The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

By: Jack Hunt 2.9.2009

The Movie Itself:
Fantasy and reality collide, when a gift is sometimes a curse. ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ Director Andrew Adamson brings the second installment of C.S. Lewis’s storybook fairytales to life, with another modern take on the classics.

I’m probably not the best person to review this type of magical epic journey, because I usually loathe them, as they are childish in nature and make me long for the epics of my youth. Remember ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Indiana Jones’? That was my kind of thrilling voyage. Now we have ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Harry Potter’ and finally ‘Narnia’. I don’t quite know when it happened, but I’ve seemed to lose touch with films like the latter mentioned and ‘Prince Caspian’. I remember when the first installment came out, one of my friends was going on about how she couldn’t wait for ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’. I was like huh? You mean the old children’s book by, C.S. Lewis? I then spotted a dude who looked just like Judd Nelson and I forced her to go up and tell him his leather jacket and rock novelty buttons rocked. With hilarious results, as I believe that it actually was Judd Nelson. On whatever note that was, Prince Caspian helped to change my opinion on modern epic tales, only if ever so slightly.

‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ starts off with the birth of a son and a new generation of leaders in Narnia. Now that Miraz has conceived his own heir to the throne, a right of leadership stolen from Prince Caspian’s father, this all means bad news for the Prince, as the price on his head is growing. In the real world, we find our heroes struggling to adjust to the normalcy of everyday life. The Pevensie children; Edmund, (Keynes), Lucy (Henley), Peter (Moseley) and Susan (Popplewell), are longing for another adventure in the magical world of Narnia. That’s when a good old-fashioned geek fight breaks, in no other than in a subway, a typical gathering for any respectful geek and the children once again find themselves returning to the magical world of Narnia. Next we find our hero’s frolicking on an enticing beach with imposing hills. They fail to realize that hundreds of years have passed since they left and in that time many changes have occurred. A new age is upon them and an Evil presence backed by Miraz’s demon spawn is holding Prince Caspian (Barnes) back from controlling the land. Troubles a brewing in Narnia once again, but this time it’s Biblical.

The children soon realize that when humans are left to their own devices, they will always do what they do best. Multiply and destroy worlds. They’ve taken proper care of the Castle and have allowed the Prince to live in fear, amongst a land of uncertainty and only a group of eccentric oddballs to fight for the cause. Much like the island of misfits in ‘Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer’, but really nothing like that sweet gang of misunderstood but still retarded toys. That’s where the Pevensie’s come in, as they wander around trying to figure out what happened to their beloved Narnia. They soon meet up with midget named Trumpkin (Dinklage) who is being held by the evil Telmarines. They rescue their ‘dear little friend' and he quickly, or slowly, depending on how you view him, explains the troubles in Narnia. The Telmarines are presiding over a dark period in the history of Narnia. The time when all the creatures of Narnia lived in harmony and just is over. The bad news is the magic trees have turned to wood, but the good news is there is more for firewood. The bad news is that Aslan the Lion is MIA, but the good news is that he is presumed murdered. Oh, the humanity. Will the drama ever end? No, it goes on forever.

If you’re looking for a good light hearted fantasy flick; with plenty of action and marvelous scenes, then ‘Prince Caspian’ is more than what you seek. The world of Narnia is full of all the magical creatures and epic storylines that kids and many adults love so much. Overall the production team did a great job of bringing the novel ‘Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia’ by C.S. Lewis, to life, and the well-rounded cast seems to pull the story together nicely. The sets and costume designs are right on the money, which makes for a more enjoyable experience. The camera work, especially during the battle sequences, is notable and all of the creatures are sure to impress the kids. Director Andrew Adamson brings to the table a perfect storybook image and everything put together delivers a very believable performance and picture.

The story of Prince Caspian is primed to leave any child’s imagination racing with delight and is good enough so parents won’t accidentally fall asleep in the theater. The film is rated PG, but beware of some serious violence and a darker picture than the first installment in general, but that really shouldn’t be a problem for most people. Over-all the movie is packaged nicely and the cast does an enthusiastic job of bringing the story to life. In the wise words of C.S. Lewis, "All that is not eternal is eternally out of date." My translation; if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s most likely not a duck, but an evil talking miniature pony that exists only to murder you. Life in Narnia is one creepy circus.
Rating: 6/10

The Presentation:
“Everything you know is about to change forever.”

‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ comes to Blu-ray on a magical 1080p~MPEG-4 AVC transfer. With brilliant exteriors and extraordinary detail seen throughout the entire film, this one is sure to impress, if not shock.

The opening sequence appears to be too dark for my taste, bathed in dark overtones and deep blues, but quickly I understand what’s going and things are sure to pick up from there. Most exteriors are brightly lit and crisp. Interiors seem relaxed, but sunlight peers in to cask a wonderful glow. In general, I think interiors remain too dark for my taste. Colors seem muted at some points, but remain sharp. Cave scenes are well draped in light and contrast, as are the battle sequences, which seem to follow the same style as the opening sequence.

I see a beautiful correlation in the transfer, from the real world to the fantasy one. Deliberate tones set from interior to exterior. The real world seems dull and drab, while the fantasy is a wonderful display of clarity, detail and vibrant colors. Greens are brilliant and flush, as is every color of the rainbow. Absolutely no grain is visible, and the BD has a super clean transfer, with a poetic beach scene in the beginning that is one of the best I’ve seen on HD. Continuing the glory throughout the forest and through all nature backgrounds, it is almost comparable to Planet Earth during these moments, which is a wonder, just stunning.

The DTS-HD 7.1 audio sounds fantastic. The magical sequences and battles bump and will leave Blu-ray fans ultimately pulling this disc out for reference at points. Honestly, I’m torn with this transfer. It’s beautiful, but with minor disappoints. After some consideration, I have to give it a perfect score for a shocking delivery. In any event fans of the film or series can rest easy as this is a very solid transfer and possibly one of the best of 2008.
Rating: 10/10

Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!

The Extras:
Commentary: With Director and screenplay writer, Andrew Adamson, along with actors Ben Barnes , George Henley. Skander Keynes, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell.

Circle-Vision Interactive; Creating the Castle Raid:
360 degree look behind Castle raid sequence. Set designs and sequences are explored. Laid out very thoroughly and detailed with the events on production. Fans of the film or series should be delighted with this inside peak. The Gateway Alley shot is also explored, offering scenes and unique aspects of shots.

Bonus Disc:

Behind the Magic:
Inside Narnia; The Adventure Returns: With Andrew Adamson and the cast and crew. They return to the fantasy of Narnia with gusto as we explore the world of Prince Caspian. (35 mins HD)

Sets of Narnia; A Classic Comes to Life: Travel around the globe and discover how the filmmakers found the perfect locations matching C.S. Lewis fairytale adventure. (24 mins HD)

Big Move Comes To A Small Town: 1200 cast and crew invade a small town in Slovenia and it’s as dramatic as the movie itself. Nice piece with gorgeous locations. Several town members discus the beauty of their town and how they love when film makers come in and destroy it, with highlights from some old babe. Which is more important, the film or nature? (23 mins HD)
Rating: 5/10

Overall:
With ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ serving as a successful follow up to the 2006 release of the much anticipated ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’, the future of the series appears solid. Fans will delight in the magical adventure and the epic battle scene. Did I? Not so much. That’s not saying a lot as it’s not really my thing, but I can appreciate a good adventure flick when I see one and this certainly is a fine example. The Blu-ray disc is stellar so pick it up and enjoy the fantasy with the best possible picture and sound.
Rating: 7/10