Rating: 
Summary: Some of the *worst* acting I've seen
Review: Don't waste your money. Thankfully I borrowed this from the library. This is some of the worst acting I've ever seen, and a complete insult to a great book and a great author.
If the intention was to find a cast who is completely incompitent, than the goal was accomplished. Since it was made in 1990, the poor special affects can be forgiven, but not the acting.
There's not much more to say. This was disgusting.
Rating: 
Summary: Azlan sends two children off to rescue Prince Rilian
Review: "The Silver Chair" is the four and final adaptation of one of The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, although I am surprised that this series was not able to complete the entire set of novels In this story Eustace Scrubb (David Thwaites) is being tormented at school and while looking for a place to hide from the bullies ends up entering the magical world of Narnia from a garden shed, along with another persecuted classmate, Jill Pole (Camilla Power). There Aslan gives them the task of rescuing Prince Rilian, the stolen son of King Caspian. This requires them to travel, along with Puddleglum the Marshwiggle (Tom Baker), north to the Deep Lands of the underworld belonging to the Green Lady (Barbara Kellerman). There they meet the Black Knight, who is under the enchantment of the evil Green Lady, who tortures him in a Silver Chair that sends him into a terrifying rage. By the time you get to "The Silver Chair" you have either accepted the limited special effects of this production or not. Yes, the animatronics of Aslan are almost unbelievably simplistic, but the kids always talk to him like he was a real lion and ruler of Narnia and that is all that really matters in the end. The costumes and sets are pretty good and above all the story is faithful to the Lewis narrative. One of the things I enjoyed most about the "The Silver Chair" is the way that Lewis elegantly works in Christian elements into the story. Azlan works hard to have Jill learn a series of signs, by which she and Eustace will be able to achieve their goal. However, Jill has problems remembering the signs and Eustace does not really seem up to the challenge. Then again, most great children's literature works on two levels, although clearly "The Silver Chair" and the other chronicles will appeal more to the kids, which is fine, because that is really who they were intended for even though they are arguably too good for the little ones.
Rating: 
Summary: Prince Rilian, Lost Forever or Found
Review: Another installment in the classic children's series The Narnia Chronicles, "The Silver Chair" continues the pattern of presenting stand-alone stories that work within a grander story arc. Also like previous installments, "The Silver Chair" brings back familiar characters while also introducing new cast members, lending the story an air of familiarity while still remaining fresh. In this installment Eustace, the ill-mannered lad who learned the error of his ways in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," along with his schoolmate, Jill, pair up for adventure. While fleeing bullies at their school - a progressive and modern (for its time) institution that Lewis openly and repeatedly scorns - Eustace and Jill find themselves thrown into the world of Narnia. Once there, Aslan gives Jill a series of vague instructions to follow during their adventure. Eustace and Jill find themselves on a quest to find the lost Prince Rillian, the son of King Caspian (who in this tale makes two brief cameos as an old man). They team up with Puddleglum, a gloomy a creature called a Marsh-Wiggle who always sees the down side of things. Together, the three go in search of the Prince. The setup tells the reader right off what sort of story it will be: a traveling adventure in which the group works through a series of dangerous situations and visits new and strange lands. The story takes a few chapters to get moving properly, shortening the main quest; there are only three or so key locations. Still, those locations are a mix of classic genre archetypes and fantastic settings. For an important segment of the story - a castle of giants - genre archetypes rule the day. "Silver Chair," though it visits places in Narnia not previously seen, feels less epic than previous installments. However, a glimpse of a greater and more wondrous world near the end helps alleviate that failing. The character of Jill undergoes almost the same transformation that Eustace did in "Voyage," while Eustace himself plays the role that Edmund, Peter and the gang did in earlier books. That's not altogether bad, but it's not altogether good, either, especially if you are reading the whole series straight through. because Jill's transformation immediately follows Eustace's. All in all, "The Silver Chair" is not as engaging as others in the series, with a loose plot tied together largely by a "you must trust Aslan" theme, but does not fall nearly as flat as "Caspian." For a good stretch the story moves along at a brisk pace and offers a playful series of adventures, delivering just the sort of engaging story that makes the Narnia Chronicles such a beloved series. Sure it suffers from too slow a start and too slow a finish, both which drag the story down, but at its core it's more of the same from Narnia. And that's not a bad thing at all.
