I have commented more than once about my love for the books. And in general, I like these BBC adaptations. They aren't perfect, but they are very enjoyable, and I concur with those who say the best is The Silver Chair, in my view it is absolutely. The book is wonderful with a great story, and this adaptation did it justice. Any changes that were made actually worked, particularly Rillian's iron mask. One or two parts may have dated slightly though, and there is a rather weak scene with the committee of owls and eyeballs in the dark. On the whole, the production values are an improvement, with the sets and costumes good enough and the effects much better than previously. The music is still as beautiful as ever, the writing has also improved and the story is wonderful, the whole Rillian story especially is brilliantly done. And the acting is fine. Camilla Power is very good, as is David Thwaites. Barbara Kellerman is a stunning and imposing Green Lady, and Aslan is majestically voiced by Ronald Pickup. The standout though is easily Tom Baker, who is simply brilliant as Puddlegum, and I too think he gives the best performance of the entire series. All in all, very enjoyable even with its limitations. 8/10 Bethany Cox
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TheLittleSongbird31 December 2010
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Sparrow_in_flight18 July 2003I've grown up watching this and the other three Narnia movies (TLTW&TW PC & TVotDT). I fell in love with them. As far as adaptations go, they were wonderfully done. The child actors used did a great job of portraying Eustace and Jill, and Caspian at the end. it was all brought together wonderfully, and when watching it, you can almost believe that you will entr Narnia yourself. i wish they could've done all 7.
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While I would largely agree with the sentiments as expressed by the below gentleman, I would contend a few cases. This chap claims it was a "trilogy"? Well, he's fallen prey to the IMDB-shared delusion that Prince Caspian & Dawntreader are one story, when in fact they are and were intended as two separate books and dramatisations! Also, I think "Loach10" is grossly misrepresenting the below commentators when he tars them with the mantle of "cynicism"; the reviews are, on the contrary, wholly favourable if rather short and indeed make little reference to special effects. I would also suggest that by no means does the "trilogy" "more than adequately cover" the whole Narnia saga - heavens, they didn't make "The Last Battle", frankly my favourite book of them all and a great close to the series. Oh, and the perhaps not so small case of "A Horse and His Boy"; a fine little contrast of a book, fleshing out Calormen, featuring good characters and generally offering refreshing, derring Arabian Nights-esque "do".
Anyway, enough of such quibbling, however required it be. May I declare I know the below reviewer "in real life" and the said Chris Loach is a fine, if contrary fellow. He indeed even lent me the video of "The Silver Chair" last year, from which I am able to type this addled review. I too was revisiting it after around ten years, after liking the whole Narnia shebang as a child. Beady eyed folk may know if they've read my "Caspian/Voyage" joint review that my feelings were mixed regarding those two, with "Caspian" very mediocre and "Voyage" wonderful. "The Silver Chair" stands somewhere in between for me, albeit closer to the quality of "Voyage of the Dawn Treader".
"The Silver Chair" is one of my favourite of the stories, with a fairy tale plot proving a nice contrast to the mystical, Homeric journey of "Dawn Treader". The whole Rillian story is most enjoyable and yes, could even be viewed as a potential adult fairy tale, though it's not truly intended that way. Tom Baker is wonderful yes, as Puddleglum, but it is perhaps more a job of excellent casting than acting: anyone who has seen as many Tom Baker "Dr Who" episodes as I have, not to mention other stuff he's been in, would know he has got a limited range. It is however a range that centres around a comic flair and otherworldly eccentricity; his early Dr Whos I suppose show him in a slightly more restrained, mixed vein. That's not to say Baker is unwelcome when going a little OTT; his mid-late Dr Whos are wonderfully enjoyable although he could often tend to overshadow the stories and guest casts in some of those... Oh, and his Puddleglum is certainly eccentric, if I suppose restrained in the sense that he's dour. No doubt, anyway, that his presence is more than welcome and he's really the only member of the cast to match the high standards as set by Samuel West and John Hallam in the previous dramatization. Camilla Power, who I see is still acting in British TV, is very good as Jill, certainly convincing as this slight misfit of a girl, less cloying than Lucy and certainly more damn substantial than the "here today, gone tomorrow" Susan! She's a good 13 or so, and so seems to be playing younger than she is - but that could be just the changing times that have brought the perspective that girls of 12/13 are not so innocent as they once were. Jill Pole is certainly a lot more likeable than most of the other Narnia children; lol, perhaps as she's from a "Secondary Modern" school...! Yes, I do see that the adaptation to TV diluted many of C.S. Lewis' hilarious thinly-veiled attacks on comprehensive school education... I was really taken