The lion, the witch and the wardrobe (2005)

(Amazon UK link)

When Disney adapted the first of the ‘Narnia’ books - The lion, the witch and the wardrobe - to a film, I was eager to see it. I had heard some controversy about it, but also that it was very well done. We went to see it in the cinema at the end of 2005 - just over twenty years ago - which, as far as I remember, is the last time I went to the cinema. I did enjoy the film, on the whole, but found it too loud, and too bright. And I can’t stand the smell of cinema popcorn.

We bought the DVD some years later, which various family members and friends have watched, but I had not seen it again myself until last night. I reread the book in May last year, so recalled most of the details. 

I knew that the film had a kind of prequel scene - actually several scenes, most of which I had forgotten. These showed warplanes in WWII, and the Pevensie family running for shelter as bombs started raining around them. It cleverly shows Edmund (Skandar Keynes) as a rather prickly boy, desperately missing his father, who was away fighting, and determined not to be bossed around by his older siblings. 

We then see the four children preparing to get on a train, to be evacuated to the countryside. This is the scene I had recalled. Children reading the book back in the 1950s would know all about evacuation; 21st century children mostly need some introduction, to explain why the children are staying with an unknown professor and his housekeeper, without their parents. 

The film then follows the book, more-or-less; Mrs McReady meets the children in a horse and trap, and warns them that they mustn’t disturb the professor. Peter is excited about exploring the grounds; then we see them, bored, with pouring rain outside. And they decide to play hide-and-seek. Lucy dives into a large wardrobe filled with fur coats… and discovers Narnia at the back.

The basic story is well-known; it’s a classic that most children probably read at some point, and the film introduced it to many more. I understand that a new series is currently being produced for Netflix. Narnia, when Lucy discovers it, is in mid-winter; as she soon learns, it has been winter for a hundred years, with no respite, and no Christmas. 

The actors are well cast; I found Peter (William Moseley) and Susan (Anna Popplewell) very believable. Susan’s relationship with Lucy (Georgie Henley) is realistic, too; Lucy somewhat resents her sister growing up and getting dull, and loves their occasional hugs, and games. 

I was less sure about Mr Tumnus (James McAvoy). He plays the part well, but doesn’t quite match the Mr Tumnus of my imagination. Tilda Swinton as the white witch is intended to be chilling, but I didn’t really find her scary at all. 

Aslan is brilliantly done, as befits the most important character in the book. It’s sometimes hard to believe he’s just CGI. But Mr and Mrs Beaver feel a bit too ‘Disneyfied’ - I kept expecting them to break into dance routines. I know they add a bit of gentle, low-key humour in the book, but I’d have liked them to look a little less caricatured. 

I also felt that there was rather too much deviation from the book, although I know that films have to be made differently. The chase by the wolves is rather too close, and I don’t recall ice floes breaking off a river, as the children cross it, in the book. However, it looks good on film, and adds to the tension.

I’m pleased to report, however, that the most significant storyline is there. From the agreement between Aslan and the white witch, we see the traumatic, tragic event that is a clear Christian allegory, along with what follows. It’s beautifully done, and follows the original well. The pace of this - and, indeed of most of the film - is perfect for my tastes. The running time is almost two and a half hours, but it didn't feel that long. I found myself totally engrossed.  

Having said that, there was rather too much of the huge battle scene towards the end. But then that’s something else which can be glossed over fairly quickly in a book; it has to be shown visually in a film.  And the ending - including a final scene during the credits - works well.

So, overall, I thought it a good adaptation for a 21st century audience. I noted at the start that the film is ‘based on’ the book, so perhaps I should have expected a fair amount of deviation from the text.

Definitely recommended, so long as you don’t mind films like this that stray quite a bit, in places, from the book. The rating is PG, which reflects the tension and scenes of carnage - though there's nothing too gory actually shown. 

Our DVD set has an extra DVD claiming 10 hours of ‘extras’ - but we didn’t look at them, and probably won’t. 

Review copyright 2026 Sue's DVD Reviews