Widescreen
By Tim Plant, Go Movie Critic
Princely 'Caspian' charges on: “You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember.” Truer words were never spoken by a dwarf in Narnia.In "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" ?the sequel to Disney's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" released in 2005 ?it’s time to go back to Narnia. But kids who were thrilled by the first movie might not be ready for the way this movie has matured. Director Andrew Adamson has created a second film that’s darker, more brutal and more death-ridden -- but it's much better, too.
The Pevensie kids ?Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) ?have aged a year since they returned from Narnia, when they reverted back to their childhood ages after growing to adulthood in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Just when they think they’re never going to see Narnia again, they are transported back to the magical land they all love.
But the Narnia to which they return is not the land of their fond memories. More than 1,300 years have passed, and the Telmarines, a new race, have taken control. They have repressed the Narnians so much that all the things that make Narnia wonderful ?the talking animals, the dancing trees ?are seemingly gone. Once again, the kids have to live up to a prophecy that they will save the day.
The plot focused on monarchy bloodlines, and regicide might be over the heads of ?or too much for ?kids, but the visual effects are enough to keep them entertained. The first half of the film is pure fun as the Pevensie children figure out what they must do. Then the blood starts to spill, and the latter half is filled with battles and death.
None of the child actors in the film is fantastic ?but neither were any of the Harry Potter actors at first, either. As Edmund, Keynes demonstrates the most maturity as an actor, and he’s the only one you believe might once have been an adult who is now trapped in a child’s body.
Ben Barnes can best be described as mediocre in the titular role. We hope Caspian is a more remarkable leader than Barnes is an actor. Barnes doesn’t detract from the film in any measurable way, but he’s certainly not regal yet either.
It’s natural to compare any movie battle scene featuring strange creatures fighting alongside humans with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. While director Adamson has created bigger and bloodier battles for this film, their quality is relative. Compared to "LOTR," they’re mediocre; compared to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," they’re fun, fantastic and thrilling.
Adamson has defied conventional wisdom by creating a sequel that outshines the original. The third part of the trilogy ? DDE_LINK"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" DDE_LINK ?is in preproduction, and if the trend continues, it will not disappoint.