The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD]

Imagine finding a magical kingdom in another world... only to return over a thousand years later, and find it in ruins.

That's the whole idea of "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," a superb sequel to "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe." While it has a climax that goes on WAY too long, this movie shows us the darker side of C.S. Lewis' fantastical world -- with a heavy dose of Shakespearean villains, political intrigue, and some spectacularly epic battles.

It's been 1,300 years in Narnia, and the human Telmarines have invaded and driven the native Narnians underground. Aslan hasn't been seen in centuries.

As young Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) flees from his treacherous uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), he's discovered by a band of Narnians, and accidentally ends up summoning the ancient Kings and Queens of Narnia -- also known as the Pevensie children. Though initially delighted to have returned to Narnia, the Pevensies are horrified when they find that their once-idyllic land has been nearly destroyed.

Caspian has been organizing a ramshackle army of native Narnians, but Peter (William Moseley) finds that fighting an organized, armed force is very different from battling the White Witch. And after a disastrous attack, the Narnians are facing almost certain destruction -- but Lucy (Georgie Henley) is convinced that Aslan can somehow save them, and restore the kingdom to Prince Caspian....

"Prince Caspian" is definitely a darker story than its predecessor -- good guys die, coups fail, the castles are grimy, some of the good guys turn bad, and a bleak, hopeless feeling suffuses much of the movie's second half. Even our heroes have to deal with their doubts and anger, especially since Aslan is conspicuously absent for 95% of the entire film.

And if the first film was a colorful fantasy adventure, then this one is a military story -- spectacular aerial drops, castle-wide massacres, and a spectacular finale involving a massive pit, tree roots, a river, and catapults. But Adamson also packs in as much violence as a PG-rated movie can contain -- while there's only a few drops of actual gore, there's plenty of beheadings, shootings and stabbings.

But Narnia itself has lost none of its charm, and Adamson lingers lovingly on the sunlit forests and quiet rivers for as long as he can. And though the story is grim, he sprinkles it with plenty of humor (the bound-and-gagged cat) and fairly snappy dialogue. One of the most spectacular scenes involves a very familiar character speaking from inside a sheet of shimmering ice, as Caspian is dragged into a necromancer's ritual. Creepy.

Problems with the movie? Well, the climactic battle drags on for a LONG time, and every time you think it'll end, it revs back up. And those masked soldiers are a wee bit too reminiscent of "300's" Persians.

The four Pevensie actors all do solid jobs, although William Moseley is the standout -- Peter is struggling with doubt and a bit of alpha rivalry. Barnes starts off a little stiffly -- come on, where's the fear? -- but soon grows into the difficult role of a Hamlet-like prince who is struggling to become both a Narnian friend and a Telmarine king.

But there's a pretty brilliant supporting cast as well: Castellitto is simply outstanding as the ruthless, icy-cold Miraz, as are Damián Alcázar and Pierfrancesco Favino as his scheming advisors. Warwick Davis does a low-key, malevolent turn as Nikabrik, while Peter Dinklage is the likably brusque, cynical Trumpkin. And Eddie Izzard is top-notch as the mousy swashbuckler Reepicheep -- this could have a silly, comic-relief character, but he does end up being both adorable and formidable.

"Prince Caspian" drops the children's fantasy feeling, in favor of a darker, more militaristic story. But despite its darker overtones, it never forgets the light side.

Prince Caspian was mainly panned by profession reviewers, which just goes to show you shouldn't pay too much attention to them! The film provides a couple of hours of escapist fantasy, with a strong moral message, likeable characters, an interesting plot and a host of enchanting Narnians. And there's that great big lion, too; easily the star of the movie.
Unlike most sequels, Prince Caspian has a storyline in its own right and doesn't simply re-tread the plot of the first film. Narnia is in peril again and this time it is humans who are doing the damage. Much of ancient Narnia has been destroyed; the trees no longer dance, Aslan is a mere myth, and the few fabulous creatures who remain are in hiding.
The four children are summoned back (after struggling to fit back in to normal life in wartime England) to help Prince Caspian regain his throne and at the same time save the last of the Narnians from extinction.

There are a range of new bad guys (mostly humans), and new good guys (you'll love the mouse who gets all the good dialogue), and a scary-scary moment where our heroes nearly release a far worse enemy at their most desperate hour. It's always easier to turn to the dark side...!

Prince Capsian has its flaws; it's a little long, and the Prince himself is not an entirely engaging character. The makers also shied away from hammering home the film's central message (about losing/finding one's faith, and about fighting for the right thing), although it is there as a very significant under-current. It also suffers from comparison to other fantasy sagas -- although this doesn't seem fair, considering they all draw upon the same mythic legends to create worlds filled with marvellous creatures.
The Narnia films (and books) were intended for children, and should be viewed as such. Having said that -- I'm 40 and thoroughly enjoyed Prince Caspian. I'm sentimental enough to believe that it is right to fight for the oppressed under-dog, and mushy enough to go misty when the golden lion radiates his love and reassurance. (Aslan easily wins my award for 'best CGI lion' !).
If you're watching this at home and can opt for a hi-def version then I'd recommend you do so, and enjoy the effects at top quality. In any case, this is a film which your kids can watch over and over, so it's probably well worth buying if you've children aged 12 or under. My guess is that teenagers and 20-somethings might sneer... while us older ones wistfully recall the days when we could believe in fantastical centaurs and talking badgers. Delightful escapsim.
7/10

In Lewis' novel Susan is described as a girl who 'hates killing things' (p134). In Disney's movie she kills people with great relish. In fact she's as good at it as any boy. That observation provides any viewer of this film with the key to understand what it presents - and sadly, it isn't Lewis.

If you want a screen version of Lewis' Prince Caspian then consider the BBC's adaptation of twenty years ago. This was achieved in just two half hour episodes while remaining faithful to Lewis' ideas and replicating much of the significant dialogue in which the main content of his ideas often lie. Narnia is too small for the big screen.

In fact the BBC's Lion, Witch & Wardrobe went a stage further in explaining that Aslan's reliance on 'the deep magic' (really law as used for justice, not for power and theft - of the child Edmund - as Jadis uses it) was a risk since its reliability - moreover the reliability of the Emperor-over-Sea on whose scepter and throne such a law was inscribed - had never been tested before.

Disney's Caspian has not been put to such purpose. Indeed Peter seems to have need of Lucy's magic cordial as he's suffering from amnesia; he's forgotten that Lewis wrote him up as leader of the four and is now a vainglorious vacillating 'hero' who has things 'sorted' (just one example of how the dialogue in the film approaches the pitiful).

The movie's CGI animals are a technical feat and the whole production is without question a fine example of the talents and professionalism of all involved in it's execution. Stylistically it is excellent, especially in the depiction of the Telmarines as a medieval Latin culture.

Nevertheless, as entertaining as Caspian the movie certainly is, if you want Lewis and the broad canvass he painted (broader than 'mere Christianity' while remaining faithful to it), and you enjoy the asides and 'Easter eggs' he put into these stories, then you need to read the books. There's also one other thing the books will do for you that the screen versions cannot: since these stories have no didactic purpose, if you go through the wardrobe you will find exactly what you are looking for - or else only what you have taken with you. Take care to distinguish the one from the other.

May you be as untameable as the Lion.