All Critics (210)
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Top Critics (39)
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Fresh (170)
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Rotten (50)
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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.
There's no fire, no passion and not much fun.
An entertaining, emotional, and surprisingly intimate movie.
For sheer entertainment value, and the painless imparting of values about family, loyalty and bravery, this lion in winter roars loudly.
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.
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.
Timeless classic faithfully rendered.
So digitalized that the images start to suggest chintzy old superimpositions
Once I ignored the religious aspects, it was a very good film...
Timeless classic faithfully rendered.
The story never quite lives up to the grandeur of the visuals, and the narrative tends to drag, especially in the first half.
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.
It is marked by a peculiarly English celebration of the Church Militant. That noted, it's also a ripping yarn.
A slow, cold first half is followed by a lively, sunny second half.
The bigger the scope gets, the less we really care.
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.
Certainly a feast for the eyes; once the story moves to Narnia, the film is never dull to look at.
It offers something fresh for both life-long fans and newcomers to Lewis' unforgettable world.
The Chronicles of Narnia joins the ranks of other fantasy classics ... in creating an amazingly believable fantasy world.
It's one of those cornerstone releases any fan of the film will want to own.
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.
This is a worthy opening salvo, a film that succeeds through the sheer weight of our expectations, and that won't disappoint younger audiences.
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