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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
A 2005 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It was co-produced by Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes play Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund, four British children evacuated during the Blitz to the countryside, who find a wardrobe that leads to the fantasy world of Narnia. There they ally with the Lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) against the forces of Jadis, the White Witch (Tilda Swinton). The screenplay based on the novel by C. S. Lewis was written by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus.
The film was released on December 9, 2005 in both Europe and North America to positive reviews and was highly successful at the box office. It won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Makeup and various other awards and is the first film in the series of films based on the books. An Extended Edition was released on December 12, 2006 and was only made available on DVD until January 31, 2007 when it was discontinued. It was the best selling DVD in North America in 2006 taking in $332.7 million that year.
In 1940, in the London suburb of Finchley, the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are endangered by an attack of numerous German Heinkel He 111 bombers. When running to the shelter, Edmund runs back to the house to get a photograph of his father for which Peter scolds him. The next morning, they are evacuated to the country home of Professor Digory Kirke, who is not accustomed to having children in his house, as Ms. Macready, the strict housekeeper, explains.
While the Pevensies are getting used to the house and playing hide-and-seek out of boredom, Lucy discovers a wardrobe and enters a wintry fantasy world called Narnia to her surprise. Lucy shortly encounters and befriends the faun, Mr. Tumnus, who explains about the land she has just entered and invites her back to his home to which she accepts. There, he puts Lucy to sleep by playing a Narnian Lullaby on his flute. However, when she wakes up, Lucy finds Tumnus grieving, and he explains that Jadis, the White Witch, has cursed Narnia, and it has been winter for one hundred years. If a human is ever encountered, they were to be brought to her. Tumnus takes a huge liking to Lucy and cannot bring himself to kidnap her, so he sends her home. When she returns, hardly any time has passed in the normal world, and her siblings do not believe her storey since that when they look in the wardrobe, it has a normal wooden back. Peter then scolds Edmund when he jokes about believing Lucy, to which Edmund responds by yelling at Peter and storms out of the room, believing that Peter is trying to be a father figure (presumably showing us that Edmund's bad behaviour began when his father was forced to fight in the war).
One night, Edmund follows Lucy into the wardrobe, presumably to tease her about the country he thinks she has made up. However, he enters Narnia as well, and shortly after searching for Lucy, he meets the White Witch who claims to be "The Queen of Narnia" and her dwarf Ginarrbrik. She offers him Turkish Delight as well as the prospect of becoming king and having power over his siblings if he brings them to her house. After she departs, Edmund and Lucy meet again and return; Lucy tells Peter and Susan about the experience, but Edmund lies about it. The Professor talks with Peter and Susan; he does not understand why they do not believe Lucy's storey and gives them three possible logical explanations of Lucy's behaviour — madness, dishonesty and sincerity — the others know she is neither mad nor dishonest, so she must be telling the truth. However, they are still not convinced.
While running away from Ms. Macready after accidentally breaking a window while playing cricket, the four siblings retreat to the wardrobe and enter Narnia. There, they apologise to Lucy. They discover Mr. Tumnus has been taken by the Witch's secret police, and meet Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, who tell them about Aslan. According to the beavers, Aslan is on the move to take control of Narnia from the Witch. The four must help Aslan and his supporters; it has been prophesied that if two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sit in the four thrones, the White Witch's reign would end.
Edmund sneaks off to visit the Witch, where Mr. Beaver explains the witch's motive and that the siblings now must resort to reaching Aslan to save him. When he arrives at her castle, she is angry that he did not deliver his siblings. The Witch sends wolves to hunt down the children and the beavers, who barely escape with the help of a fox. Edmund is chained in the Witch's dungeon where he meets Tumnus. The Witch demands that Edmund reveal where his siblings are because her police could not find them; Edmund then tells her about Aslan and the witch demands to know where Aslan is. Edmund hesitates when Tumnus claims that Edmund does not know anything and Edmund tells the Witch that he heard no further information regarding Aslan. Seeing that Tumnus is hindering the information, the Witch tells Mr. Tumnus that Edmund betrayed him (by talking about him at Edmund's first visit), then turns Tumnus to stone.
While Peter, Lucy, Susan and the beavers travel to the Stone Table, they see what they believe to be the White Witch chasing after them, so they hide. It is really Father Christmas, a sign that the Witch's reign is ending. Father Christmas gives Lucy a healing cordial and a dagger to defend herself with. Susan, a bow and arrows and a magical horn that will summon help when blown, and Peter a sword and shield.
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