses) is not really a good name for Edmund's horse, though. I'm glad the mice in LWW didn't speak. 'I'm a mouse' did seem a bit 'cheesy' when spoken too many times.

-How have your inital feelings on the film changed?

My initial feelings about the movie have changed a little, I guess. My participation on NarniaWeb has made me a bit more critical and more sceptical.

-Do you think the film has "aged well"?

Yes. I think that it is still the best version of LWW the book available, and as such would still fit in well with a new series of Narnia movies, which would go some way to overcoming the characters' age differences should the rest of the books be filmed in a chronological order.

Unrelated to the actual questions, but you may like to see Ian Brodie's photo of the day - the location from the LWW battle scene.

http://www.ianbrodiephoto.net/Image-of-the-Day/Image-of-the-Day/12084175_SdSmvM#!i=1680042650&k=pkgQ72j&lb=1&s=A

This is Castle Hill in Canterbury, west of Christchurch [earthquake city].

EDIT: More

peter and chopper

I think i'm a little obsessed because I watch LWW once a month! I just still get captivated by the special effects and the music. Every time I watch it I still feel like I did the first time i saw it six years ago.

Well, having watched it for the first time in about 2 years recently, I can safely say that I love it just as much as I did 6 years ago It's just an awesome film. The special effects, the music, the acting...everything. It's just perfect and so well-made.

1.Did you like the actors and how the characters were translated to screen?
Yes, I really like Skandar and Georgie and how they portrayed Edmund and Lucy. Anna did a good job too, and I loved the fact that they gave her dark brown hair. But although I liked Will for Peter his character was not translated well on the screen. I didn't like the reluctant king.
2. Did you like what was added/taken away/changed from the book?
I would have preferred that they followed the book and was saddened by the fact that they took stuff away.
3.Did you like the set design?
I loved the set design.
4. How did you feel about the dialogue?
I felt it was very English. Pretty funny jokes.
5. How have your inital feelings on the film changed?
No. Not really. I still love the film.
6.Do you think the film has "aged well"?
I think so.

-Did you like the actors and how the characters were translated to screen? Yes, very much so. I felt that the actors did an excellent job of bringing life to the characters. Everyone was brilliant, but Georgie in particular blew me away with her performance. I think that was because she was so young at the time; finding young actors who can pull off a performance like that is rather difficult.
-Did you like what was added/taken away/changed from the book? While watching the movie, I wasn't paying that much attention to what was changed from the book. However, I did notice that Lucy originally found the wardrobe through exploration of the house and went back during hide-and-seek. Personally, I think the fact that she found it while hiding from Peter made a bit more sense.
-Did you like the set design? Yes, it was wonderful.
-How did you feel about the dialogue? Great feel for the characters.
-How have your inital feelings on the film changed? Nope.
-Do you think the film has "aged well"? Yes.

It's kind of weird thinking it's been so long since this film came out.

-Did you like the actors and how the characters were translated to screen?
I very much liked the actors. They were all well casted. Georgie Henley was probably the best. Liam Neeson did good for Aslan's voice. I think the White Witch's design was good and interesting. I would have liked to have seen a more accurate look from the book though.

-Did you like what was added/taken away/changed from the book?
Honestly, when I watched the movie none of the changes really stood out to me. For instance, the reasons Lucy and then the children enter the wardrobe. The last time they all enter, I remember reading about it before watching the movie, so I noticed that one.

-Did you like the set design?
I think it was good. Nothing that really stood out as AMAZING, but it was sufficient enough.

-How did you feel about the dialogue?
They did a pretty good job at trying to make it more modern dialogue without changing/ruining the main characters or hurting the story. I now realize that they should have focused more on Aslan saving Narnia, rather than the children. However, the dialogue is also sufficient, with including as little cheesy/cliche lines as they could.