aback by this when reading the book fairly recently, certainly a sign of a slightly jaundiced, conservative view towards "Progressive Schools" that manifests itself in these lower class variants on the "Tom Brown's Schooldays" bullies. Eustace, the mellowed sort that he now is, works pretty well in this story, though he is a trifle bland - his preposterous indignation was very amusing indeed early in "Dawn Treader" I feel. The "Har Fang" episode is in many ways the best part of it, and certainly the part I remembered most; who could forget the giant, amazingly sinister, smiling face of Patsy Byrne? She is indeed playing an oddly similar role, as some sort of nanny, to that she played in the fine sitcom, "Blackadder II". Tom Baker shines in the scene where Puddleglum's (maybe) pretending to be drunk, and when he realises the mess they are in it's hilarious. There's some great comedy also at some meal part where Jill beams, "Oh! I've never tasted vension before! Isn't it scrumptious!?" Puddleglum says in relation to her acting, "The giants all seem to love her", Eustace goes, "Girls are always much better at that sort of thing than boys..." and then Baker delivers it wonderfully: "Even boys are better at it than Marshwiggles..." The whole section is well filmed, as really, is most of the rest of it. Only the scenes actually set in Narnia are a little unsatisfying, though there is of course... the snake! Yes, the Narnia scenes, as with "Prince Caspian" do not show the place in sufficiently sublime a light for me - is it me or were the BBC unlucky with the weather they got? They also could have chosen less mundane areas of the British countryside I feel, not that it's bad; it's just that Narnia should look like something special and magical. Again, you also have a few of the comedy Yorkshire accents - "Ah! The boy's useless!" - attributed to animals who, well, are not the greatest costumed perhaps. Also, the aged Caspian element is not so well conveyed as it should be.
Old Babs Kellerman - practically the only mature female lead performer the series ever used - is better than in "Prince Caspian", though she admittedly does have more screen time here, and a role central to the plot. Oh, and she doesn't have to don the ageing make-up to play such an "Old Hag" as her "Prince Caspian" character is billed. We perhaps have a little make up of a different kind, as we are treated to this Green Lady, a dame who quite clearly has a sexual as well as magical hold over Rilian. It is undeniably implicit in the story at a few points I would say. Kellerman is slightly hammy but not to so large a degree as with "Prince Caspian" and from my distant memories, her role in "The Lion, The Witch...". The actor who played Rilian is indeed excellent, giving much credibility and a dangerous edge to his character. Come to think of it, when the Underworld part of the story does not involve the Lady or Rilian, it does get slightly more dull... The "Old Father Time" bit and more of it, was better done in the book. Of course, the climatic "There never *was* such a world as Narnia..." scene, including Puddleglum's passionate speech, is stirring, effective stuff with atmosphere and pathos. I love Tom Baker's delivery of the speech, and Kellerman's "Over... *world*?" giddily questioning tones, trying to make reality appear a dazed dream. Speaking of intonations, Ronald Pickup masterfully voices the immobile Aslan - Pickup really has got a rich, lovely voice.
On a final note, I feel a certain lack of confidence in any likely project to bring the Narnia series to film. Certainly some stray animal costumes and the like would be more visually up to standard, but indeed, would the charm be preserved? For every thoughtful "Lord of the Rings" film adaptation you get myriad anaemic mummifyings - "Harry Potter" - and on the chance occasion you even get adaptations of charming British originals like "The Avengers" TV series that are frankly cringeworthily misguided...! I'm sure we would get a British cast largely for Narnia films, but that is no guarantee you're going to get the right people. The choice of director would be important - no ill-plying hack like Jeremiah S. Chechik or that Columbus feller. To conclude, I feel such a project would be highly risky, and the idea of "a modern adaptation" of Narnia is surely missing the point entirely, as much of their charm is grounded in the past. You cannot have the children as anything other than 1940s English public school stock, for example. Besides, what I want is for the BBC to finally do "The Last Battle"... or failing that, let someone like David Lynch or budding director Tom May take have a stab at doing a dark if still recognizable film of it! "The Silver Chair"; certainly a TV adaptation excellent in most regards that matter...
Rating:- ****/***** -
RussGrabes17 August 2004Mty son (7 years old) lovs this one and all of the series. I like this one in particular, largely because of Tom Baker's brilliance.
I just have a question for anyone who has watched it.
Did anyove notice that Puddleglum says the magic word (ie f*ck)?
In the scene where he gets drunk and he is picked up by the fat lady giant, Puddleglum makes some incomprehensible protests. Among this, pretty clearly, he says the magic word. My 7 year old first noticed this and told me. I told him he must be wrong. But I watched/lisstened to the offending bit and I had to tell my son that he was right. It was one of the funniest things i've ever seen / heard.
