Rotten Tomatoes Logo Do you want to see ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion,...’?

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (2005)

tomatometer

76

Average Rating: 7/10
Reviews Counted: 210
Fresh: 160 | Rotten: 50

With first-rate special effects and compelling storytelling, this adaptation stays faithful to its source material and will please moviegoers of all ages.

77

Average Rating: 7.1/10
Critic Reviews: 39
Fresh: 30 | Rotten: 9

With first-rate special effects and compelling storytelling, this adaptation stays faithful to its source material and will please moviegoers of all ages.

audience

62

liked it
Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 32,503,463

My Rating

Movie Info

Four siblings -- Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Lucy (Georgie Henley), Peter (William Moseley), and Susan (Anna Popplewell) -- are sent from their London home to the country estate of an eccentric professor in order to ensure their safety during World War II. The house is very dull, except for a large, ornate wardrobe discovered by young Lucy during a game of hide-and-seek. Venturing inside of it in the hopes of finding a hiding place, Lucy is transported to a snowy alternate universe: a magical world

Apr 4, 2006

$291.7M

Buena Vista

Cast

All Critics (210) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (170) | Rotten (50) | DVD (41)

This PG-rated movie feels safe and constricted in a way the story never does on the page. It leaves out the deep magic of a good movie, or a good sermon: the feeling that something vital is at stake.

January 6, 2006 Comment (1)
Rolling Stone
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Long may it roar.

December 17, 2005 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

There's no fire, no passion and not much fun.

December 16, 2005 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | Comment
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

An entertaining, emotional, and surprisingly intimate movie.

December 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Slate | Comment
Slate
Top Critic IconTop Critic

For sheer entertainment value, and the painless imparting of values about family, loyalty and bravery, this lion in winter roars loudly.

December 9, 2005 Full Review Source: Toronto Star | Comment
Toronto Star
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's a work of profound ambition, and, in adapting it for the screen, the makers of The Chronicles of Narnia don't shy away from its demands.

December 9, 2005 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Comment
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Because it is a children's story about children it is occasionally a bit precious, but only occasionally. For the most part it is an extremely well-designed piece of fantasy that doesn't try to overwhelm the audience.

March 18, 2011 Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | Comment
ComingSoon.net

Timeless classic faithfully rendered.

December 17, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

So digitalized that the images start to suggest chintzy old superimpositions

September 1, 2009 Full Review Source: CinePassion | Comment
CinePassion

Once I ignored the religious aspects, it was a very good film...

April 29, 2009 Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | Comment (1)
Cinema Crazed

Timeless classic faithfully rendered.

July 10, 2008 Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com | Comment
DVDJournal.com

The story never quite lives up to the grandeur of the visuals, and the narrative tends to drag, especially in the first half.

July 8, 2008 Full Review Source: ESplatter | Comment
ESplatter

Appreciable is its willingness to tantalize with slow reveals, thus allowing its otherwise obvious religious readings to imbue themselves more fully into the unfolding narrative.

May 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Projection Booth | Comment
Projection Booth

It is marked by a peculiarly English celebration of the Church Militant. That noted, it's also a ripping yarn.

May 17, 2008 Comment

A slow, cold first half is followed by a lively, sunny second half.

May 13, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment

The bigger the scope gets, the less we really care.

March 26, 2008 Full Review Source: Zertinet Movies | Comment
Zertinet Movies

The good news is Director Andrew Adamson and gang have done an impressive job of adapting Lewis' admittedly simple and somewhat thin tale into a big scale motion picture, delivering impressive production values and few solid action sequences.

January 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | Comment
Dark Horizons

Certainly a feast for the eyes; once the story moves to Narnia, the film is never dull to look at.

July 14, 2007 Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | Comment
Big Picture Big Sound

It offers something fresh for both life-long fans and newcomers to Lewis' unforgettable world.

July 10, 2007 Full Review Source: DVD Review | Comment
DVD Review

The Chronicles of Narnia joins the ranks of other fantasy classics ... in creating an amazingly believable fantasy world.

July 10, 2007 Full Review Source: DVD Review | Comment
DVD Review

It's one of those cornerstone releases any fan of the film will want to own.

March 2, 2007 Full Review Source: Calgary Movies | Comment
Calgary Movies

With its crisply told narrative, excellent production values and great ensemble cast [it] is one of the best big-budget spectacles Hollywood has released this year.

March 1, 2007 Full Review Source: Film Journal International | Comment
Film Journal International

This is a worthy opening salvo, a film that succeeds through the sheer weight of our expectations, and that won't disappoint younger audiences.

February 10, 2007 Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | Comment
Daily Telegraph
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

I wish my wardrobe would do that :P

June 13, 2010
3niR
Dead Angel

Super Reviewer

Eh.. kids movie.

November 19, 2006
wildaly14

Super Reviewer

    1. Edmund Pevensie: But that's a girl's coat!
    2. Peter Pevensie: I know.
    – Submitted by Diego T (8 months ago)
    1. Peter Pevensie: If he tells us to hurry, one more time, I'm gonna turn him into a big, fluffy hat!
    2. Mr. Beaver: Come on, hurry up!
    – Submitted by Diego T (10 months ago)
    1. Jadis the White Witch: You'll love it there, Edmund. It has whole rooms simply stuffed with Turkish Delight.
    2. Edmund Pevensie: Couldn't I have some more now?
    3. Jadis the White Witch: NO! ...I wouldn't want to ruin your appetite.
    – Submitted by Diego T (10 months ago)
    1. Susan Pevensie: Come on, Peter, "Gastro vascular".
    2. Peter Pevensie: Is it Latin?
    3. Susan Pevensie: Yes.
    4. Edmund Pevensie: Is it Latin for, "Worst game ever invented"?
    – Submitted by Diego T (10 months ago)
    1. Susan Pevensie: Besides, we could all use the fresh air!
    2. Edmund Pevensie: Not like there isn't any air inside.
    – Submitted by Diego T (10 months ago)

Movies Like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Latest News for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

July 10, 2008:
Exclusive: Guillermo del Toro on Creating an International Animation Studio
Guillermo del Toro plans to start up an international animation studio when he's finished work on...

June 25, 2008:
Wanted's James McAvoy: His Best-Reviewed Films
The action-thriller Wanted hits theaters this week, and though it's toplined by one of the biggest...

What's Hot On RT

RT on DVD & Blu-Ray
RT on DVD & Blu-Ray

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Critics Consensus
Critics Consensus

Woman in Black is Solid

The Avengers!
The Avengers!

Five new Marvelous pictures

Total Recall
Total Recall

Unconventional Superheroes

Top Movie Quizzes

LEGO Mania: 2011 Best Picture Nominees
by natalie - 18,469 taken
created 12 months ago
How Much Do You Know About Leonardo DiCaprio?
by natalie - 44,194 taken
created 15 months ago
Pixar Movies!
by jdikwlzviv - 27,022 taken
created 15 months ago
The Wizards of Harry Potter
by jdikwlzviv - 27,523 taken
created 15 months ago

Foreign Titles

  • Le Monde de Narnia : Chapitre 1 - Le lion, la sorcière blanche et l'armoire magique (FR)
Help | About | Jobs | Newsletter | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Blog | Developers | Mobile