The film captures the essence of the novel, which succumbing to the 2000s tendency to lean into fight scenes and CGI (puppets look good, though!). The kids are well cast, but this adaptation feels bloated and padded at nearly 2.5 hrs.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Dec 30, 2022

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.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Sep 29, 2020

A wonderfully realised and pleasant feature.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 19, 2020

Tilda Swinton as the ice queen... is so good and so scary.

| Original Score: B+ | Jun 18, 2019

Swinton digs into the icy heart of her character with a chameleon-like prowess that is simply amazing.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Jun 5, 2019

Incredibly engrossing but intermittently so. It holds you, but the grip could have been even more firm.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 9, 2019

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.

| Jan 25, 2018

There isn't a single moment in this film, front to end, that rings true.

| Aug 24, 2017

It is a handsome production, an epic fantasy for younger audiences with a spiritual message, and it was followed by two more films in the series. This one remains the most satisfying and inspiring.

| Nov 18, 2016

It's not really the religious stuff that does the film in - though the combination of fantasy and allegory does have the presumably unintended effect of making belief systems in general seem downright hallucinatory.

| Nov 6, 2014

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.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Mar 18, 2011

Timeless classic faithfully rendered.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 17, 2010

So digitalized that the images start to suggest chintzy old superimpositions

| Sep 1, 2009

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

| Apr 29, 2009

The story never quite lives up to the grandeur of the visuals, and the narrative tends to drag, especially in the first half.

| Jul 8, 2008

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

Full Review | May 17, 2008

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

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 13, 2008

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

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Mar 26, 2008

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.

| Jan 15, 2008

Certainly a feast for the eyes; once the story moves to Narnia, the film is never dull to look at.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 14, 2007