Anyway, Tom Baker is brilliant as always and he can do no wrong in my eyes. -
CalvinValjean24 August 2007This is the third in my three-part review of the BBC Narnia serial. Please check out my earlier two.
THE SILVER CHAIR This one's always been the best, hands down. Similar to Dawn Treader, this is due to the story being a quest, which adapts well to film, and there is less emphasis on battles or visual f/x, but more on adventure and discovery. The climatic scenes involving Rillian imprisoned in the silver chair make for compelling drama. I also think the costumes and sets improved this time around, especially in the Underland Palace.
The cleverest conceit of this adaptation is the idea of the bewitched Rillian wearing an iron mask, something that wasn't in the book but works BRILLIANTLY on film. Obviously they HAD to do this so that the audience wouldn't recognize him at first, but it just adds such a great visual touch to the tormented character. Indeed, the role of Rillian is really a three part performance: 1. A naive romantic youth in the flashbacks, 2. An angry and tormented knight while bewitched, and 3. A more mature and valiant version of the first stage after he is freed.
Camilla Power is very good as Jill, making the character very headstrong and likable (which Lucy wasn't). She's also very pretty. Eustace is good again. Warwick Davis (who previously was Reepicheep and this time is Glimfeather) and Big Mick (as Trumpklin) are also good again, but sadly there is less of both. Barbara Kellerman (playing a different witch) totally overacts yet again, and THANK GOD that there is also less of her this time around.
But the real star is Tom Baker as Puddleglum. Everyone who's ever seen this agrees that his performance is likely the best in the entire BBC series, and I personally think he deserved a BAFTA. He just plays the role so pessimistically, yet delivers his jokes with such a straight face. And underneath all that, he's actually a very brave companion, and his speech to the Witch makes you want to cheer.
Alas, nothing is perfect, and this entry still has problems. The production value is still what it is, and the pacing becomes a problem again (a full 3 hours on a rather simple book). There is one scene that LITERALLY DID make me crack up at its corniness, which is when Eustace tries to stop Jill from falling off the cliff and ends up falling himself. What makes it so funny is the fact that you don't actually see the cliff they're standing on, and it was obviously just filmed over a hill. But I will forgive them that, since I realize that with their budget, there probably was no alternative way to film the scene.
WEAKEST MOMENT: When our heroes arrive at the committee of the Owls, and we're staring at a bunch of cartoon eyeballs in the dark. Oy vey!
In conclusion, the BBC serials were a worthy attempt at adapting Narnia, and most of us who loved Narnia as kids and had no other film versions will look back at this series with nostalgia. But I for one look forward to the new versions. The true Aslan and Narnia exist only in the pages of C.S. Lewis, and that is the best place to get the story! -
The Silver Chair is perhaps the most consistent of the commendable trilogy of BBC Narnia adaptations of the late 80's, back in those dim distant days when the BBC was committed to quality children's drama. Revisiting the production Ten years after first viewing I found myself warmed anew by the charm of Narnia, which the trilogy more than adequately conveys, and am quite frankly saddened by some of the cynicism of some reviewers towards the economical budgeting. The acting is excellent throughout, Tom Baker much deserving of praise for is simply superb performance as the perennial pessimist 'Puddleglum'; a truly crafted and nuanced portrayal of one C.S Lewis' most endearing characters. Equally the respective child actors put in commendable performances, I much liked the slightly more forceful interpretation of the character of Jill, and Ronald Pickup's Aslan remains resplendent. Perhaps Kellerman's Green Lady is a little OTT for any mature viewer, but the younger viewer will revel in her pantominesque acting.
The atmosphere of the TSC is altogether more dark than some of the earlier outings, Richard Henders manic performance as the crazed Rillian as his the child actors almost visibly reeling in horror, and the scene where Kellerman's Green Lady bewitches the children, "There never was a Narnia", is seditiously sinister. What a shame the tension of the scene was somewhat dispelled when Kellerman transforms into a very unthreatening rubber snake which, despite my defence of the budgeting, really was palpably absurd.
The Chronicles of Narnia really are crying for a modern adaption, to captivate a whole new generation of children bored into catalepsy by inane 'S-Club 7' type melodrama. Indeed, I'm heard whisperings of a Movie production of 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe', inspired perhaps by the movie success of Tolkien. A Hollywood Narnia would indeed by very interesting, perhaps at last Aslan will bound across the screen to remedy my memories of the all to static Aslan of the BBC productions, and the Green Lady will actually turn into a serpent! I only hope the casting and acting is as good as is in these BBC classics! -
karalynnn4 April 2005The Silver Chair is the Third and final installment of the BBC miniseries production of C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. The adaptation from the book, like the other two DVD's in the series, is right on. And like the other two movies the effects are pretty old school, but considering this was a made for TV miniseries that is over 15 years old, it is forgivable; and as the series progresses the effects do improve. I over all the ensemble of Eustace (David Thwaites), Jill (Camilla Power) and Puddleglum (Tom Baker) worked very, very well together. And I also feel obliged to add that Tom Bakers portrayal of Puddleglum was superb, but that is to be expected by "Dr. Who".
