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Movies / On DVD / The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

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

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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.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for battle sequences and frightening moments.

Runtime: 2 hrs 30 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:08-12-2005

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

[See More Credits]

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    The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Trailer
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    Andrew Adamson Interview
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    James McAvoy & Georgie Henley Interview
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Reviews for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch,...

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101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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The hard-core may experience the thrill of recognition. But the rest of us can be forgiven a perfectly appropriate giggling fit.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
12/09/05
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

Adamson should stick to animated ogres. Narnia lovers should stick to their books.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
12/09/05
Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy
Oregonian

Rarely has there been such a seamless blending of digital creations and live actors. ...a classy kick-off to what should be a highly rewarding series of fantasies.

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
12/09/05
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

It can be a good thing, St. Paul tells us, to put away childish things. But it is sometimes an even better thing to pick them up again.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
12/09/05
Stephen Whitty
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger

I mean 'childlike' in the best sense, evoking a sense of awe and innocence in the face of challenges. This is art as well as entertainment and it operates at a sophisticated level.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
12/09/05
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

As the rare offering that plays well to the entire family it’s a welcome addition to this holiday season.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
12/09/05
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

It's quite an array of fantastic visions that Adamson and the animators had to create, and the very scope and depth of their mission is impressive.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
12/09/05
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

Adamson seems more comfortable with animated characters than real ones.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
12/09/05
Connie Ogle
Connie Ogle
Miami Herald

The result is mostly engaging, but rarely soars or sings with imagination, poetry, whimsy or the sort of surprise that can take your breath away.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
12/09/05
Duane Dudek
Duane Dudek
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It's a sturdy adaptation, and if The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe doesn't capture the magic of C.S. Lewis' books, it comes a fair sight close to catching it.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
12/09/05
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

Is, and was probably specifically designed, to be Lord of the Rings-Lite

Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
12/09/05
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
Planet Sick-Boy

The film seems more like a Saturday at the movies than a magical event, but that doesn't mean that it's not a well-rendered version of Lewis' endearingly slender novel.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
12/09/05
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

To its credit and power, the film allows them a reach that exceeds any one religion's grasp.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
12/09/05
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post

One only wishes the movie had been rendered more artfully. The dialogue is impossibly clunky, the characters are completely one-dimensional, and the magic is all too mechanized to allow anyone over the age of 8 or 9 to believe in Narnia.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment 2 Comments
12/09/05
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

It's more yawn-inspiring than awe-inspiring, especially for those who haven't read the book.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
12/09/05
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

It would be easy to brush off The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as Lord of the Rings-light. Very light. But the film really isn't even that good.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment 2 Comments
12/09/05
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

What constant magic it works.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
12/09/05
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail

It's allegorical and imaginative, although literary subtlety is lost to the patently obvious.

Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
12/09/05
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
Modamag.com

The obvious comparison is to 'Lord of the Rings' -- but when Peter Jackson creates the most awe-inspiring battle scene since Kurosawa, the bar is too high for Andrew Adamson.

Full Review Source: Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) | comment Comment
12/09/05
Jonathan R. Perry
Jonathan R. Perry
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)

The Chronicles of Narnia so vividly captures the magic of the book that Harry Potter might just want to watch his back.

Full Review Source: Contra Costa Times | comment Comment
12/09/05
Randy Myers
Randy Myers
Contra Costa Times
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
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