Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are sent away from their dangerous home in World War II London into the supposedly safe countryside after a frightening bomb raid. At first, it seems as if the old mansion of Professor Kirk will be boring and predictable, but soon they discover it's the exact opposite. During a game of hide-and-seek, Lucy, the youngest, quickly shuts herself in an abandoned old wardrobe to hide…and it becomes apparent that in the back of the wardrobe lies another world—Narnia. Although her siblings don't believe her at first, her slightly older brother Edmund soon discovers Narnia as well, and within a few awestruck moments aligns himself with a mysterious, magic-working woman who calls herself the Queen of Narnia.

Once the others stumble through, they too explore Narnia, and are shocked to hear that the four of them are fated to overthrow the evil White Witch and bring peace to Narnia as rulers. Adventure, danger, betrayal, and more ensues, as the Pevensies get closer and closer to their destiny. But it's not as easy as it may appear—Narnia is at the moment an icy land filled with danger in the form of many beings-- talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs, giants, and more. Under the guidance of a noble, powerful lion called Aslan, they fight to overcome evil in one larger-than-life challenge after another.

So begins the most exciting, well-done epic since "Lord of the Rings". The audience will be enthralled and totally believing in the fantasy playing out flawlessly on the screen. The actors and actresses playing Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are all excellent (particularly Georgie Henley as Lucy--she was amazing), and the special effects effectively realize the fantastical world of Narnia. The characters are expressed and developed wonderfully, and Fans of the book will not be disappointed, as it is entirely faithful, but rather excited to see it playing out so well in movie form. The film's majestic intensity is impressive. There are weak moments and a plot hole here and there, and perhaps it lacks a spark of inspiration or originality, but overall this is one quality, family-friendly film that really will appeal to everyone.

Review #2 - by Kat

C.S. Lewis magical masterpieces comes to life on the big screen and tells the story of the four Pevensie children and their adventures in the magical world of Narnia.

I very much looked forward to this film but was pleasantly surprised to find it so much more then I'd expected. It is altogether majestically beautiful. The story seamlessly flows from book to screen with breathtaking New Zealand scenery, fantastic performances from the films young stars (especially scene stealing young Georgie Henley as Lucy and William Moseley as Peter 'the magnificent'), and an great soundtrack.

The story is inspiring and you'll find yourself wishing the film didn't have to end. I attended with my mother and another of her friends and they both enjoyed it as much as I did which proves it really is a film for all ages.

For most parts the film is very kid friendly (and even teaches lessons about being kind to your syblings) however some aspects of the battle sequence might be a little too much for the very youngest children, I'd recommend parental guidance.

Definitely a must see and one of the best films of 2005!

Review #3 - by Natalie E

The Lion, the witch and The Wardrobe is set in Narnia, a completely frosty world. Ruled by The White Witch (Tilda Swinton) . It is the story of which four siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy enter Narnia through a wardrobe. They have to fulfill a prophecy and defeat the white witch and rule Narnia as the four Kings and Queens.

Peter, played by William Moseley is the eldest and acts like a big brother he should be, although he is not that good at controlling his younger brother. William Moseley does a very good job in his role, almost making you believe Peter really exists .

Susan, played by Anna Popplewell does a pretty good job as well. She could have injected a little bit more emotion. Susan in this movie is a little more hot-tempered than in the book which is excellent, as it would be boring if they followed the book.

Edmund played by Skandar Keynes, turns to the dark side at first but is rescued. He is counseled by Aslan the Lion first (voiced by Liam Neeson). After that he makes a great comeback to help Narnia against the White Witch. Skandar’s acting is good, although he could have been a little more upset at certain points.

Lucy, played by 10 year old Georgie Henwell is fabulous. She is cute, perky, funny and gives her all in acting. But as a first-timer, she can’t be perfect. At one point, she did look like she was laughing when she was supposed to be crying. Still, she is really like the Dakota Fanning of Britain.

Tilda Swinton, playing the white witch is excellent being evil. Her army and costumes were pure perfection and her acting was very realistic. She is definitely a true Ice Queen.

Although the acting and visual effects in this movie are fantastic, there is one part where the actors looked like they were standing against a backdrop. Also, there is very little eye candy in this movie. In all, this movie is pretty good, even better than the book as the book can get way boring, but it still needs a little bit more fine tuning as it can get a bit boring here and there.