The Chronicles Of Narnia - Prince Caspian / Voyage Of The Dawn Treader [DVD] [1989]

In the months before it's released on DVD, however, it might be time to dust off the 1990 BBC adaptations of "Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader," crammed into one long movie. The first half suffers from the hokey production of the first film, but the second half blossoms into a fantastical sea voyage.

It's been months since the Pevensies went to Narnia through the wardrobe, and now they waiting for a grim summer vacation. But they don't know what changes have gone on in Narnia. Young Prince Caspian has been raised by his cold uncle King Miraz (Robert Lang) ever since his father's death, with only an old nurse and an aged part-dwarf professor as his friends.

But when Miraz's queen has a baby son, Caspian finds himself on the run, and is taken in by the "Creatures in Hiding," talking beasts and magical people. But that isn't enough to ensure victory. Caspian blows the Horn of Queen Susan, and the Pevensies are whisked back into Narnia to assist the young Prince and his ragtag army in reclaiming his throne.

No sooner have Lucy and Edmund gone to their "awful cousin Eustace"'s house, than a painting on the wall draws them in -- and deposits all three kids beside a giant Narnian ship. Caspian, now a young man, takes them on board and explains that he's on a mission to find some loyal lords who Miraz exiled from Narnia.

But the voyage only gets more dangerous, with the group being captured by slavers, consumed with greed over "gold water," taken captive by invisible creatures, attacked by sea serpents, and Eustace is even turned into a dragon when he greedily claims a treasure trove. But the greatest threat is ahead: the very edge of the world.

It's a tricky thing to take two books and mash them together into one big movie, and it's a credit to the BBC that these stories aren't completely unwatchable. In fact, they unfold at a quick but steady pace, paying plenty of attention to the individual characters. The first half has several flaws, but the second half makes up for that in drama and severity.

This is less fantastical and more battle-oriented than the first movie of this series, especially given Peter's rather flat duel with Miraz right before war breaks out. But the filmmakers take time out to dwell on the minor characters like the sailors, Reepicheep the warrior mouse, and the lovably skeptical dwarf Trumpkin. You gotta love someone called "Big Mick."

Unfortunately, the movies do suffer from some decidedly hokey special effects; dragon-Eustace shifts size and looks absurd, and Miraz's army is clad in Ye Olde Dungeone and Dragone Armoure, complete with black bat motif. Very "Batman goes to the Renaissance Faire." The special effects are redeemed somewhat with a dazzling Dawn Treader, creepy Sea Serpent, and a centaur that still looks better than "Harry Potter's."

Barbara Kellerman still cackles and squeals, and Sophie Wilcox still whines all the time. But the two Caspian actors do an excellent job with their roles, both as a young naive boy and as an experienced king. David Thwaites is the breakout role here, taking Eustace from a whiny brat who gets under everyone's skin to a mature young man who thinks of others first.

Two stories in one -- the first rather flat, the second graced with some genuine chills and heartwarming moments. "Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader" has some serious flaws, but it's definitely worth watching.