The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: Review By J. David

Those words, spoken in the trailer from the offset, define the overall tone of Prince Caspian, the sequel to 2005's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the second installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film franchise. It is because of that one line of dialogue that the constant criticism of the film flabbergasts me. Yes, Prince Caspian is an exceedingly dark film. Yes, it may be too long. And yes it at times lacks the sense of wonder its predecessor so flawlessly brought to the screen. But it's a more than welcome expansion on the story and a worthy sequel to a near masterpiece.

It's been a year since the four Pevensie children left their new home in the land of Narnia. Yet, they always knew they would be returning someday. But it comes as more of a surprise than anything else. As Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy await their train to school, they suddenly find themselves thrust back into their dream world, only to discover that 1300 years have passed and Narnia has fallen under control of the Telmarines, an invading race of humans. Together with the runaway Telmarine Prince Caspian, the children once again join forces with the Narnians in order to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.

If anything is actually better than the first, it's the acting. Each of the four leads, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, and Anna Popplewell, makes a triumphant return. The young actors appear to be more comfortable in their roles and each of them brings back the charm they had in the first film. Liam Neeson also returns to voice Aslan and, even though he's barely in the movie, he eats up the role. Joining the cast is Ben Barnes as Caspian, who steals every scene he is in and does a terrific job in handling his characters many troubles. Sergio Castellito is introduced as King Miraz who's by no means as menacing or evil as the White Witch, but manages to serve as a worthy antagonist for our heroes.

Returning to helm the film is director Andrew Adamson, who appears to be much more stylized behind the camera this time around. Like its predecessor, Prince Caspian is a visual feast. Shot on location in New Zealand, Adamson takes every opportunity to showcase the beautiful scenery of the country and use it to his advantage. There's not nearly as much of it as was in the first film, which leads to the somewhat lack of wonder, but it does compliment the sequel's more serious nature.

But, in terms of family fare, it's not always for the better. I've come to the conclusion that the only reason this didn't receive a PG-13 is because of its Christian values. The battle sequences are unremittingly intense, sometimes painfully so, and other scenes are just flat out horrifying (Tilda Swinton's cameo still gives me goosebumps). Narnia may be targeted at everyone, but parents should approach this one with caution.

But I'm not complaining, because the tension only adds to the excitement. The action scenes are beautifully shot, with the filmmakers using a steady cam as often as possible. There are a few too many which result in the film ballooning to 2 ½ hours, but they're entertaining nonetheless and serve the sheer scope of the film well. It says a lot about the pacing. I agree the movie IS too long, but it doesn't FEEL too long.

Prince Caspian is an imperfect film no doubt about that, but I continually persist on finding its criticism undeserving. Maybe its because I never read the book or simply because I'm misunderstanding something. Be that as it may, the film had me entranced from beginning to end. It has its flaws, that's for certain, but what movie nowadays doesn't? All I know is that I walked out of the theater 100% satisfied. Bring on the Dawn Treader.