Siblings Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter step through a magical wardrobe and find the land of Narnia. There, they discover a charming, once peaceful kingdom that has been plunged into 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.
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.
– Mick LaSalle,
San Francisco Chronicle,
9 Dec 2005
fresh:
For sheer entertainment value, and the painless imparting of values about family, loyalty and bravery, this lion in winter roars loudly.
– Peter Howell,
Toronto Star,
9 Dec 2005
fresh:
An entertaining, emotional, and surprisingly intimate movie.
– David Edelstein,
Slate,
9 Dec 2005
fresh:
Long may it roar.
– J. R. Jones,
Chicago Reader,
17 Dec 2005
rotten:
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.