-How have your inital feelings on the film changed?
I still think it's a good, maybe great, film. Even though I don't like the last two films, those two haven't ruined LWW for me. It doesn't have as much of the same splendor and wonder that it had when I first watched it. Mostly because I've seen it so many times.

-Do you think the film has "aged well"?
I think so. Eventually the CGI will show it's age. But almost all movie effects usually will as technology progresses. Do I think this film will stand the test of time? Maybe, I'm leaning more towards yes. But it won't make a mark in fantasy films like Lord of the Rings has. The Narnia series, in general, often seems less popular than LOTR. So, the film will follow suit with other Narnia media.

Other Thoughts
I've seen this film many times. I can still sit and watch it. I have to be in the mood for watching something with a lot of winter scenes in it though. When I first watched it, I was still new to Narnia. Almost all the scenes from the book seemed to be in tact. The changes that were made to the story weren't too noticeable to me. Aslan's death scene was kind of disappointing. It wasn't as sad, intense or as emotionally impacting as I would hope it would be. But I guess the best description of how this movie has made me feel in times past would be my sister's response when she first saw the film and credits were rolling. She kind of just let out a long breath/sigh, as to say, "wow... that was cool."
Good film. Good literal adaption, scene-wise. Theme-wise it falls a little short, kind of leaving you wanting more. If they were to make another film, I would find it quite difficult to do as well or better than this film.

Did you like the actors and how the characters were translated to screen?
I liked them all except for Susan and Jadis.

Susan in the books seemed more to me like a "motherly worrier". I think it was a part of her character to try to mother her siblings as part of her desire to grow up. And she also had a habit of being fearful. Movie!Susan worried somewhat, but it seemed to be in a different way. I think she was more afraid of doing something "illogical" than trying to keep her siblings out of danger. She was more dry and intellectual than motherly.

With Jadis, I was hoping they wouldn't make her so... cold. ( ) I mean, she's supposed to be cold when it comes to temperature. But when it comes to personality, she always gave me the impression of being very hot-tempered in the books. Tilda Swinton's Jadis was very cruel and angry. But it was done in a very stone-faced manner. And I thought it was that feisty nature that made the character interesting in the book.

-Did you like what was added/taken away/changed from the book?
I definitely liked the fox character they added. I thought the petal design of the dryads was pretty cool. And it was nice to see some of the scenes that were added, because it's a chance to see the characters do things I hadn't seen them do before. As much as I love the books, after reading them multiple times, I start to wish there was more to read about them. And changes in movies can often provide that.

I had some problems with the changes, but mostly minor things. I think the worst part was that they, at times, put more importance on the arrival of the children than the arrival of Aslan.

-Did you like the set design?
I thought it was lovely. Beautiful. I really felt like it was set in Narnia. And that's something you don't expect, since it's a world with such a unique feel to it.

-How did you feel about the dialogue?
I think I liked most of it a good deal. The jokes actually made me laugh, as opposed to the cheesy humor in the other Narnia films. I think the movie was, overall, well-written.

-How have your inital feelings on the film changed?
Yes, but not because of the film itself. I so disliked the two Narnia movies which came after it that I think they may have tainted my view of the franchise as a whole. When I heard the word "Narnia movie" a few years back, it would bring a smile to my face because I would be thinking of LWW. But now it just makes me grimace. I hope that changes in the future. I would like to come to the point where I regard LWW as separate from the others, so I can enjoy it like I did when it first came out.

-Do you think the film has "aged well"?
It depends on what you mean by that. It's a movie I'll always want on my shelf, certainly. And I definitely plan to pass it on to my children. However, I don't often hear people talking about it nowadays. I never hear friends say, "Oh, we're sitting down to watch The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" like I hear them say about the LOTR movies. Maybe their view of it has also been tainted by the other two movies, though I hope that isn't the case.

~Riella

I just finished watching LWW yesterday, and I was surprised by some fresh thoughts that came to mind.

