Review: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

OPENING DATE: 05/16/2008

STUDIO: Disney

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

The Charge

A New Age Has Begun.

Opening Statement

One of the challenges faced by sequels, and literary adaptations for that matter, is making the film accessible to newcomers as well as fans of the original source material. Prince Caspian already has that obstacle overcome, as the story takes place hundreds of centuries after the The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe with only the film’s central characters journeying forward. But are writer/director Andrew Adamson and his team able to recapture that initial Narnia magic with a story that’s darker and less well known than its predecessor?

Facts of the Case

It’s been 1300 years since Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy left the now liberated Narnia and returned home to England. Having regressed in age to the time at which they first entered the wardrobe, the siblings are struggling to adjust to a normal everyday life, free of talking animals and royal responsibilities. That is until the call of Queen Susan’s horn once again reopens a portal to Narnia, recalling the “Kings and Queens of Old.” But the land they return to bears no resemblance to the one they left behind. The trees are silent, the animals are savage, and their once majestic home is now little more than ruins. It seems soon after they left, a race of humans called the Telmarines invaded Narnia and made it their own. Now, ten generations later, on the eve of Prince Caspian inheriting the thrown from his father Caspian IX, his Aunt has given birth to a son, and his Uncle Lord Miraz is intent on claiming the throne for himself. With the prince on the run for his life, it’s up to the Pevensie siblings to unite what remains of the kingdom’s original inhabitants and join forces with Caspian to defeat the Telmarines and free Narnia once again.

The Evidence

Having read the first several books as a child and seen portions of the first film, I was interested to see if Andrew, Disney, and WETA would be able to make the tonal leap to a much darker place. Surprisingly, they were. Prince Caspian is a beautiful film, expertly paced as the story unfolds like the bloom of a rare flower, colored by Harry Gregson-Williams subtle but lovely score. Nothing here is rushed, which may bore audience members who have been trained to expect summer films to behave like experiments from the Michael Bay school of murder and mayhem. But for as enjoyable as the film is to take in over its 2 hour and 20 minute runtime, one can’t help but feel a sense of familiarity to the action.

The epic confrontation at Aslan’s How feels too much like the battle at Helm’s Deep in Peter Jackson’s The Two Towers, complete with a rag tag army standing up to the insurmountable forces of an undefeatable foe. The duel between Peter and Miraz looks and feels like the life and death match between Hector and Achilles in Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy. Even the initial attack on Miraz’s castle conjures imagery of Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood and Douglas Fairbanks in The Iron Mask. That’s not to say Prince Caspian‘s derivative visual nature undermines the film’s effectiveness, it just reduces the “wow” factor, as we’ve seen most of this before.

And yet, as with any good tale, it’s the character interactions that make the adventure sing. For our heroes, Lucy (Georgie Henley) is the film’s heart and soul. Her scenes with Aslan alone will give you goosebumps or bring a tear to the eye. Peter Dinklage is exceptional under a ton of foam latex as Trumpkin the reluctantly trustworthy dwarf. From here, there’s a bit of a drop off. Ben Barnes is effective as Caspian X, but falls short of the visage conjured by Lewis’ words. William Moseley indicates a bit too much as the self-focused Peter whose past triumphs don’t predict future success on the battlefield. Anna Popplewell wears her emotions on her sleeve, whose maturing Susan comes across a bit like a young Liv Tyler or Jennifer Connelly. Sadly, Skandar Keynes has little to do this time around as Edmund the fifth wheel.

The real performance gems lay with the Telmarines and the forces of darkness. Sergio Castellitto is brilliant as the manipulative Miraz, with evil oozing from every despicable pore. It’s no wonder the Italian actor has racked up so many European awards and nominations. The same holds true for Pierfrancesco Favino as General Glozelle and Damian Alcazar as Lord Sopespian. For those intent on pursuing a career in acting, here are three performers definitely worth studying.

Credit Adamson and his team for once again crafting an immersive world whose authenticity is rarely, if ever questioned. Well, there is the small matter of Susan’s continually replenishing quiver of arrows, but that’s a minor quibble. People who appreciate the Narnia books, the fantasy or medieval sword play genres, or exceptional acting will find little fault here. In fact, it will likely do better on DVD than at the box office, as initial disappointment wears off and people begin to discover the magic that lies within.

Closing Statement

Prince Caspian is not a blockbuster must-see film. In a summer of big budget, in-your-face, sensory overload, this quietly beautiful film will be overlooked by many and quickly disappear into the celluloid ether.

The Verdict

An immersive adventure whose guilt lies in falling short of unreasonably high expectations.

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