SPOILER ALERT:
The only parts of the movie that disappointed me was the lack of explanation as to why the Earth Men were throwing themselves into the deep crevice, that should have been edited out of the miniseries if it wasn't to be expounded upon. I was also not very impressed with the portrayal of the enchanted Prince Rilian. -
jlazbuggy15 August 2021I'm not to fond of writing long reviews. I like to keep things short, so this will be a quick one.
This one is amazing! Ever since I had been watching it on VHS as a toddler and eventually watching it on DVD, I've always loved this one and I don't think I need to say that Tom Baker steals the show as Puddleglum. -
clck200127 July 2007This is the best one. However, I will say that these movies never have achieved that sense of wonder and amazement that I feel the books always have. But, when the 2005 version came out, and I watched it, I was FLOORED! The 2005 version is better than all of the BBC TV presentations put together. The 2005 version holds your attention throughout, even in the parts when they are just playing hide-and-seek or talking about Aslan, and has that sense of wonder and amazement correctly portrayed throughout, also. Tom Baker was good as Puddleglum- he gives the best performance! But when I read the book, I pictured him to be, well, to be like he was in the illustration that is in my edition of the Silver Chair- taller and thinner, and smoking his pipe most of the time. But otherwise, Tom Baker is "quite up to snuff". When the queen is bitten by the snake, she does not look very concerned, or very hurt, or very worried about screaming for help, or very worried about dying, for that matter. And I thought Pole would be a lot prettier. In the scene where Puddleglum is "drunk", it was not nearly as funny as it was in the book. In the movie, that scene was humorous. In the book, that scene was laughable, hilarious, and I just about died laughing the first time I read that page in the book, and I just about die laughing every time I read it.
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ejpedde21 January 2006The last post was less than honest in it's claim that CS Lewis did not blatantly make his books Christian books. He is right in claiming that "The book {Silver Chair} does NOT include Aslan's ending line from the film where he says that he also exists in the human world, but that the kids MUST learn his 'other name.'" What this person neglected to say, either through ignorance or dishonesty, is that the line does appear in the books, although it is at the end of "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", not "Silver Chair." While Lewis was fond of saying "What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects -- with their Christianity latent", he didn't often follow his own advice.
On the movie, it is a fairly faithful film, but was done in the late 80's released in 90, so it did not, alas, have the benefit of computer graphics. Still, it's well worth watching. -
LT-1011 January 2003The Silver Chair, BBC's final journey into Narnia, is a solid and enjoyable entry.
Visually and Technically it is the series greatest achievement. The Underground World and it's people have been created excellently, as well as other sequences such as the giant's bridge. Of course we're still going to have those animals in costume. I really don't have much of a problem with this, but still, we don't need to flaunt hedgehogs that have no relation to the story. The Silver Chair is the only film in the series that has areas where the writing needs a little perk up. The pacing is fine until the last 30 minutes. It becomes almost hard to follow, and lost my attention a bit. Despite that the first 2.5 hours are absolutely addictive.
Locations, as always, are perfect. They are dead on to C.S. Lewis' books. I hope to get to some of these places in my travels. The locations for all the Narnia films are perfect.
Its kind of a shame that finale of the Narnia series is a bit of a let down, but a message still comes through. "I have different names in your world..." Probably one of the rare times children's entertainment actually gives you chills.
Acting- 2/2
Locations- 2/2
Script- 1.5/2
Visuals- 1.5/2
Total---> 7/10 -
bonniejoy-978-687634 May 2014The Silver Chair is one of my favorite stories of the Narnia series. The messages are powerful, the adventures are intense, and the ending bitter-sweet (and desirable). Mostly it's about Jill and Eustace being called out of their world, and with the help of a marshwiggle called Puddleglum, they go to find a lost Narnian prince who is being held captive by the Lady of the Green Kirtle (also known as the Queen of the Underland). Along the way they encounter giants, unfriendly weathers, and underground creatures.
The plot sounds great, but the movie couldn't quite live up to the intenseness of the story. I don't blame the directors or writers, especially since there was not much CGI back then, so everyone had to dress in animal costumes, use a robotic lion for Aslan, and the special effects for the giants vs the main characters was not the best. The robotic Aslan looked very very awkward. Whenever it talked its jaw would drop at the wrong times, it barely ever sat or lay down, and the character (compared to the first movie) always seemed angry. Sure he's considered to not be a tame lion, but he wasn't always angry, but neither was he always pleased with everything. Maybe I'm just being picky, but I feel more of his anger than kindness or compassion.