Rating:
Summary: A classic story and a spiritual allegory
Review: If you have not read any of CS Lewis classic book series about Narnia, please do so. The stories are wonderfully written and will engage you like few other works. Part spiritual allegory and part fantasy and adventure, these stories are timeless. My personal favorite of the 7 stories is this one: The Silver Chair. Starting with the unexpected trip into Narnia, the story involves the search for a missing prince and a dangerous and exciting journey to find him. While the plot is quickly engaging and always enjoyable, even after dozens of readings, in this story Lewis uses some of the most powerful of Christian allegories to depict faith, deception, and courage. Choices made along the way are often disastrous and are the result of convenience and comfort over faith. Truly a sound statement into our own journeys, and a spiritual struggle depicted accurately. I will not spoil the plot, but if you have not enjoyed this series, pick up any of the seven books, or better yet get them all at once. The story starts either with "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" which was the first published, or "The Magician's Nephew" which is chronologically the first. Either way, you won't be disappointed. Next to "The Silver Chair", I also found "The Horse and His Boy" and "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" to be absolute classics. Buy this series, and enjoy one of the true treasures in literature from a fabulous writer, the world renowned CS Lewis.
Rating:
Summary: A classic story and a spiritual allegory
Review: If you have not read any of CS Lewis classic book series about Narnia, please do so. The stories are wonderfully written and will engage you like few other works. Part spiritual allegory and part fantasy and adventure, these stories are timeless. My personal favorite of the 7 stories is this one: The Silver Chair. Starting with the unexpected trip into Narnia, the story involves the search for a missing prince and a dangerous and exciting journey to find him. While the plot is quickly engaging and always enjoyable, even after dozens of readings, in this story Lewis uses some of the most powerful of Christian allegories to depict faith, deception, and courage. Choices made along the way are often disastrous and are the result of convenience and comfort over faith. Truly a sound statement into our own journeys, and a spiritual struggle depicted accurately. I will not spoil the plot, but if you have not enjoyed this series, pick up any of the seven books, or better yet get them all at once. The story starts either with "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" which was the first published, or "The Magician's Nephew" which is chronologically the first. Either way, you won't be disappointed. Next to "The Silver Chair", I also found "The Horse and His Boy" and "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" to be absolute classics. Buy this series, and enjoy one of the true treasures in literature from a fabulous writer, the world renowned CS Lewis.
Rating:
Summary: A Challenge For Eustace and Jill
Review: Poor Jill, she's being bullied again! Eustace finds her crying behind the gym. She wishes she could get away from the horrid-but-trendy Experiment House School, and the further the better. Eustace knows of just the place, he went there last term. The world Narnia, a land of talking animals and magical landscapes, ruled by Aslan, the wild talking lion. All they need to do to get there is to call to him. They do, and are whisked away. Just in time, it seems. Aslan has a quest for the two children. They must go to the wildlands of the north, a harsh, barren nation of giants, and find the lost Prince Rillian and bring him home. If they remember and follow the four commands they are given, all should go well. But things are not as they first expect...
There's a rather ominous feel to "The Silver Chair". Bleak moors, muddy swamps, bitter blizzards, ruined buildings, an old and withered King Caspian and near-deaf Trumpkin, plus mumblings by the Earthmen about the apocalypse, all give the Narnian world a feeling of great age, of weariness, as if about to fall apart. This sets things up very nicely for "The Last Battle", I thought, where the world and the series come to an end. So too does the fact we get to glimpse the beautiful Aslan's Country at the start of the book, a land first glimpsed in "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", and a land that features very prominently in "The Last Battle".
I quite like the characterizations, particularly Eustace. He's a character who changed quite dramatically for the better in "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", but as we see in the book still has quite a bit of growing to do. I think Lewis handled him quite well. I also like the idea Puddleglum the frog-like Marshwiggle. He's quite the pessimist, but likes to think himself as quite the opposite. Bit like that myself, actually...
C.S. Lewis was a devoted Christian, and his beliefs shine through in all his work. "The Silver Chair" is no exception. In fact, I'd say the allegory here is probably some of the strongest in the series. I think it's got to do with faith and obedience. Just as Jill and Eustace are given commands by Aslan to follow, Christians are given commands to follow by God (through the Bible). They might seem simple to follow in theory, when at reading or in prayer (or in Aslan's Country for Jill and Eustace) but out in the real world, things are a lot more difficult. Things may be not what you expect, (as Eustace didn't expect to arrive decades after his first visit), you may get caught up in the here and the now rather and lose the greater purpose (just as the kids are tempted away to the city of Harfang for the sake of comfort), or you may be bogged down with pessimism (just as Jill and Eustace were bogged down with Puddleglum). You shouldn't lose heart though, even if you do mess up, it's never too late to get back on track. (Just as our heroes discover. The stuff up three of the four commands Aslan gave them, but they remember the fourth and save the day). As a Christian, I also got a lot out of the war of wits between the adventures and the Green Witch in Chapter 12. I can really relate to the debate that rages on, the challenge of whether what they believe in really exists. It's a struggle that christians face all the time, amongst non-believers and in their head. Lewis is a perceptive guy, he pinpoints these feelings exactly in this chapter.
