Yes I thought the commentaries were ok. I usually prefer the cast over the director and producer talking.

The crew commentary for LWW is pretty good (although having Ford on the phone is a bit odd). Adamson is great at explaining his creative process.

Not a fan of the cast commentaries. Worth listening to once if you're a big fan, but that's all.

I didn't buy the VDT Blu-ray, so I haven't heard that commentary.

Commentaries are hit and miss. Tim Burton's commentaries are really dull. All the Pixar commentaries are awesome. My favorite commentary ever is the director/writers commentary for LOTR:Fellowship. Perfect mixture of insight to the creative process, technical mumbo jumbo, and stories from the set.

I have always enjoyed the cast commetaries in Narnia over the crew commentary. I listen to both of the cast commentaries but got tired of the LWW crew commentary after I was a quarter through and I think never finished listening to it, but I don't remember. For me, the movie is always more enjoyable if I know something someone else doesn't because I listened to commentary and they didn't.

Aha! I was wondering if someone had a topic about the commentaries.
So, I loved the commentaries on LWW and PC, I love hearing the kids interact! It's so much fun, you feel like you know them, like you could be friends with them.
However, I'm about partway through the VOTDT commentary and not enjoying it so much. It's interesting and all, but I was really disappointed that it's just the director and producer. I was looking forward to the kids again . . . although, I guess they're not really kids anymore.

Okay, so, at one point Michael Apted was talking about the green mist (which of course immediately set my teeth on edge) and the whole slavery side plot, and then he starts talking about how he wanted to show this and lead into how in The Silver Chair, Narnians get kidnapped by the LOTGK and taken underground as slaves who are going to attack Narnia. . . As you can imagine, I've been rather put out at him ever since, even more than I was before.
Did he even read the books? For one thing, it's the creatures/gnome type things (forget what Lewis calls them) that are enslaved by the LOTGK! And they come from even lower down! Rilian is the only Narnian kidnapped and taken down! And he was enchanted as well, not merely kidnapped!
I truly hope Mr. Apted does not direct The Silver Chair, or we can kiss that story as we know it goodbye too.

Sorry if that's off topic, if so mods, please feel free you move it where you will. I am rather annoyed and got slightly carried away I suppose.

oh I love the cast commentaries I watch them all the time, over and over! I especially like watching the commentaries when I am home by myself - it's almost like the cast is in the room with me!
the commentaries are truly the best for finding out things from the making of the movie! and they are hilarious too!

I was dissapointed that the kids were not in the VotDT one, but oh well. at least there's one at all! I have not yet heard the VotDT one yet, but I hope to soon!

I too was disappointed that VDT didn't have the cast commentaries. I haven't even looked at the crew commentaries yet (haven't had time), but I normally don't enjoy those in comparison with the cast ones. Although the exception is of course, as Glumpuddle mentioned, the LotR ones. I loved the director/writer commentaries for those!
I'll post more thoughts on the VDT commentary once I actually have a chance to listen to it,.

I havn't heard the VDT comentary and as it is a directors comentary not a cast one I don't know wether I will. I prefer the cast talking becasue they have more of a laugh and tell you interesting anecdotes (But thats just my opinion.) I liked the LWW one but prefered the PC cast one. They are usualy interesting and funny and like wolfloversk, I always look forward to listning to them. I don't know this time though...

I miss not having a cast commentary for VDT. It would have been nice to hear Will P's comments being it's his first Narnia film and working with Skandar and Georgie. The LWW commentary I enjoyed a lot and the PC commentary was okay and you could hear how the actors had changed/grown between films.

There are a few anecdotes that come out of the director/producer commentary about the actors. Just interesting tidbits like Skandar did his own stunt swinging to the mast at the end (amazing) and bits about how different the actors are and filming.

I'm amazed at how they never went to sea and most of the water is 'special effect' water. It wasn't completely boring, though a few times I admit I didn't care for what Michael Apted said about taking from Silver Chair to link the VDT green mist to SC (cringed when listening to that part).

Also near the end it was surprising to find out that they added a shot to the scene where Eustace lays the last sword on the table (to create more suspense? I guess on insistence of a Fox executive) with Will P. fighting the green mist many months after principal photography ended and hid his growth/different appearance with green mist!

I was disappointed to find out that there wasn't a cast commentary to the film- I've always enjoyed them more to the crew ones in the Narnia films. There's also the fact that I'm not very keen on Michael Apted as a Narnia director, and as Kira said, sometimes it doesn't even seem like he's read the source material- makes it slightly annoying to listen to at times.
Also, it's really sad to not hear how Will Poulter felt about his first Narnia film in a commentary.
I am thankful though, that there was a commentary included at all- it wasn't totally dull, and that's something

ooh I just watched VotDT with commentary and it's fun! not as fun as it would have been with the kids, but still fun! I love how

Spoiler

Michael Apted said that it was really hard to film the scene when Caspian and Edmund are putting on armour.....they shot it three times!

It'd be cool if people starting posting the VDT commentary highlights here.

Rilian told me that either Johnson or Apted said that they added the mist because "every great adventure needs a villain, and this book didn't have one." (paraphrasing)

I'd love to get an exact quote. I find it hard to believe that any self-respecting artist would admit that such simple-minded thinking was behind a huge story decision like that.

They're basically admitting that they robbed the story of something that made it special. I always felt that, but I'm surprised to see them admit it. And of course they're also implying that the book is not a great adventure because it doesn't follow the formula of having a villain.

Based on what I have heard so far, I think I may have to hear this commentary to believe it... Maybe I'll buy the Blu-ray on eBay....hmmm.

Well one interesting detail was that Johnson and Apted apparently got in a fight on set at one point

And yeah I think it was Apted who said the quote that Rilian was talking about... I think though his thinking like this stems from the fact that this is his first fantasy film. Also I think they hint at the fact that it was aimed at a younger audience this time (ages "5 and up" to use their words )

I'll try to post some more notes after I listen to it again

I love the cast commentaries. I enjoy re-watching the first one (only recently saw the one for PC). I can't wait for VDT's!! I'm sure the other commentaries (director, producer) are nice but I prefer the acting side of things and the kids are really fun to listen to, in my opinion.

Lu

Well one interesting detail was that Johnson and Apted apparently got in a fight on set at one point

yeah, it was when they were trying to film the scene in Caspian's cabin when Caspian and Edmund are getting ready for the battle at Dark Island.....for some reason they were having trouble getting that scene right and they had ti shoot it 3 times! and for some reason Michael Apted and Mark Johnson had a bit of a fight beacause of it and they nearly drove Skandar and Ben crazy trying to shoot tjhat scene