Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

2005 • 142 minutes
4.5
2.97K reviews
75%
Tomatometer
PG
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Prepare to enter another world when Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present C.S. Lewis' timeless and beloved adventure. With the stunningly realistic special effects, you'll experience the exploits of Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, four siblings who find the world of Narnia through a magical wardrobe while playing a game of "hide-and-seek" at the country estate of a mysterious professor. Once there, the children discover a charming, once peaceful land inhabited by talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs, and giants that has been turned into a world of eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis. Aided by the wise and magnificent lion Aslan, the children lead Narnia into a spectacular climactic battle to be free of the Witch's glacial powers forever!
Rating
PG

Ratings and reviews

4.5
2.97K reviews
Kyle Vansteelandt
December 26, 2021
After watching this magnificent masterpiece, I was inspired to know the biography of C.S. Lewis. He is a British lay theologian and writer who worked on a fantasy novel called "The Chronicles of Narnia." Based on his novel, and structured by Andrew Adamson and his company, This film adaptation really displays the inspirational aspects of his life with joyous results, and If we never knew who Lewis is, we will never know who brought compelling joy to the world. The themes of this film adaptation are also from the book that represent some of the aspects of Lewis's biography. This family-friendly fantasy epic is about war between good and evil. To amp up the good-vs-evil theme, The movie contains a subtle Christian context, and does not tolerate any evil or darkness under any circumstances. Mark Johnson and Phillip Steuer (producers) are responsible for the film's existence, and Andrew Adamson (director/co-writer) crafted this movie deftly with such dynamic precision, from the slick screenplay, to the well-utilized resonance of the tone. Every single aspect of the intelligent craftsmanship (including the writing) grabs my attention, and I was astonished. It all starts with a dramatic opening scene involving war and separation. When we finally enter Narnia, the movie has an unbridled sense of beauty and wonder, and it takes it's time to immerse me into the world, all thanks to the incredible production design, and the beautiful ambience to create a pleasing atmosphere. Every suspenseful moment is haunting because they mostly have an unbridled sense of foreboding, thanks to the excellent timing, the creepy music score, and the skillful use of the camera. The dramatic action sequences are exciting. And there are some heart-wrenching elements as well, especially this one complex scene that involves sacrifice. The cinematography by Donald McAlpine is a striking and sweeping achievement, and I must add that the production design is an incredible mixture of green screens and set-designs. The effects are literally magical (mostly the special effects), from the objects to the animated creatures. The animals are not only brought to life by CGI, but also from the personalities, the facial expressions, and the voice cast. The effects are an effective mixture between computer-generated wizardry and practical effects, and dare I say, they blend in so well. Harry Gregson Williams created a lively and dramatic score that contains a lot of energy and layers to enhance the entire movie. and The movie has a large cast ensemble to deliver pitch-perfect performances to contribute to the entertainment value. The cast who plays the live characters are an emotional force to be reckoned with, while the cast who voiced the creatures are a ton of fun to listen to. Peter Pevensie (William Moseley) is a smart leader and the eldest brother of his three siblings that work together as a family. Lucy (Georgie Henley) is the youngest of the siblings, and she is the most charming of them all with her wide-eyed exuberance and her thoughtfulness. James McAvoy is also charming as Mr. Tumnus, a sympathetic faun that introduces Lucy to Narnia. The chemistry between Lucy and Tumnus is touching, because Georgie and James have shown some soulful spirits within their performances. Ray Winstone and Dawn French are a lot of fun as the beavers who are a lovely couple. Rupert Everett voices a red fox with a gentleman-like quality. Liam Neeson voices Alsan with several layers to his pitch-perfect resonance. Aslan is not only the king of Narnia, he also represents Jesus Christ, because he is an invincible rightful ruler that brings peace to all of Narnia. Tilda Swinton is superb as the white witch, she is the beautiful queen of Narnia, yet she is an aggressive tyrant who brings evil pressure to all of Narnia with her creepy army. Michael Madsen uses an intimidating gravelly voice for Maugrim, a vicious gray wolf who is the pack leader of the witch's police team in the form of wolves. Suitable for ages nine and up. Highly Recommended for the entire family indeed.
67 people found this review helpful
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Sam
July 21, 2017
Good movie, some people say it's a fairy tale, but if you think about it, it's real life, and to prove, here goes. The white witch stands for satan, the four kids were chosen and they didn't know, the white witch gave Edmund Turkish delights to draw him to her home not knowing she was trying to stop the prophecy from coming true and she thought she was winning this whole time and she thought her plans would work to stop the prophecy , because she knew what would happen when they lost the battle, the battle represents when we go to war with the enemy at the end of this world, I suggest you watch and parents as you allow your kids to watch this film explain to them why this is a good movie and there is a meaning behind this. And that there's a Christian meaning behind this
150 people found this review helpful
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Skylar Smith
May 24, 2020
During the World War II bombings of London, four English siblings are sent to a country house where they will be safe. One day Lucy (Georgie Henley) finds a wardrobe that transports her to a magical world called Narnia. After coming back, she soon returns to Narnia with her brothers, Peter (William Moseley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and her sister, Susan (Anna Popplewell). There they join the magical lion, Aslan (Liam Neeson), in the fight against the evil White Witch, Jadis (Tilda Swinton).
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