-Did you like the actors and how the characters were translated to screen?
I did. I was especially pleased with the way we understand each character in the first 3 minutes of the movie (the bombing scene) with practically no dialogue. This is a very interesting point - the director managed to show the general character and role of each of the children in the very beginning of the movie without telling us about them. In the first 5 minutes, you already understand that A - Peter is the older son who is worried for his family members, B - Susan is a concerned older sister with a head on her shoulders (you'll notice the first thing she does in the movie is run in with a flashlight looking for something to take with her - how many people would think of that in a moment of panic?) C - Edmund is kind of jerk with a rebellious, but nevertheless good heart (as in he's not entirely incorrigible - a hint to the fact that he's going to be getting on everyone's nerves, but he may change later on because he still has good in him - the love for his father) D - Lucy is the baby of the family who everyone is looking out for. We get all this in the bombing scene alone - I think that's pretty impressive work for a director (and the actors, of course) in regards towards character development, no?

On the other hand, though, I think the White Witch's character was played down for what it could have been. While Tilda Swinton is amazing, I expected something more grandiose from her - something more stately, more powerful...maybe a deeper voice or a more flowing costume...I'm not sure. I think it just called for a more commanding presence...I would have liked to see Cate Blanchett in that role - I think she would have pulled it off better.

-Did you like what was added/taken away/changed from the book?
Yes, I do feel that the Aslan resurrection scene was underrated. In the book, the whole story revolves around Aslan - indirectly at first, but more vividly later on. The whole point of the book is that Edmund betrayed his family, and there is no escape for him except death, and Aslan takes this punishment upon himself (an analogy to Christ), so that although the story starts with the Pevensies, it ends up really revolving around Aslan. Aslan's death and resurrection is the climax of the book. In the movie, the climax is the battle, and the resurrection is treated more as a means to an end - the battle can only be won when Aslan is there to win it, while in the book the real battle is already won when Aslan has resurrected - the physical battle is just a little clean up part he has to do afterwards (again, in reference to Christianity, as the battle for our sins was won when Christ died and resurrected from the cross), We can see this when we see, in the book, that only one sentence and a little description from Peter is used to describe the battle. The movie, in an attempt to add "epic-ness" makes a large battle scene and a short resurrection. While I do think the battle is great and amazing and powerful, I would like to see a less spectacular battle and more spectacular resurrection, because that's the more important part of the book (In my opinion)

-Did you like the set design?
Yes, very much, especially the Beaver's House, and, of course, Mr. Tumnus's house. I would have liked to see a bit more white and blue rather than green in the Witch's palace...but maybe green is good too, as it adds an eeriness to it all.

-How did you feel about the dialogue?
Generally ok, a wee bit cheesy in some places. I love all of Aslan's lines - they're just perfect. The kids' lines, and some of the Witch's lines seemed a little...kiddy (but again, it may have been the performance of them, not just the lines)

-How have your inital feelings on the film changed?
I guess since I've seen the movie 16 times, my initial feelings have been changing very gradually, so I can't honestly answer that question. I do still think it is an amazing movie, a children's movie, but nevertheless amazing, epic, and powerful. I still recommend it to everyone I see, and am proud to call myself a fan of it!

-Do you think the film has "aged well"?
I'm not exactly sure what this question means...I guess I would say 'yes'. It wasn't really tied down to any 'modern' opinions or even mannerisms of its time, which makes it really very timeless and relevant to watch at any time, both present and future. Some CG parts do look a little patchy now that I look at it (particularly some shots that were obviously green-screened) but overall I think it is a movie that has stood the test of time, and remains an enjoyable, intriguing, and memorable movie to watch.

Other Thoughts
Oh, boy, I feel so long-wended that I don't know what else to write, really. I was so pleasantly surprised to see so much subtlety and good directing in comparison to VoDT. I liked it much more than any of the subsequent movies -including PC. I think LWW, even though it has some weak points, some weak acting and cheesy lines, and some weak adaption points, it is a classic and the best of the series.