The Chronicles Of Narnia - The Silver Chair [DVD] [1990]

In the months before it's released, however, it might be time to dust off the 1990 BBC adaptation of "The Silver Chair," one of several sequels to that first book of Lewis's. Despite some goofy prosthetics and more hammy witches, this is easily the best of the three movies, with excellent acting, pacing, and even some decent special effects.

The story opens at a trendy school that Eustace Scrubb attends. But a garden shed doorway leads Eustace and his bullied schoolmate Jill to Aslan's country. But after Eustace is almost killed because of Jill, the god-lion Aslan gives girl an assignment and four signs to follow. King Caspian is now an old, dying man with no heir to follow him, because his son was lured away by a strange serpentine temptress long ago.

Jill and Eustace team up with a gloomy Marshwiggle, Puddleglum, who serves as their guide as they go to north Narnia. Along the way they must deal with carnivorous giants, enormous bridges and bad weather. But the enigmatic signs that Aslan gave Jill are hard to follow -- and they soon find that the missing Prince is ensnared in a web of madness and magic.

Don't expect this to be a mere copy of the past two movies -- the Pevensies are nowhere to be seen, and old faves like Caspian, Aslan and Trumpkin only have cameos. Sure, they ride owls and hang out with giants. But this is a grimmer, darker story, with a cataclysmic finale and a tight, sometimes harrowing storyline.

The past two Narnia movies suffered from hokey special effects and some spotty acting. "The Silver Chair" cleans all that up, trimming the special effects edges and focusing on the more majestic sets, costumes and scripting. And for the most part, it's quite a success. Even the flashbacks to the queen's death and Rilian's disappearance are heartrending and quietly effective.

There are a few flaws -- for a paradise, Aslan's country looks pretty scrubby and brown. And the final battle with the Emerald Witch is downright silly, with a giant snake puppet twisting around. But the special effects are infinitely improved in this one, ranging from convincing giants to some genuinely harrowing moments on a giant bridge.

Lewis had become a bit less hamhanded with the allegory and Christian symbolism by this time. Instead, he gives jabs at anything-goes attitudes and nihilism. Additionally, he creates one of the most intense and outstanding scenes of the entire Chronicles, with the Witch playing elaborate brain games with Rilian and the kids, slowly convincing them that all they know and believe is a lie -- including the sun and the world above ground.

Thwaites and Power are the stars here, and they both give excellent, understated performances as two kids who bicker constantly, but really care about each other. Richard Henders gives a good balance between overwrought madness and cool, calm nobility. Barbara Kellerman, alas, is still hamming it up as much as she did for the White Witch, with lots of over-the-top laughter, screeching, cooing and snarling.

Despite Kellerman and some primitive CGI, "The Silver Chair" is probably the best of the three BBC Narnia movies, with its darker storyline and excellent lead acting.