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

Edmund sells out his whole family for a box of candy, and the movie never once makes that candy look worth it. That’s the energy here: huge stakes, odd choices. At one point Father Christmas pops in and hands three children weapons like it’s a normal holiday tradition. The first hour is real magic, though. Lucy pushing through the coats into falling snow is still a perfect movie moment, Georgie Henley plays wonder like she’s never faked a thing in her life, and James McAvoy’s twitchy Mr. Tumnus is all scarf and guilt. Tilda Swinton’s White Witch is so cold she makes the snow look cozy. Then the last stretch turns into a screensaver of computer animals running at each other, and 143 minutes starts to feel like a full winter. A 6.4 because the wardrobe half is gold and the war half is a video game cutscene. $306 says you google what Turkish Delight even is before the credits finish.

What works: Lucy’s first steps into Narnia, Tilda Swinton’s icy White Witch and James McAvoy’s jittery Mr. Tumnus make the first hour feel like real magic.

What doesn’t: The final battle is a flat wash of computer creatures, and the older siblings mostly stand around looking worried until the script needs a sword swung.

Who it’s for: Families with grade-school kids, and grown-ups who still check the back of every closet just in case.