The only other thing that bothers me is the cheesy acting. I would have to say that Puddleglum and Prince Rillian are the only characters I enjoy who aren't over acting, but the rest of the actors make no sense in their acting. Take for example at the beginning when the bullies are "picking' on Jill, all they're doing is cornering her and yelling her last name, "Pole! Pole! Pole!" What are they making fun of? Are they making fun of her name being the same as a telephone pole? And when they're chasing her, what's the purpose? Do they just want to continue shouting Pole at her? That's one of many parts that always confused me. But the only overacting to rival all of them is the Lady of the Green Kirtle herself. It's Barbara Kellerman; and we've already seen her as the overacting White Witch and the Hag from the previous films, so she's pretty much not playing a different role. I would have liked it better if the directors got someone else for the part, but I guess there was a low budget, so I'll let that pass. However, what I won't let pass is that she's way over the top in her acting and being over dramatic. It almost felt as if she thought that the only way anybody would get the idea of how evil her character was, was for her to go over the top in her monologues, screaming, run around a lot, and change her voice around from deep and angry to sweet and soft. True that's what she does in the book, but she had a way of containing her wrath by being calm and cool until she couldn't at the very end. In the movie she goes in and out of frustration and sweetness making me confused.
I occasionally watch it, but I still think that it's a bit cheesy and could have been better improved (at least in the acting if not in the special effects). -
This is much better than the BBC's earlier forays into Narnia, partly due to the book it's based on. It's set in the bare, unpopulated wastes to Narnia's north, so the drab scenery is not a defect. Nor is the absence of extras. Puddleglum, C.S. Lewis's best Narnian creation, is played by Tom Baker, who fits the role as well as anyone on Earth. In general the acting is better in `The Silver Chair' than it was earlier on. Direction is crisper, costumes are more convincing: everything has improved. I have commented harshly on `The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe', and most of those comments apply here as well, but never to the same extent. This is actually okay television. Of course, an adaptation of the Narnia books should be much more than that.
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This collection gives us the complete set of the BCC adaptations of the Narnia novels by C.S. Lewis in three miniseries of six episodes each, plus some extras. The first is "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (1988) about the city Wardrobe in the country Spare Room. The second (1989) brings together "Prince Caspian" (two episodes) and "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (four episodes). The third concerns "The Silver Chair" (1990).
The first adaptation sets the tone and the main characters. The tone is that of the novel and it is done for children. It sounds slightly naïve at times because the storyteller is no longer constantly present and is not C.S. Lewis at all when there is a voice over. The regular "we" or "this world" or even the "lions of Trafalgar Square", meaning the real world, addressing the children's audience from an external adult point of view, reminding us of the fact that this is all a story, disappear and I think it is a loss.
The second adaptation makes two full novels into one story with a shift from the first one to the second that is at least abrupt and the packing up of the two in six episodes makes psychological details and descriptive details scanty. The story becomes a story line more than a fully developed story. The dragon though is a good nice creation, and that was necessary since it was an essential element and it had to fly properly, which is not the case with other flying animals, particularly Aslan. They are mostly simple and stiff. It keeps the story of the Dawn Treader the way it is in the novel and the end is the real end including the final pilgrimage of the mouse Reepicheep and the return of the children. It is a lot more respectful of the spirit of the story than the ending of the recent long feature that can be seen in cinemas.
The last adaptation gives details and the witch is a marvel though her becoming a serpent and being killed is less impressive since no green blood is shed and only Prince Rilian takes part in that execution. Eustace and Puddleglum taking part is nice but in the novel. The escape from the underground city does not try to explain the even deeper world of fire and incandescence into which all the gnomic slaves of the witch jump back happily. I miss the big celebration outside the hole from which they extract themselves, with fauns, dryads, satyrs and dwarfs all dancing together. But well at least they keep the details of King Caspian X's death and his resurrection in Aslan's country though they soften the harsh commentary of C.S. Lewis on the English school system and the incompetence of school principals and inspectors, or MPs.
But these adaptations are interesting nevertheless. They insist on the fact these stories are not heroic fantasy but only children's literature. That is important because then the values that are presented in the films are pedagogical and not only entertaining. It is also important because it avoids, like the books, any subject that is not childlike or child-friendly. No love is wasted on anyone and even friendship is rather kept lily pure. No kissing, please, we're British.
