Andrew Adamson's vision of Lewis' Narnia again impresses and stuns viewers with breath-taking on location shots, impressively high quality special effects, and direction of a well-organised cast. For those who know the story, there are a few changes made for cinematic presentation, but nothing that alters the story drastically and perhaps the changes did make for smoother viewing. Prince Caspian is definitely holds the audience's attention as it unfolds a slightly predictable, but delightful and exciting fantasy story.
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS BELOW
The cast of the film was well put together, if for no other reason, the characters whom appeared in the previous film returned in whole and the newer characters were lesser known, but high quality actors and actresses. While the cast was grand and for the most brought the film credibility, it was the special effects and the non-human characters that filled out the tale to make it more enjoyable. Talking animals, dwarves, centaurs, minotaurs, et cetera coloured the screen and passed as completely "human" characters. The battles scenes offered great presentations of height and shape difference between the humans and the Narinians, giving the audience a sense of reality on which to attach their suspension of disbelief.
The Lewis books are subtly Christian in nature, which is to be expected, given Lewis' religious background, but the film, however, takes a rather large wooden mallet and whops you over the head with Christianity. From more blatant dialogue between Aslan and Lucy to suggestions that warriors in the film have become Christian and other sneaky was of throwing religion at the viewer, Adamson's decisions concerning the Christian nature of Narnia is not left to the imagination in the least. Regardless, it does not over power the story to the point of being distracting.
My singular complaint was the music at the end of the film. The entire movie is presented in a serious and consistently themed soundtrack until the last scene where a sappy, poorly executed, horribly out-of-place song appears to make you want to run screaming from the cinema! Being an ethnomusicologist and musician, I thought it was simply my snobbery that harboured those feelings, but alas, without deviation, all of the people with whom I have spoken about the music at the end (many without me mentioning it first) have expressed their severe dislike for the choices made. Too bad. The film carries itself so well until those last few seconds.
Overall, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is a well-done work and stands to draw even more fans to the next film and return to the books on which is was based. An excellent movie-going experience which I highly recommend.
Will Connor
Percussionist/Musicologist/Avid Movie Goer
London, UK/Honolulu, HI
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