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

All Critics (211) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (160) | 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)

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Top Critic

Long may it roar.

December 17, 2005 Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

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

December 16, 2005 Full Review | Comments (4)

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

An entertaining, emotional, and surprisingly intimate movie.

December 9, 2005 Full Review | Comments (2)

David Edelstein

Slate

Top 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

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Top 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

Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

Top Critic

Neither as complex or grand as LOTR nor as accessible as Potter; still, if you can overlook the arch moralising, this is fine kids escapism.

November 7, 2012 Full Review

Luke Goodsell

Empire Magazine Australasia

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

Joshua Starnes

ComingSoon.net

Timeless classic faithfully rendered.

December 17, 2010 Full Review

Cynthia Fuchs

Common Sense Media

So digitalized that the images start to suggest chintzy old superimpositions

September 1, 2009 Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

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

April 29, 2009 Full Review | Comments (2)

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

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

Steve Biodrowski

ESplatter

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

May 17, 2008

Thomas Peyser

Style Weekly (Richmond, VA)

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

May 13, 2008 Full Review

Daniel Etherington

Film4

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

March 26, 2008 Full Review

Steven Snyder

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

Garth Franklin

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

Joe Lozito

Big Picture Big Sound

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

July 10, 2007 Full Review

Felix Gonzalez Jr.

DVD Review

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

Ethan Alter

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

Sukhdev Sandhu

Daily Telegraph

It's an enjoyable adaptation and good enough for us to welcome this new franchise.

December 30, 2006 Full Review

Ian Freer

Empire Magazine

It is spendthrift in budget yet cautious in style, steadfast in holding to Lewis's imagination yet timorous about using any of its own.

November 11, 2006 Full Review

Stuart Klawans

The Nation

My guess is that [it] will appeal to all of us in need of a jab of earnest, old-fashioned moralism to save the day

August 20, 2006 Full Review

Jay Antani

Cinema Writer

Aslan = Jesus. Now you don't have to buy a ticket.

July 27, 2006 Full Review | Comments (19)

Michael Clawson

West Valley View

...an engaging and visually-stimulating adaptation of the first book of Lewis' immortal seven-part Narnia series.

June 29, 2006 Full Review

David Keyes

Cinemaphile.org

.

May 28, 2006 Full Review

Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel

3BlackChicks Review

• 1. Peter Pevensie: Don't worry Lu, we'll be home soon.
  2. Edmund Pevensie: If home's still there.
  – Submitted by Criselle M (2 months ago)
• 1. Jadis the White Witch: You know, Aslan, I'm a little disappointed in you. Did you honestly think by all this that you could save the human traitor? You are giving me your life and saving no one. So much for love. Tonight, the Deep Magic will be appeased, but tomorrow, we will take Narnia forever! In that knowledge, despair... and die!
  – Submitted by Typhon Q (9 months ago)
• 1. Jadis the White Witch: Your brother, is he unintelligent?
  2. Edmund Pevensie: Well, I think so.
  – Submitted by Isabella M (9 months ago)
• 1. Peter Pevensie: For Narnia, and for Aslan!
  – Submitted by ethan t (11 months ago)
• 1. Edmund Pevensie: Whoa, Horsey.
  2. Philip the Horse: My name is Philip.
  – Submitted by Isabella M (12 months ago)
• 1. Mrs. Beaver: It's the world, dear. Did you expect it to be small?
  2. Susan Pevensie: Smaller.
  – Submitted by Isabella M (12 months ago)

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