Ut also defends the basic humanistic values of the books in fair contrast with the the world at the time or the literature of Lewis's time. A fair and clear condemnation of slavery and the exploitation of animals. But since the novel "The Boy and His Horse" is not there the rejection of political totalitarianism is absent. The allusion to the usurping uncle in Prince Caspian is by far not enough. Lewis's books are deeply committed to a democratic system. The films are far from being as clear as that. Calormenes are absent for example.
The films are also a lot less clear than the books that only people having some human blood can rule Narnia, including the White Witch of the first film who is a descendant of Adam, mixed with other bloods, including jinn blood from the sexual partner Adam had to procreate that line of descent. The absence of "The Boy and His Horse" also deprives us of the description of the four initial human kings and queens of Narnia, including Queen Suzan who is definitely not served very fairly.
But for me the main absence is in fact "The Last Battle" because it reveals two essential things in these seven novels: the idea that all worlds have a beginning and an end, including Narnia, that this end can only come from both inner strife, invasion and political manipulation of the masses that are shown as basically easy to manipulate into divisions or obeying absurd commands. The masses make history but only when some individuals and foreign forces join their efforts to conquer the minds and imagination of these masses.
This last novel was Lewis's testament and he showed in it that he did not really believe in democracy, i.e. the power of the people, for the people and by the people, because he did not trust any politicians but preferred an aristocratic monarchy in which kings and queens are of a different sort from the people and the masses. The main difference between Calormenes and Narnians is that The Calormene "master" (who is a Calormene by genetic birth) governs Calormenes as slaves, with a very narrow aristocracy, and the Narnian "king (genetically different from all Narnians by at least some human genes) grants them freedom and diversity.
To avoid in anyway the bleak atmosphere of "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Time Machine" they produced a brave new world that lacked most of its pith and marrow. The series are interesting but only as entertainment for children and they lose the pedagogical dimension the books constantly keep.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU -
alleywayambush14 November 2023So this is it. The best of the 3 BBC Narnia Series, and ironically the last (We never did find out why the latter 3 books were never created by the BBC).
If the 1st 2 series had their flaws, this was near perfect ! Gone was the twee childish amateur pantomime of the Lion... (if by all means basically a good series), as were the pseudo-heroics of Reepacheep and the equally aggressive royal arrogance of King Caspian (and everyone else) in Series 2.
This series felt more mature, professional and generally down-to-earth, like it might have been marketed to a slightly older age category (sure, they didn't mind portraying Tom Baker in drunken mode !). Gone were the slightly poncey Pevensey children, replaced with 'Pole' and Eustace, 2 more neutral and modest children with no royal 'superiority' to their names. Sure Kings and Princes persisted, but without their being arrogantly portrayed as heroic deities.
The actors and their characters were a marked improvement:-
Camilla Powers portrayed schoolgirl Jill Pole as both strong and vulnerable, as obvious right from the series' 1st scene where she is bullied by a circle of peers and appears both self-assured and feisty; "I thought this was a modern school where people were respected for their rights...if I don't even have a right to my own name!"
David Thwaites portrayed Eustace as a boy of newfound integrity and subsequent vulnerability; his transformed nature and softly-spoken voice come as a surprise to Jill, who accepts him right from the start, while accepting the bully among the pack that he once was.
Tom Baker's casting as the cynical 'Puddleglum' may have come as a slight surprise; who could have guessed that an actor infamous for playing so paramount a BBC hero as Dr. Who would be cast in an ultra-low-budget children's production !
Barbara Kellerman reappears as another cute and stunning but evil woman. If the 'queen' she portrayes here is perhaps a tad generic - perhaps too similar the the White Witch, it came as a shock in the last episode when she suddenly transforms into a giant snake !
Warwick Davis reappears, this time as an owl. Fellow little actor Mike Edmonds (AKA 'Little Ron' from Maid Marian and her Merry Men) also plays an owl. Both masked actors are distinctively present through their voices; even Warwick's movements appear distinctly his !
As the last series of the BBC Narnia production, the end of the final episode is when Aslan finally confirms his allegorical presence as Jesus Christ; "You will see me again in your world, but there I go by another name...learn it well, that's why you were sent to Narnia." Sure this could possibly be looked upon as a disappointing anti-climax to non-Christians - as if they've been watching 3 whole series just to be deceived and unsuccessfully brainwashed ! I guess you have to not take that 'climax' too seriously or literally !
So lets give it 9/10 for its professional acting, integrity of characters, down-to-earth vibe and obviously for being another simple, low-budget BBC childrens' fantasy series; perhaps a warm-up for the BBC's excellent adaptation of Mary Norton's 'The Borrowers' 2 years later ! -
fannylove-573-6509345 January 2013When I was growing up in rural Texas, The Silver Chair was the first book I ever read at the age of 7. It is a beautiful story in so many ways. It has a special place in my heart and I've re-read it continuously throughout the years, and now I'm a full-grown woman and I still like to dip in.
