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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Animation · Family

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

6.8(57) 4/1/1979 1h 35m
AnimationFamilyTV MovieFantasyAdventure

This Emmy Award winner for Best Animated Special is based on the first book of C.S. Lewis' acclaimed series, "The Chronicles of Narnia." Four children pass through a mystic portal in a wardrobe and discover the magical kingdom of Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures. There, an evil witch's spell has cast the land into eternal winter. Fearing that an ancient prophecy is coming to fruition, and that the children are Narnia's rightful rulers, the White Witch tricks their youngest brother into betraying his family, enacting an ancient magic that she can use to halt the fulfillment of the prophecy. Now, only Aslan, noble lion and High King above all kings in Narnia, can help them defeat the witch, restore springtime to Narnia, and claim their rightful places on the throne.

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Top Cast

RW

Rachel Warren

Lucy (voice)

SS

Susan Sokol

Susan (voice)

RW

Reg Williams

Peter (voice)

SA

Simon Adams

Edmund (voice)

Victor Spinetti

Victor Spinetti

Mr. Tumnus (voice)

DV

Dick Vosburgh

Professor (voice)

DP

Don Parker

Mr. Beaver (voice)

LP

Liz Proud

Mrs. Beaver (voice)

Directed by

Bill Melendez

Production

Reviews

Vinicius Monteiro

6/10

7/12/2026

Adapting a beloved fantasy classic is always a tough gig, and the late-70s animated version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe perfectly shows the gap between blindly respecting a book and actually making a good movie. Sure, there’s a warm sense of nostalgia if you grew up watching the VHS tape in your living room, but rewatching it as an adult requires a lot of patience. In its attempt to preserve C.S. Lewis’s original vision, the movie trips hard over its clunky, outdated production. It ends up feeling cold, sacrificing the story's emotional punch for a "faithfulness" that doesn't actually hold up. Fans of this 1979 version often argue that it respects the book almost religiously. The core of the story is definitely there, thankfully free of the bloated, over-the-top action scene

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