If you love the book it is hard to imagine you not loving the movie, regardless of the ideological prism through which you view it.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:202
Fresh:151
Rotten:51
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: With first-rate special effects and compelling storytelling, this adaptation stays faithful to its source material and will please moviegoers of all ages.
Runtime: 2 hrs 30 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
US Box Office: $291,685,219
Synopsis: Director Andrew Adamson gives a new dimension to C.S. Lewis's enchanting story with this long-awaited Disney adaptation. As the story begins, Mrs. Pevensie--in order to keep her children safe... Director Andrew Adamson gives a new dimension to C.S. Lewis's enchanting story with this long-awaited Disney adaptation. As the story begins, Mrs. Pevensie--in order to keep her children safe during World War II--sends Lucy (Georgie Henley), Edmond (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Peter (William Moseley) off to stay at a professor's country estate. Away from London and under the care of a strict housekeeper, they are instructed to stick to themselves and stay out of trouble. But when an innocent game of hide-and-seek leads young Lucy to a spare room containing a large wardrobe, she discovers something that will change their lives forever. Inside the wardrobe there is a world frosted with ice and filled with magical beings. Known as Narnia, the land is stuck in eternal winter at the hands of the cruel White Witch, played with great force by the pale, strong-featured Tilda Swinton. When she steps back into reality, Lucy struggles to convince her skeptical siblings of the things she's seen. After much disbelief, the others finally enter the world as well, learning that the creatures of Narnia have long been waiting for humans like themselves to appear and break the witch's spell. But in order to be of any help to the lovable talking beavers, fawns, foxes, and centaurs that they meet, the four will have to face betrayal by one of their own as Edmond cracks under the witch's tempting offer of unlimited Turkish Delights. Under the leadership of the great lion Aslan (voice of Liam Neeson), can Lucy, Edmond, Susan, and the oldest, Peter, prove themselves heroes in the ultimate battle of good vs. evil? High-budget special effects, impressive performances by the film's young newcomers, and beautiful set design move this film far beyond previous television adaptations. [More]
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Jim Broadbent, James McAvoy, Anna Popplewell
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Jim Broadbent, James McAvoy, Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes, James Cosmo, Ray Winstone, Dawn French, Rupert Everett, Kiran Shah
Director: Andrew Adamson
Director: Andrew Adamson
Screenwriter: Ann Peacock, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Producer: Mark Johnson
Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Reviews for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch,...
4. Oreius and the rest of the centaurs break into a rousing rendition of "Day by Day" to motivate the troops.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe fares much better in its smaller, quieter moments that test the mettle and morality of its young heroes
The Chronicles of Narnia does indeed capture a certain wondrous, fantastical imagination inspired by C.S. Lewis' literary classics. But the film unfortunately also suffers from Lord of the Rings envy.
Tilda Swinton... may be the scariest witch since Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz.
Adamson knows how to give talking creatures heart, the special effects work but aren't overwhelming, and the basis is a classic for a reason. Try it on for size; you won't be disappointed.
On balance, more of the movie works than doesn't, but this isn't 140 minutes of unqualified successes.
Enjoyable adaptation that looks fantastic and stays remarkably faithful to the novel, though it wobbles occasionally during the emotional scenes.
The film fares better when it gives itself over to pageantry and action -- which come in copious quantities -- and to the pantheon of gorgeously rendered, hyper-realistic CGI beasties.
I know it's bizarre to say CGI beavers have more life to them than the humans who interact with the computerized creations, but it's true. The whole movie feels flat.
[W]arm, sweet, funny, scary, magnificent, gorgeous, expansive, intimate, but mostly completely and utterly charming. And I mean Charming with a capital C, charming like the movie invented the concept...
The many moments of sacrifice, resurrection, and Judas-like betrayal feel like they're from another film, and not one with talking beavers and fur coat-clad heroes.
This is one of the most boring stories ever told in any format... If this is the truncated movie version, how redundant was the book?
The fantasy aspect is merely a vehicle for another purpose, [and] it underdevelops character motives as a result.
The Chronicles of Narnia proves, sometimes, talking animals are not funny. Sometimes, they are waging a holy war, and Santa Claus is giving kids weapons for Christmas.
By the end of Narnia, I felt like I was retaught a lesson I had long since learned instead of living the dream of a new discovery. Suitable in that there are clearly no small metaphors, only small movies about those metaphors.
I was less than thrilled with the prospect, after seeing the film's mediocre trailer, of spending two plus hours with "The Chronicles of Narnia." But, boy, am I glad I did.
this could be considered Disney's bloodless version of The Passion, but couching these lessons of sacrifice and forgiveness in a magical world where animals talk and fauns frolic was an inspired way to appeal to the child in all of us
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