I'm not going to write too in-depth a review only to say this BBC Network version of The Silver Chair is frankly awful. As I've read the book so many times I know the storyline inside out, but if I was watching this film for the very first time, with no knowledge of the storyline or the characters, the film version would be virtually unfathomable.
The acting, particularly that of Camilla Power (Jill Pole) and David Thwaites (Eustace Scrubb) was awful: very wooden, very over-the-top and completely unconvincing.
The voices used for the owls and the owl costumes looked like someone had gone to the nearest thrift/charity shop and bought a jumble of clothes, and the voices sounded like Cockney accents or at best ordinary English accents with no attempt to sound owlish or Narnian (whatever that is).
I suppose the standout performance was that of Puddleglum (played by Tom Baker, formerly Dr Who). Puddleglum is one of the most interesting and odd characters, for he is a Marshwiggle, lives in a wigwam on an island in the marshes surrounded by rivers and other remote wigwams, he eats thick, black eel stew and smokes strange black tobacco in a long pipe, has webbed feet and a green tinge to his hands and face. But he is a sage character and the children's protector.
The special effects are particularly bad too: take the moment when the gate at Experiment House is opened and does not reveal bare moorland as they expected by a portal into another world. When the children go through the door, it looks like a cheap bit of film-splicing has taken place; there's certainly no feeling of visual magic despite the fact that something magical is supposedly happening. The part where both Jill and Eustace are blown by Aslan into Narnia look awful and very poorly produced; same for when they are climbing up the Giant's bridge over the chasm.
The bullying scenes at the beginning just seem very odd too. The bullies just shouting "Pole! Pole! Pole!" and nothing else; there's no obvious reason given for the bullying, or why Eustace too is hiding in the glasshouse. At this early stage, the dialogue moves too quickly attempting to follow the narrative in the book but not enough is explained which would confuse the first-time viewer. The film attempts to follow the book verbatim at some points, whilst at others it takes extraordinary leaps and misses large portions, resulting in a fragmented mish-mash which actually does not make sense (unless you have read the book many times, as I have).
The characterisation of both Jill and Eustace is very poor too: they bawl at each other, in the heat of rage, and then seconds later are completely different in mood and character. They're very trite characters, selfish and given to tantrums and over-the-top exclamations ("That's the most DEEELLLLICCCIIIOOOUUUUSSSSS stew I've ever eaten" and "It's the purest water I've ever tasted" and "Oh dry up will you".) This does not follow through well. They're not really likable characters, coming across as spoilt brats and both actor's verbal delivery is jarring, what's spoken is over-the-top and wholly unrealistic. They sound like young children trying to play well-informed, worldly-wise, educated adults. I suppose they were fairly young when they acted in this. But the effect just spoils the whole thing.
The film locations - Haddon Hall, Derbyshire and the Peak District, England - are beautiful and look good on screen, although again, continuity is bad: when they embark on their journey from the Marshwiggle's wigwam Puddleglum mentions something about the start of winter fast approaching, but we shortly see the trio crossing a bleak moorland in the blaze of summer (you can see the heat haze on film). Twenty minutes or so later, when Jill falls into the giant letter E of the inscription UNDER ME, it's snowing.
I've seen a lot of BBC productions and they're usually highly polished and exceptional pieces of work. This is just so bad in many ways and it's a shame that it's currently the only film version of such a great book. At a running time of almost 2 hours 40 mins, even for an ardent fan of the book such as myself, it is a trial to sit through the whole thing. -
Dan1863Sickles20 December 2003One of the most intriguing and unsettling things about the NARNIA books is the way lifelong bachelor C.S. Lewis tends to portray evil witches not as hideous crones but as stunning and sophisticated young women. Not surprisingly, the most memorable character in this film is the Emerald Witch, portrayed with subtle sensuality and aristocratic charm by regal and dark-eyed Barbara Kellerman.
Kellerman's Emerald Witch is a forceful, intelligent, and thoroughly attractive villainess. As the daughter of the White Witch brutally slain by the insufferably pompous do-gooder talking lion Aslan in the first book, the Emerald Witch is not so much a villain as passionate woman bent on revenge. Note her entrance on Ettinsmoor, riding by the side of the dazed and clearly besotted Prince Rilian. While the child actors mumble and screech about their quest, Kellerman underplays her evil intentions, popping off snappy one liners like "What do you hear, what do you say?" Only when alone with Aslan's image staring out at her from a crystal ball does she reveal her true agenda, pulling a Cagney face and sneering, "you . . . dirty cat . . . you killed my mother!" The allusion to Cagney is reinforced later, when she is cornered by Prince Rilian. Instead of dodging his sword point, she grabs the blade and drives it into her own bosom, shrieking "Top of the world, Ma!" exactly like Cagney in WHITE HEAT. -
rickchriss7 September 2009C.S. Lewis's masterpiece certainly deserves better than this. This production occupies a narrow range beginning at quite poor and topping out at lower mediocre.
