THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
A thrilling, faithful gospel allegory the whole family can rejoice over.
Should You Watch It?
Here's the good news up front: Disney and Walden Media got this one right. This is a spectacular, exciting adaptation of C.S. Lewis's beloved novel, and — more importantly to Movieguide — it keeps the gospel at its center. Aslan's sacrifice and resurrection, breaking the White Witch's power over Narnia, come through clearly on screen, even if a few of the book's richer theological touches have been trimmed or softened.
The production is a genuine achievement: superb camerawork, enchanting effects, a lion who feels real, and child performances that carry the story's weight. The direction is thrilling if not especially nuanced, and a stronger, more seductive White Witch might have raised the stakes further — but these are quibbles against a movie that mostly gets everything right.
The only real caution is for the youngest viewers. The battle scenes, wolves, swordfights, and the witch's murder of Aslan may be too frightening for children seven and under. For everyone else, this is a rare family film worth celebrating and worth seeing in a theater.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESFour English children — Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy — are sent to the countryside during World War II air raids. In Professor Kirke's rambling house, Lucy discovers an old wardrobe that opens onto Narnia, a snow-locked land of talking animals and mythical creatures, trapped under the eternal winter of the evil White Witch. A prophecy says four children will help break her hold — but first, one of them falls under her spell.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is about as good as this kind of family fantasy gets, and the source material backs that up scene by scene. The camerawork is superb, the effects are enchanting, and Aslan himself feels genuinely alive rather than animated. The four young leads carry the story well, particularly Lucy, though Peter and Susan could have used meatier material. Tilda Swinton's White Witch is effective but slightly caged by her costume, and the score is good without being memorable. The direction is exciting and entertaining, if a little short on nuance — but that's nitpicking against a production that is, on the whole, spectacular. C.S. Lewis famously resisted the idea of a film version of his work; this one earns the right to make him proud.
The Worldview
This film's worldview is, above all, a gift: it retains the deeply Christian foundation of Lewis's novel. Aslan's willing death to pay for Edmund's treachery, and his resurrection breaking the Witch's power over Narnia forever, are rendered with real clarity — this is the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, told through "Talking Beasts," exactly as Lewis intended.
There are a few subtle shifts worth naming honestly, though none undermine the film's core. The movie leans slightly more on the wonder of Creation than on the Creator himself — the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea is never directly named. The sacramental communion imagery around Father Christmas's gifts is trimmed to a brief scene, and a resurrection celebration from the book is cut. The film also emphasizes the children's own courage and agency a bit more than the book does, when the real victory belongs to Aslan alone — a shift the director has acknowledged came from his own memory and instincts rather than a rejection of the book's theology. A handful of small, modern touches — a line dismissive of war, Susan firing a bow in battle — are minor and don't disturb the story's Christian center.
What remains is unmistakable: a hero who lays down his life for the guilty, and rises to break sin's eternal winter. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong Christian worldview with clear incarnational allusions to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the only way to break the power of sin and defeat the powers of darkness, slightly mitigated by a strong empowering of human beings and a very slight failure to include the full sacramental references of the book and the Creator references to the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea, as well as a couple of politically correct nods, including a statement dismissive of war, a nod to defining the contents of a healing potion given to Lucy, a modernist view of women in allowing Susan to fire a bow and arrow in war, and a slightly attenuated mention of the Creation, not the Creator, in the coronation of the four children (these discrepancies are all very minor, however, because they are presented in a context where the Christian perspective of the novel dominates); no foul language; action violence and scary creatures that may be too frightening for younger children, including bombing of London, battles with wolves, swordfights, ugly creatures, the witch stabs Aslan to kill him, and many battle scenes; no sex; minor upper male nudity; no alcohol; smoking a pipe; and, nothing else objectionable.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Aslan tells the White Witch he will die to pay the penalty for Edmund's treachery. How does that compare to what Jesus did for us?
John 3:16 · Romans 5:8The White Witch tempts Edmund with Turkish Delight and a false promise of power he already had. What does that reveal about how temptation works on us?
James 1:14–15A prophecy quietly guides the children into Narnia at just the right moment. Where have you seen God's providence work through ordinary circumstances in your own life?
Romans 8:28Even after betraying his siblings, Edmund is forgiven and welcomed back. What does that teach us about how far grace reaches?
Ephesians 2:8–9 · 1 John 1:9The Final Word
Rarely does a major studio film honor its Christian source material this faithfully while also being this much fun to watch. Aslan's sacrifice and resurrection come through with real power, wrapped in spectacular filmmaking the whole family — apart from the very youngest — can enjoy together. Our verdict stands: worth the trip — caution for ages 7 and under.