Along with Lewis' christian allegory is some rather biting social commentary in the form of Experiment House. It is a school without religion of any kind and with less discipline, letting the kids run free. His description of the bullies at Experiment House getting constantly in trouble, punished lightly by a talk with the teacher, and through this becoming the favorites of the teachers rang so true to me. I remember seeing this sort of thing happening at some schools I went to growing up. The disturbing fact that the Head of the school becomes Prime Minister by the end of the book rings just as true, sadly in this day and age. Countries these days are run to be secular and deregulated, just like Experiment House.
With such an emphasis on allegory rather than story, some younger readers may find the adventure sparse in places. I know I did when I was younger (fifth grade). Still, that doesn't mean that there isn't plenty of adventure to be had. I remember I was absolutely captivated by the idea of Bism, a civilization in the centre of the world, where gemstones are alive and edible.
Once again Pauline Bayne's illustrations are fantastic. I love the way she draws the giants. Rather than just being larger, bulkier versions of people, the giants faces are characatured, cute and grotesque at the same time, quite similar to the way Lewis describes them. The map of the northern wildlands is a nice touch too.
"The Silver Chair" is the fourth Narnian Chronicle to be written by Lewis and the sixth chronologically. Whichever order you like to read them in, it's a fair way down the list. You'll get a lot more from this book if you've read the ones previously, but it's probably not essential. The explanations and back story here is pretty thorough. If you were going to read only one Narnian book before this, I'd make it "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", as it tells the story of Eustace and how he came to be who he is on his first adventure into Narnia.
Recommended for fantasy fans, lovers of all things C.S. Lewis and christians looking for a spiritually relevant read.
Rating:
Summary: Even Better
Review: The acting keeps on getting better with every movie in this series. What a pity that the next 3 books weren't also done! The child playing Jill is an amazingly good child actress. The man playing Puddleglum is absolutely dismal- which is exactly what you want for that character. The land of the Marshwiggles is depressing and dreary, and excellently depicted. The special effects are now very realistic, with the size of the giants well-created. It helps that there is far less in the realm of effects demanded in this book than in the previous three. Those of the Underworld could use some work in how they look, and it was unfortunate that there was no mention of their true home or what they are really like. In the book, we get more of a sense of them as people who are controlled by the witch. But Aslan is very well done, as a believably incredibly large lion, and there is real depth of emotion in the children and the enchanted prince. Ironic, in what is arguably the least well written of the series, we have the best movie adaptation to date.
Rating:
Summary: Prince Rilian, Lost Forever or Found
Review: The book The Silver Chair, by C. S. Luis is a great adventure story that is part of a seven-book series. The story has two main characters; Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole. Eustace Scrubb is a schoolboy who goes to school at the Experiment House with Jill. He has actually been in Narnia before with his cousins; Lucy and Edmund. Jill Pole gets bullied around a lot at school, and didn't believe Eustace at first when he was trying to tell her about Narnia.
The book starts off at the Experiment House with Jill hiding behind a curtain crying because the bullies won't leave her alone. Eustace finds her and tells her about Narnia and how they might be able to get back there. At first Jill didn't believe him. Then bullies came in the room looking for her, so the made a dash for a door that isn't usually open but they tried it anyway because it was their only way of escape. To their surprise, the door was open, but not leading outside the school, but instead to Narnia.
Before I start telling you about Narnia and what happened there; I must give you some background information. The was a queen of Narnia (she was married to King Caspian the 10th) and she had a son named Prince Rilian. One day the queen and prince were out on a walk with some others. The queen was tired and decided to go asleep on the grass. The prince, not wanting to wake her, went off just a little way (so he could still see her) to play. After a little while they saw a green worm crawl out from the wood and bite her. The prince ran after the worm, but it got away. After a few minutes the queen was dead. After that the prince devoted his life to finding the worm and avenging it. After months of looking one of a lord suggested he stop looking for the worm. Prince Rilian told him for the past couple of weeks he no longer searched for the worm, but visited a lady in secret. The lord came with him one day and to his surprise, the lady was in the same spot where his mom died. She was a beautiful woman dressed all in green. The lord decided not to tell anyone because he thought there was no harm in it. The next day, the prince never returned from his journey.