Let's begin with the acting. The principal lead characters, Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole ("Scrub and Pole" might have been a bluegrass banjo duo, which probably would have been more entertaining than the acting), were portrayed woodenly, as if these children hadn't quite internalized their acting class lessons. Puddleglum, the third lead, is somewhat better, but that's probably because his character calls for odd behavior, always inherently more entertaining. The rest of the acting is more or less passable but certainly nothing to excite even a small town acting awards committee.
The animation is really amateurish, including the entirely fake-looking Aslan and his up-and-down-only mouth movement. The owls in flight are nearly embarrassing, the animation is so poor. The special effects are another sorry area. A number of these take place over a "green-screen," with the adjustment not well done so that the shimmering around the edges of the actors so positioned is often quite pronounced. That this production was shot on video tape, with the stark and artificial look it has, might have saved money, but it didn't improve the production any.
The music is particularly poor. It almost seemed as if whoever did this wrote a score without viewing the video. There is not much linkage between the two, and the nature and quality of the score isn't very good in any case. The sets are better, many being pretty well done. Locations are nice, too. Costuming ranges from pretty good to bizarre.
Perhaps strangest and most amateurish is the lagging nature of the dialogue, as if the director was trying to stretch out the production length another 20 percent. There is nearly always too much time between elements of dialogue. It gives the whole production a really phony-sounding quality.
It is disappointing to see a BBC production, particularly of an English classic, this poorly done. The highest possible use for the video tape masters of this effort would be to use them to kindle a fire in a land fill. -
Leofwine_draca19 May 2021And so the Children's BBC Narnia series comes to an end with the third and final instalment, THE SILVER CHAIR. And you can see why they finished here; the life and enthusiasm that filled THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE has long since vanished, leaving this a plodding affair that needs more 'oomph' to work. It's essentially an SFX story in which a couple of kids and a sole adult head off to unknown territory to track down a vanished prince. Along the way their adventures involve meetings with weird witches, giants and even a man in an iron mask! Unfortunately the two kids are extremely bratty in this one and even Eustace has forgotten his life lessons from the previous series; you just want someone to knock some sense into them but it never happens. Thank goodness for Tom Baker who injects some class into the proceedings. It's episodic and fun at times, the BORROWERS-esque miniature adventures being the highlight. As for Barbara Kellerman, her unrestrained style of acting continues in abundance here, and that ten-minute scene opening the final episode seems to go on and on for at least an hour as a result.
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Mr__Underhill17 April 2003I agree that this last in the series was an improvement over the others, though still a bit slow moving. I bought the DVD mainly because it had Tom Baker in it. He seems a bit uncomfortable in the role at first, but gradually sinks into it. The trouble is that Baker's version of "the Doctor" in Doctor Who was so upbeat that when attempting to play the glum Puddleglum, I actually caught him suppressing the big toothy smile that he is famous for. His frog-like frown worked very well, though it took him a while to integrate the glumness naturally into his speaking performance. There are actually two others that I think could play that role quite nicely. One is Ozzy Osbourne. The other is Joey Ramone of the Ramones(though he passed away a while back).
I would also like to comment on one other note that others have ignored so far. While C.S. Lewis intended the books to have a Christian message, he at least had the decency to be subtler in execution so that more general audiences could enjoy the books. The BCC films, on the other hand are as subtle as a New Testament smacked across your forehead.
Just out of curiosity I checked the original ending of Silver Chair against the film, and I was correct in my guess that the screenwriter had changed it. The book does NOT include Aslan's ending line from the film where he says that he also exists in the human world, but that the kids MUST learn his "other name."
There wasn't a moment in the series where the screenwriter didn't go out of his way to remind adult viewers that this is about Jesus, and not magic as would be the case with a movie like Harry Potter or Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The nice thing about Lord of the Rings is that I could just sit back and enjoy it as a story without feeling preached at. Sometimes the Narnia books did that, but the BBC films boiled too much of it down to the preaching. -
Well done! Tom Baker was marvellous! Nick Brimble as "The Giant Porter" was great and I wished I could have seen more of him. This series does a great job of bringing some children's classic books to the small screen. Good acting and good special effects! For what seemed to be a small budget production, they've (BBC?) done a great job!