Are you ready to return to Narnia? The summer blockbuster month of May continues with the May 16th release of PRINCE CASPIAN, the second in the series of books by C.S. Lewis adapted for the big screen by director Andrew Adamsom. The question is will this film hold up to the expectations and the same kind of international success its predecessor did?
One year after the Pevensie children returned from their fantastic journey to the land through the wardrobe, magical forces have brought them back. They are once again ecstatic to be in their beloved kingdom but they don’t recognize any of the landmarks around them. While they’ve been away, 1300 years have passed and Narnia is now being ruled by the murderous usurper Miraz (Italian actor Sergio Castellitto), who has forced the rightful heir Caspian (Ben Barnes) into hiding. Miraz and Caspian are Telmarines, a race of men who invaded Narnia centuries before and drove the talking beasts and other mythical creatures underground.
Caspian has fallen into company with a band of Narnian rebels and vows to help them regain their country. His call for help brings the legendary kings and queens of old and the great Lion (once again voiced by Liam Neeson) from across the sea. Anger and betrayals must be put aside to face an insurmountable enemy with very little hope of victory.
You’re going to hear (a lot) how much darker this film is compared to THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. That is an accurate assessment. The comparison I like to use is: it’s like THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK versus THE RETURN OF THE JEDI with its adorable ewoks. The warm and fuzzy world of the first film is literally in ruins and what’s left is, as is said in the trailer, a more savage and at times more violent world. The action is not really PG-13 worthy but there are a few sequences that will leave the little ones asking questions. Take that for what it’s worth.
It’s interesting, if not a little confusing, that the eldest Pevensie, Peter (William Moseley), seems to be the focus of the film, even though it’s entitled PRINCE CASPIAN. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. The writers have given Peter some meaty issues to cut his teeth on. Additionally Moseley and Skandar Keynes who plays Edmund seem more comfortable with their characters. Like their on-screen personas they easily slip back into their former Narnian habits and kick some serious butt. Keynes in particular gets his warrior on.
What of the titular character, Caspian? Sadly, most of the time Caspian’s taking a back seat to the High King, but Barnes is a very charismatic actor. The camera just loves him. He gets his share of angsty, romantic and heroic moments, but I’m thinking his character will develop more in the subsequent movies. It must be said that the two strongest performances come from a barely recognizable Peter Dinklage as the cantankerous dwarf, Trumpkin, and Tilda Swinton who has a cameo as the White Witch.
What’s cool about this movie? The battle scenes are intense. A lot of thought went into showing just how a centaur or a faun would fight. The landscapes are gorgeous. Shot in New Zealand, Poland and Slovenia, Narnia feels very real. The SFX are spot on. The valiant mouse Reepicheep (voiced appropriately by Eddie Izzard) in particular is a delight to watch. (And for all of you who are comparing Reepicheep to SHREK’s Puss in Boots: Reepicheep outranks Puss by about 53 years.) As always, book purists are going to take issue with the additions and subtractions in the film. But there is humor, there is action and there are a few tears at the end. You can’t go too far wrong with that.
Running Time: 116 minutes
Your Talkback on this Story