They stepped into Narnia and found they were on the edge of a cliff. Eustace was afraid of heights and just stood there in shock. When he got away from the edge, Jill walked up even closer to the edge, trying to show off, and found she couldn't move and almost fell of the edge but Eustace saved her, and while doing so fell off the edge himself! The next thing Jill knew she was lying down in the same spot with a huge lion (Aslan, the 'Jesus' of Narnia) next to her blowing at something. Then she was Eustace floating, getting higher and farther away from her. She was terrified and very thirsty. Aslan soon left and she found her strength again to lift her-self up to go find some water. She finally found a stream, but Aslan was lying next to it. He said to her, "If you are thirsty, come and drink." She was to petrified to move, but eventually found her courage to go get a drink. He told her he needed her help. She was to, along with Eustace, find the lost Prince Rilian. He gave her signs and directions to recognize the prince; "First; as soon as the Boy Eustace sets foot in Narnia, he will meet an old and dear friend. He must greet that friend at once; if he does, you will both have good help. Second; You must journey out of Narnia to the north till you come to a ruined city of ancient giants. Third; you will find writing on a stone in that ruined city, and you must do what the writing tells you. Fourth; You will know the lost prince (if you find him) by this, that he will be the first person you have met in your travels who will ask you to do something in my name, in the name of Aslan."
Aslan soon blew her to where Eustace landed, and shortly afterwards, and owl came to them and told Trumpkin, the dwarf in charge, that they were there. He gave them good beds, food, ands baths. Jill was just about to go to bed when the same owl (Glimfeather) came tapping on her window and told her he would help them as much as the owls could, then went to tell Eustace the same. Glimfeather flew them both to the owls' meeting spot and got help from another owl to fly them to a Puddleglum's house.
Puddleglum is a marsh-wiggle, which is kind of like a very gloomy person, who always looks at the downside of things. He travels with them their whole journey. They started their journey north the next day. After a couple days of walking they came across what at first looked like boulders, then Jill noticed how they might look kind of like giants at night, then one moved. After a while they came to a bridge and decided to cross it. While they were crossing it they met a beautiful woman dressed in green riding along with a knight. She recommended the gentle giants' city near by to lodge in. After some arguing, they decided to take her advice.
When they arrived they were welcomed and treated nicely. Puddlegum tried to stay on the look out, but he got a little drunk and barely even knew who he was. It turned out the giants actually wanted to eat them, and kept them there for the Autumn Feast coming up. Will they ever escape? If they do, will they find Prince Rilian? To find out read the book The Silver Chair.
Rating:
Summary: The Prince and the Serpent
Review: The penultimate adventure in Narnian time, this one is a fast paced exciting read that ends all too quickly.
This time, our young hero is Eustace, greatly improved in character after his adventures on the Dawn Treader, but still a little bossy and impatient. He is joined by Jill, a fellow student, when the two of them, fleeing the school bullies, pass through a portal into Narnia.
Narnia has advanced around seventy years since Caspian sailed to the Eastern end of the world, and he is now an old man, without an heir, as his only son Rilian had disappeared and was thought dead.
Aslan advises that Rilian is still alive, and the children's mission is to find him and return him to his father. Aslan gives Jill four clues to guide them, and of course things inevitably go wrong from the very beginning.
Assisted by friends, they begin their quest, encountering many dangerous obstacles and somehow overcoming them. By holding steadfast to at least the last of Aslan's clues, they find Rilian, who is under the spell of an enchantress.
Pledging their eternal loyalty to Aslan, a terrible battle ensues with the enchantress, who assumes the form of a great serpent, and her underground empire is destroyed.
Aslan also has a nasty surprise for the school bullies back in the children's world, and they get a taste of their own medicine.
This one is an easy read, encouraging an immediate opening of Book 7.
Amanda Richards, September 7, 2004
Rating:
Summary: Narnia
Review: These reviews are excellent, but no one seems to be clear on whether they are reviewing the BBC Movie or the book itself. Let me try to make clear some of the differences between the two.
Reviewers have not commented much on this fact, but THE SILVER CHAIR as a story plainly belongs to the Emerald Witch. She is by far the greatest of C.S. Lewis' Narnia villains. Unlike the cold, lifeless White Witch, and the bumbling slapstick Queen Jadis, the Emerald Witch is an alluring, sophisticated, outwardly charming woman. It's easy to understand why Prince Rilian would fall deeply in love with her, with or without enchantment. It's just a shame this is a children's book and none of the witch's wiles can truly be shown in context!
In the BBC movie, the Emerald Witch is played by Barbara Kellerman, and she does full justice to the character. Kellerman has just the right sort of dark, warm beauty, combined with a hint of cold malice, and great outer charm. She deserves at least as much praise as Tom Baker's Puddleglum.
One of the huge problems with the movie, as opposed to the book, is that the luxury and comfort of Harfang Castle is largely glossed over and ignored. It's important to see that both the Emerald Witch and the Gentle Giants represent fleshly temptation, not mere brute violence. The movie misses much of that, so that the children's weakness is a lot harder to grasp.
Since there are no large battle scenes or other conflicts to make the story interesting, the loss of most of what happens at Harfang really weakens the story. The BBC movie overall is much colder, more prosaic, and less full of light and color than Lewis' original book. But Barbara Kellerman is stunning!
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