The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Director: Andrew Adamson
Cast: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Peter Dinklage
Rated: PG
144 minutes
The Chronicles of Narnia have deep pockets. Deep enough to successfully create a wonderful looking fantasy land with marvelous creatures. Sadly, the films can only be as good as its source material and obviously that is a lot harder than it looks.
For those keeping score this is C.S. Lewis’ second effort in The Chronicles of Narnia series. The challenge after the first is to keep the momentum going without succumbing the preachy Christian overtones of the source material.
Starting once again in war torn London, the four kids find themselves back in Narnia hundreds of years later. Wouldn’t you know it; someone has foul plans to take over the throne. Thus Prince Caspian is forced to flee and eventually team up with the kids and the talking animals for a bunch of big battle scenes. Nice friendly battle scenes with lots of death by sword but not a drop of blood to been seen. As well, since this film starts hundreds of years after the first there are no talking beavers which is disappointing.
Unlike the first one there is no villain worthy of that title. Sure you have a corrupt uncle but that’s about it. In the end this film is simply very very dull. The characters give absolutely no reason to care what happens. It seems like a very expensive way to create something that gives so little.
There are far better kid adventure movies out there, and it takes movies like this to appreciate them all the more.