The White Witch is a prominent character in the classic fantasy novel "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. She is also known as Jadis, the Queen of Narnia. The White Witch is portrayed as an evil and powerful sorceress who has ruled Narnia for a hundred years, ensuring an endless winter without Christmas. She derives her power from the magical Deep Magic, which gives her control over life and death within Narnia.
She derives her power from the magical Deep Magic, which gives her control over life and death within Narnia. In the story, the White Witch learns of a prophecy that says four humans will come to Narnia and eventually overthrow her rule. Determined to prevent this from happening, she sends her secret police to capture anyone who enters Narnia.
Reviews
Before making their way into the “Z”-portion of the series, FUNimation tried things out with the first Dragon Ball TV series back in 1995. As a part of this endeavor, the very first movie for the franchise was also dubbed and released as “Curse of the Blood Rubies“. Much like their dub of the first thirteen TV episodes, it featured moderate censoring and a complete musical score replacement. Similar to their later “Z” distribution agreement with Pioneer, the home release for these episodes and movie were handled by Kidmark, who eventually (through a series of endless mergers and acquisitions) became absorbed into Lionsgate Entertainment. The details of this sub-license were never publicly disclosed, even long after the Pioneer sub-license expired and reverted to FUNimation. At one point we attempted to check in with Lionsgate as to what any future plans may be for the early part of the series and its first movie, but were quickly shooed away with a note that the relevant information was not for public consumption.
For years upon years, fans resigned themselves to the “fact” that the first thirteen episodes and first movie would probably never be released uncut and bilingual in North America due to this licensing fiasco. In 2001, FUNimation revisited the first TV series and began dubbing it for home distribution and television airing on Cartoon Network. Despite the first thirteen episodes receiving a completely new dub (and presumably with an uncut master back in the studio) which indeed aired on television, the home release continued onward, first on VHS and later on DVD, starting only with episode 14, where it had “left off” so many years earlier.
Off in its own little silo, Australia also received this continued home release of the first TV series from FUNimation, though distributed locally by Madman Entertainment. With the Lionsgate sub-license seemingly only affecting North America, Australia actually received a volume that American fans would have to wait on: a re-done “Saga of Goku” that not only included uncut and bilingual versions of the first thirteen episodes, but also the first movie! Sadly, the movie was the same dub-only and edited version with the original voice cast from so many years prior, indicating that a new, uncut dub of the movie had not yet been produced by FUNimation.
Leading up to July 2009, news tidbits and art began to leak online suggesting that FUNimation would be revisiting the first TV series for another home release, this time in a “remastered” format. Shocking everyone was the reveal that, yes, FUNimation had regained the rights to the first thirteen episodes, and they would be included uncut and bilingual on the first of the “blue brick” sets later that year.
The TV series continued its release in five sets at a steady pace over the next year, but FUNimation had yet to confirm any details about the first movie, which would have been included in the license return. In April 2010, the magazine Otaku USA published a pre-release review of the movie, which would apparently be receiving a re-release that July according to new RightStuf catalog listings. At the time, all indications pointed to a disc with the original, edited dub as well as an uncut version in its original Japanese. The following month, a trailer for the movie appeared on a new Amazon listing page that promised a “Coming Soon” release date. Nowhere in the trailer were any words such as “uncut” or “unedited” or even “Japanese” used (the trailer even used scenes from the TV episodes, which is one way the prior edited version changed elements of the movie), so it continued to be confoundingly-vague. To make matters worse, online listings began changing the release date to December later that year, which FUNimation soon confirmed to us was the new and accurate date for the release.
It took until November to get solid information about the release: it would be uncut, remastered, bilingual, and would receive a new dub with recast roles. By that point, the movie was only about a month off from release!
We reviewed the movie based on its Japanese Dragon Box release back on Episode #0112 of our podcast, but a three-year gap since then gave us an excuse to revisit the movie based on its celebratory and proper North American release so many years after its original debut.
When the Pevensie children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) stumble into Narnia through a magical wardrobe, the White Witch focuses her attention on them. The White Witch tempts Edmund with promises of power and the opportunity to become a prince if he brings his siblings to her. However, she is ultimately betrayed by Edmund's loyalty to his family and his newfound loyalty to Aslan, the true ruler of Narnia. Aslan sacrifices himself in Edmund's place, leading to the resurrection of the fallen and the downfall of the White Witch. The character of the White Witch is often seen as an embodiment of evil and temptation. She represents the allure of power and the dangers of selfishness. She is cold, calculated, and heartless, willing to do whatever it takes to maintain her control over Narnia. Overall, the White Witch plays a crucial role in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" as the main antagonist. Her actions and motivations drive the plot forward and provide moral lessons for readers. Through her defeat, the story emphasizes the triumph of good over evil and the importance of loyalty, sacrifice, and redemption..
Reviews for "The white witch's reign of terror in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"
1. Mark - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" because I found the character of the White Witch to be poorly developed. She was supposed to be this fearsome and powerful queen, but I found her to be one-dimensional and lacking in depth. I also felt that the pacing of the story was off, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. Overall, I couldn't connect with the story or the characters, and it left me feeling underwhelmed.
2. Sarah - 3 stars - While "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" had an interesting premise, I found the portrayal of the White Witch to be quite problematic. She was characterized as the epitome of evil solely based on her appearance and her desire for power. I believe this perpetuates harmful stereotypes about women. Additionally, the story felt too simplistic and lacked complexity. The dialogue and character interactions seemed forced and unnatural. Overall, I expected more from a renowned fantasy novel, and I was left feeling unsatisfied.
3. Michael - 2 stars - I struggled to enjoy "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" due to the lack of character development for the White Witch. She was presented as the main antagonist, but her motives and backstory were left unexplored. This made her seem more like a plot device rather than a fully fleshed-out character. Additionally, the pacing was inconsistent, alternating between slow and rushed moments. While the concept of a magical wardrobe was intriguing, the execution felt lacking. Overall, I found the book underwhelming and didn't live up to my expectations.