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

Director:

Andrew Adamson

Writers (WGA):

Ann Peacock (screenplay) and
Andrew Adamson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 December 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny.

Plot:

Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion.

Plot Keywords:

Preteenage Girl | Sword And Sorcery | Petrification | Betrayal | Dagger

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 12 wins & 36 nominations

Cast

Georgie Henley	...	Lucy Pevensie
Skandar Keynes	...	Edmund Pevensie
William Moseley	...	Peter Pevensie
Anna Popplewell	...	Susan Pevensie
Tilda Swinton	...	White Witch
James McAvoy	...	Mr. Tumnus, the Faun
Jim Broadbent	...	Professor Kirke
Kiran Shah	...	Ginarrbrik
James Cosmo	...	Father Christmas
Judy McIntosh	...	Mrs. Pevensie
Elizabeth Hawthorne	...	Mrs. MacReady
Patrick Kake	...	Oreius
Shane Rangi	...	General Otmin
Brandon Cook	...	Boy on Train
Cassie Cook	...	Girl on Train

Also Known As:

The Chronicles of Narnia (International: English title) (short title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for battle sequences and frightening moments.

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:PG | Sweden:11 | Iceland:LH (video rating) | South Korea:All | Australia:PG | Hong Kong:I | Mexico:A | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Argentina:Atp | India:U | Ireland:PG | USA:PG | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:12 | Germany:12 | New Zealand:PG | USA:Unrated (special edition) | Norway:11 | Brazil:10 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Zurich) | Czech Republic:U | Iceland:L | USA:PG (certificate #41436) | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Germany:6 (cut) | Portugal:M/6 | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Malaysia:U

Filming Locations:

Adrspach National Park, Trutnov, Czech Republic

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

When Mr. Tumnus refers to Lucy as a "Daughter of Eve", a confused Lucy responds by telling him that her mother's name is Helen. The mother of Georgie Henley, who plays Lucy, is actually named Helen.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Susan and Lucy are riding on Aslan's back to the castle, he is traveling at a great speed, but they are sitting upright and their hair is hanging down as if they were sitting still.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mrs. Pevensie: Edmund! Get away from there! Peter!
[to Edmund]
Mrs. Pevensie: What do you think you're doing? Peter! Quickly, the shelter! Now!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in On the Set: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Oh Johnny Oh, Johnny Oh!

One of the long-awaited fantasy adaptations comes out on top.

"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is a film with a lot to live up to. Not just it's (considerable) legacy, but the many recent fantasy films as well. The one place where there are no worries is the story. Four children living in London during WW2 are sent away as refugees to live in the country. The place they are staying is the home of an elderly professor. The youngest soon discovers a magical wardrobe which leads into another world. All of this is brilliant set-up for an adventure. It works much better than if they had simply entered a wardrobe in their own home. Out of many difficulties related to production, one of the largest lay in the script. Ann Peacock did a fine job adapting a film which is not particularly suited to the cinema. The director, Andrew Adamson is a bit unsteady with his first live-action feature. At times, a real spark is evident, but it is sometimes filmed too much like animation. One of the most important parts is the score. Harry Gregson-Williams does do a fine job, but has not created a score that is quite good enough to work separate from the film. The few vocals that are included work nicely as well.

The cast is nearly perfect. The expression of wonder and awe on the face of Georgie Henley (Lucy) seems to be completely real. She is a joy to watch, and appears to truly love playing her role. Skandar Keynes (Edmund) plays his character with all appropriate mean-spiritedness and greedy attitude. William Moseley and Anna Popplewell (Peter and Susan) are good as well, but not as complicated or important characters as the two youngest. Tilda Swinton (Jadis - The White Witch) has a shockingly sharp stare, which she uses greatly to her advantage. Her appearance and demeanor are excellently suited to her role. James McAvoy (Tumnus) is one of the stand-out supporting roles, and fits seamlessly into his animated lower half. Of course, most important of all is the character of Aslan, voiced by Liam Neeson. A perfect choice for the role, Neeson gives a sense of great age and dignity.

Even though I missed the opening night due to bad Canadian weather, the crowd retained that grand spirit of being one of the first to see a film. "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" has left a big impression for fantasy films to follow, and will likely be followed by six more motion pictures from The Chronicles of Narnia.

9.1 out of 10