Somewhat predictably, this follow-up to 2006's 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' is being touted as a darker take on the series... but what modern fantasy sequel isn't?
The four Pevensie children of the first film are having difficulties adjusting to their public school lives in 1940's London when the titular Prince summons them back to the magical land of Narnia. They find that more than a Millennium has passed, t
he friends they remember are long dead and their city in ruins. They join Caspian and the surviving 'Old Narnians' in a plot to overthrow the tyrannical Miraz (award winning Italian actor Sergio Castellitto) and reclaim the Prince's rightful place as heir to the throne. To do this they must wage war against the Telmarines – an inherently evil race of battle-hungry men, of inexplicit Spanish descent, that are clad in Conquistador armour and Samurai-style masks.
The tone is set from the outset, with the film opening with the attempted assassination of Caspian, whilst the Pevensie children are noticeably older and altogether more cynical. Newcomer Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage) sums up the mood perfectly when he states that 'you may find Narnia to be a more savage place than you remember'. He isn't kidding. Whilst the majority of modern fantasy sequels claim to be darker than their predecessor, Prince Caspian really lives up to the premise. This is largely due to the fact that the enemies are human this time round – during the battles, swords and arrows are really connecting and killing these people, rather than merely turning them to stone as the first film opted for. This gives the movie an altogether grittier, more violent edge for such a family orientated adventure. One might assume that this is an attempt to distance it from the 'Lord of the Rings Lite' mantle that the first installment earned itself.
It's inevitable that any modern swords n' sorcery epic draws comparisons with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but Narnia more than most, and not just because Caspian's story arc is very similar to that of Aragorn. The movies were all shot on location in New Zealand and their special effects handled by the formidable Weta Studios. However, there's really no excuse for directly lifting imagery from Peter Jackson's masterpieces as this film does. Consider the following evidence:
• A group of cloaked riders are defeated at a river ford.
• Trees come to life to join battle.
• A bow and arrow sporting hero(ine) flips up onto horseback.
• A lead character purposefully drops backwards off a castle tower only to be rescued by a winged comrade.
• The line 'this is no fortress… it's a tomb'.
Sound familiar? It may be well known that Tolkien and CS Lewis were good friends at Oxford University, and Prince Caspian was actually published before the Fellowship of the Ring, but these examples are tantamount to plagiarism, and it's a wonder that Peter Jackson hasn't sued Caspian's producers.
Aside from a slight sense of déjà vu, as an audience we certainly don't lose out. There are considerably worse influences on a director than the most successful fantasy epics of all time, and there's a lot to like about Narnia, but it just seems fruitless for the creators to draw an increasing number of direct comparisons to a far superior film franchise. Visually, Narnia is awe-inspiring, with lush scenery ranging from Mediterranean beaches to fairytale forests, medieval castles, and mountainous landscapes. The battles don't have quite the same scale and intensity as Helm's Deep, but they're still incredibly impressive and the special effects are impeccable. The fantastical Narnian creatures in particular, are much more varied and convincing than those of 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'.
Despite having a chronic lack of comic timing, it's obvious that the child actors have matured, growing into their roles. Whilst their efforts erred on the side of precociousness in the first film, here they plough them into their teenage angst and clearly have a lot more confidence in their abilities. The boys get some great action scenes, the youngest Pevensie, Lucy (Georgie Henley) is still endearingly cute, and it's only Susan (Anna Popplewell) who lacks presence – she's left looking like a third-rate Legolas wannabe with an underwritten romance to justify her presence. It's the new additions that really impress. Prince Caspian, played by newcomer Ben Barnes, (he previously played a minor role in 2007's Stardust), embodies the dashing prince with conviction and plenty of charisma. The best of the bunch of the new Narnians are the archetypal grumpy Dwarf Trumpkin, who brings a level of sarcasm and brilliant deadpan humour to the proceedings, and Reepicheep the rapier-wielding mouse. Reepicheep was at risk of being a carbon copy of Director Adam Adamson's other comical cavalier – Puss from the Shrek movies – but thanks to the voice acting of Eddie Izzard he has character and a sense of humour that's all his own.
If you fall into the film's broad target audience of children, families, Narnia fans, and Christians (each installment in the series includes some un-intrusive religious themes), or even if you're a Lord of the Rings completist that wants to view the extent of Tolkien's influence on the world of cinema, then you won't be disappointed with the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, as this kids fantasy franchise comes of age.
Rating: ****
Out Now, 144mins
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