Most will find this to be LotR Lite

Rating: 5/10 (5 December 2005)

I will be brief because I can't really ramble too much on anything.
I have not read the books. I know about them only. As a movie-goer, not a follower of the books, I found it to be disappointing. It feels like Disney's attempt at a huge series and this one is marginal at best. The special effects, done by ILM, seem to have the same problem all ILM movies have: a rubbery/plastic shine to all of the backgrounds and characters. Some other effects were good, such as the beavers, wolves or Aslan; but overall, it was more miss than hit.
As for the actual movie, there was nothing that jumped out from the screen that made me say, "wow." For those who haven't read the books, I feel most will just say, "It isn't Lord of the Rings." Personal opinion here: this movie won't have the same cross-over appeal that LotR had.
A few bright spots: The acting was extremely good. Even Michael Madsen did good voice work considering his inability to truly act outside of a Quentin T. film. The child actors were extremely well played and showed great range considering their ages.
Lastly, The film does great in establishing the world of Narnia and like any other first film in a series, does a great job introducing everything for those who didn't follow the books, but I just can't recommend it.
If I had paid for it, I would of felt disappointed. Since I saw it for free, I felt relieved that I didn't have to spend the $10.