The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (2005)
73%RT Audience Score: 61%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
18 wins & 46 nominations total
With first-rate special effects and compelling storytelling, this adaptation stays faithful to its source material and will please moviegoers of all ages
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” is a magical adventure that will transport you to a world of talking animals, mythical creatures, and epic battles. While some critics found the film to be lacking in certain areas, I personally loved every minute of it. Tilda Swinton’s portrayal of the ice queen was chillingly good, and the special effects were top-notch. Whether you’re a fan of the book series or just looking for a fun family movie night, this film is definitely worth a watch. Just be prepared to want to visit Narnia yourself afterwards!
Production Company(ies)
Hideout Pictures, Shout! Factory Shout! Studios,
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Adrspach National Park, Trutnov, Czech Republic
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for battle sequences and frightening moments
Year of Release
2005
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 20m
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Language(s):English, German, Brazilian, Sign, L
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 9, 2005 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 13, 2005
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Adventure
Keyword(s)
starring Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton, directed by Andrew Adamson, written by C.S Lewis, Christopher Markus, fantasy, adventure, PG rating, box office gross $291.7M, reviewed by Namrata Joshi, Sukhdev Sandhu, Ian Freer, Ed Gonzalez, Sandra Hall, Peter Travers, Mike Massie, Grant Watson, Rachel Wagner, Mattie Lucas, Mark Steyn, Dorothy Woodend, special effects, storytelling, source material, World War II, bombings, London, English siblings, country house, magical world, Narnia, Aslan, White Witch, Jadis, battle sequences, frightening moments, Buena Vista Pictures, SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby SRD, Scope (2.35:1), Mark Johnson, Liam Neeson as Aslan (voice), Tilda Swinton as Jadis The White Witch, Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie, Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie, William Moseley as Peter Pevensie, Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie
Worldwide gross: $745,013,115
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,135,387,569
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 82
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 123,815,438
US/Canada gross: $291,710,957
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $444,562,636
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 95
US/Canada opening weekend: $65,556,312
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $99,906,727
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 80
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $180,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $274,317,000
Production budget ranking: 24
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $147,719,704
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $713,350,865
ROI to date (est.): 169%
ROI ranking: 714
Georgie Henley – Lucy Pevensie
Skandar Keynes – Edmund Pevensie
William Moseley – Peter Pevensie
Anna Popplewell – Susan Pevensie
Liam Neeson – Aslan (Voice)
Director(s)
Andrew Adamson
Writer(s)
C.S. Lewis, Christopher Markus
Producer(s)
Mark Johnson
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
18 wins & 46 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
All Critics (218) | Top Critics (57) | Fresh (165) | Rotten (53)
Incredibly engrossing but intermittently so. It holds you, but the grip could have been even more firm.
January 9, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Namrata Joshi
Outlook
TOP CRITIC
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
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
It’s an enjoyable adaptation and good enough for us to welcome this new franchise.
December 30, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
Ian Freer
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A fun and literate package.
March 25, 2006
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
It’s easy to see why Disney chose to start with The Witch and the Wardrobe.
January 17, 2006
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
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 | Rating: 2.5/4
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
Despite its generic swords-and-sorcery storyline, it’s amusingly padded with extensive fantasy elements, making it a must-see for those itching for magic-doused adventure.
September 29, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
A wonderfully realised and pleasant feature.
April 19, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Grant Watson
Fiction Machine
Tilda Swinton as the ice queen… is so good and so scary.
June 18, 2019 | Rating: B+
Rachel Wagner
Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
Swinton digs into the icy heart of her character with a chameleon-like prowess that is simply amazing.
June 5, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
Mattie Lucas
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
Adamson eschews the big look-isn’t-it-magical gestures of the Potter/Tim Burton approach, but he manages to convey the sense of wonder a wartime evacuee might feel at such transportation.
January 25, 2018
Mark Steyn
The Spectator
There isn’t a single moment in this film, front to end, that rings true.
August 24, 2017
Dorothy Woodend
The Tyee (British Columbia)…
Plot
Four children from the same family have to leave their town because of the bombings of WWII. A woman and a professor take the children to their house. While playing a game of hide-and-seek, the youngest member of the family, Lucy, finds a wardrobe to hide in. She travels back and back into the wardrobe and finds a place named Narnia. After going in twice, the four children go in together for the last time. They battle wolves, meet talking animals, encounter an evil white witch and meet a magnificent lion named Aslan. Will this be the end of their journey to Narnia or will they stay?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Tilda Swinton’s portrayal of the evil White Witch is “so good and so scary,” according to one critic review.
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