Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Despite the fact that the story borrows generously from other action / fantasy tales (most notably Shakespeare’s Hamlet) this adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ second story in the franchise is pretty much an equal to The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. The four Pevensie siblings return from the previous film here, most notably Georgie Henley’s Lucy, who in the intermittent time actually learned how to act and mostly cut down on the cutesy-poo moments that marred her performance in Lion; Of course, there is also Anna Popplewell (with her beautiful eyes) as Susan, displaying expert archery skills that would put Legolas to shame. The story starts out a bit discomfiting for the viewer, as we realize that a new (human) regime has taken over the Narnia world, and the birth of the acting king’s son leads to his decision to have his nephew (and rightful heir) killed. As for the siblings, they continue to lead their boring, ordinary life in our world (with a minor stalker subplot involving Susan), until the fleeing Prince blows the magic horn and brings them back. As Caspian, Ben Barnes has plenty of the pretty boy earnestness required for such a role, and while he’s a little short on screen presence, could certainly grow into it as time goes on; As his evil uncle, Sergio Castellito brings with him the heavy-handed “Italian” style of acting to the table, yet while the viewer is constantly convinced that he has some trump card up his sleeve, the only twist or nuance to his role is that he is just a major asshole; Peter Dinklage and the legendary Warwick Davis as the Narnian dwarfs who aid the heroes, do a good job of maintaining dignity and bring some weight to the film. As for the fantastical Narnian creatures, gone is the overwrought squabbling of the annoying Beavers in favor of such new principals as a sword-fighting mouse, an even-handed badger, and the ultra-cool and badass Centurians, who kick the most ass while fighting in battle. Indeed, it is those very (PG) battle scenes, despite their lack of blood and gore, that help push this entry into the level of exciting adventure, all leading up to the return of Liam Neeson’s majestic Aslan to restore order to the universe. At two and a half hours, the film feels briskly paced and well told (and even features a cool and surprising cameo), and the CGI does its part well with the more fantastic elements. Overall, a fine movie for kids that adults can enjoy just as much without being bored…
8/10