The running time is 2 hrs. 30 mins..
To begin with there is approximately 15 minutes of additional footage in this new release. Of the additional footage there is not a ton worthy of mention; the best of the new feature comes at the tail end of the picture during the massive battle including some new shots of the Phoenix and over 30 seconds of new aerial battle footage. Even if you haven't seen the original edition in a long time these are the moments you will truly notice as new. Beyond that the first two discs are exactly the same as the two-disc DVD; note for note. The commentaries are not new and the special features match up exactly. So, let's move on to the third and fourth discs, where there are actually some great features for those that are interested.
C.S. Lewis - Dreamer of Narnia (1:15:39) - Did you ever want to know something about C.S. Lewis? Well this is your one stop shop in this fabulous documentary on the famed author. Learn about his early childhood and the writings he did with his brother, Warnie, as they created the world of Boxen and all the magical characters that lived there. How he was friends with J.R.R. Tolkien and how there may have been no Lord of the Rings or Narnia without their friendship. Did you know that he never really cared for his name and when he was young, following the death of his dog Jacksie, he announced his name was now Jacksie which soon became Jack? This is a name you will become accustomed to hearing him referred to as in this documentary. It really is quite good no matter if you are a Lewis fan or not.
Visualizing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2:20:11) - An extensive look at the effects, costume and prop portions of the making of the film. Shockingly, with four discs this is really the only new bonus content of this set. However, this feature length documentary is all you really need as it offers up so many cool looks at how this film was made. Seeing the amount of green screen used in the making of this film and primarily with characters such as the centaurs makes it a wonder that they ever completed it. You are sure to be left in awe of modern day filmmaking after watching this feature.
Anatomy of a Scene: Behind the Battle (7:46) - Not exactly a mystery what this one is about and it really isn't all that necessary after the 'Visualizing the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and it easily could have just been plugged into that one and eliminated altogether. However, the final battle scene is the largest action portion of the film so it does deserve its time. Considering it is short you won't be bummed at all that you checked this one out.
Art of Narnia (Concept Art, Landscapes & Maquette Galleries) - Once again, not a brain teaser what this feature offers and quite frankly I find these features boring. Just plugging away at my remote as pictures run by is not my idea of a good time. However, for those of you into it and have a lot of thumb power and time to waste dive in, there are endless amounts of images and they are all very cool. I would just prefer check them out in a book than thumb through them on my television.
So, there you have it. It really comes down to how much 15 minutes of additional footage means to you as well as getting to know how the film was made. I will admit that I probably wouldn’t buy this DVD for myself if I already owned the two-disc edition. However, if I was without any version of the film this would be the one I would pick up and it would make a great Christmas gift for any fan of Narnia. The film is very good and being a little longer I liked it even more and the special feature documentaries really are fantastic.