Movie
Review:
The Chronicles
of Narnia:
Prince Caspian
by Kate Evans
It’s
been a year since Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie left Narnia
and went back to their “real” lives in England. They’re
just starting to get used to the idea that they’re not queens
and kings any longer – they’re just normal British school
kids trying to live as normal a life as possible in the middle of
World War II. They’re not even sure they want to do this, but
Narnia seems out of reach, so it’s time to put on their big-kid
clothes and deal.
And
then the side of the railway station they’re standing in is
ripped away, and suddenly they’re running down a beach that
is so beautiful it can’t be anywhere else BUT Narnia. It’s
a changed world, though. Their beautiful castle is in overgrown ruins,
the magical creatures that they lived with are nowhere in sight, and
there seems to be a rather nasty bunch of humans in charge now. It's
been 1300 years since they left.
Then
we have Prince Caspian. One of the “nasty bunch”, he’s
a Telmarine, and he’s supposed to be the next King of Narnia.
But his father is dead, and his Uncle Miraz, the Lord Protector, really
thinks he’d make a better King than Caspian. So he decides to
have Caspian killed. Fleeing for his life, Caspian is captured by
the very creatures he’s been told are extinct – the Narnians
that have been hiding in the forest that his people fear so much.
Frightened, Caspian blows the horn that his tutor has told him is
a relic from the past, that will summon the old High Kings and Queens
of Narnia.
Of
course, when he gets the Pevensies, it’s not exactly what he
expected. And when they agree to help him regain his throne, he's
has no idea what he's getting into.
Let
me just say first that if you haven’t seen The Lion, the
Witch, and the Wardrobe, go rent it before you go see Prince
Caspian. You really do need the background, otherwise you’re
going to spend most of the movie wondering what’s going on,
who these people are, and why you should worry about where Aslan is.
But
once you do figure that out, this is a fantastic movie. This production
was a labor of love, and every moment of it shows on screen. The writing,
the wardrobe, the sets and locations, the special effects,and the
computer-generated creatures are all magnificent. Centaurs and griffins
abound, satyrs and dwarves fight with courage and cunning, badgers
and leopards and lions talk and fight and live incredible lives in
front of our very eyes. (Yes, you will believe a mouse can talk, not
to mention swash a buckle worthy of Errol Flynn. In fact, the mouse
has some of the best lines.)
The
human actors have a lot of competition, but they deliver excellent
performances. Standouts include Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian (definitely
destined for teen heart-throb status), Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie,
and Sergio Castellitto as the wicked uncle Miraz.
This
film is a bit darker in tone than the first one, but all’s well
that ends well, as they say. The violence is realistic but toned down
to keep it PG, and the story sticks close to the source material from
the original book by C.S. Lewis. In short, a great way to spend a
few hard-saved allowance dollars. Better yet, talk mom & dad into
taking the whole family along – everyone’s gonna like
this one.
This
movie is rated PG
Official
Movie Web Site - THE
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
Pictures
courtesy of and copyright Walt Disney Pictures, 2008
