PopSyndicate.com

The new film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is part fantasy, part bedtime story, and all action-adventure. Rousing, tremendously entertaining and often spectacular, it’s a thrill-ride that surpasses the first Narnia film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Prince Caspian has some intensely exciting action set pieces, some nifty special effects and a handsome young prince that will have even female audience members involved and the legions of C.S. Lewis fans pleased.

A year has passed since the first film in human time, circa 1941 in wartime England. The four Pevensie children – Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and young Lucy (Georgie Henley) are literally called into action while standing in a train station. Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) signals the young kings and queens through Susan magic horn. Caspian calls for help because the kingdom is at stake. Though only a year has passed for the children, about 1300 years have passed in Narnia. It’s become a darker place as it’s taken over by some angry Spainard-like warriors known as Telemarines. Prince Caspian is the rightful heir to the throne brutally taken over by the villainous King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), also Caspian’s uncle who killed his father to ascend to the throne.

The Pevensie children must rally the remnants of Narnia back into action to take back their kingdom from the evil Telemarines and place the peaceful Prince Caspian back on the throne. They set out on an adventure to search for the lion Asland (voiced by Liam Neeson), the creator of and rightful king of Narnia, who’s been in seclusion after Narnia was invaded years ago. Their faith and courage will be put to the ultimate test as they begin to mature from children to adults.

Prince Caspian is a remarkably engaging, fast-paced sequel that surpasses the first on many levels. Director and co-writer Andrew Adamson, who also directed and co-adapted Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, along with helming the first two Shrek’s, deftly handles the action and successfully updates the narrative structure of Lewis’ novel. (By the way, Prince Caspian is the second published in this series of books, but fourth chronologically.) Rather than have the children passively listen to the story told to them as in the book, Adamson and co-writer Christopher Markus place the Pevensie children in the center of the action. It’s a risky adaptation of a beloved book, but these are enhancements even Lewis fans will appreciate.

However, the Narnia in Prince Caspian is a far darker and much more intense place than portrayed in the first, which featured lighter, more humorous moments. Adamson wisely keeps the graphic violence to a minimum, but still an intensity level filled with dark themes, characters and well-choreographed battle sequences. These stunningly-filmed battle sequences, not to mention a breathtaking, climactic sword fight between two central characters, is the highlight of Prince Caspian.

Even with loads of action, Prince Caspian is superbly acted by the young actors playing the Pevensie children (though it’s apparent that they’ve aged more than one year). Special kudos to Prince Caspian’s filmmakers for involving females Susan and Lucy in the action as much as the guys. Speaking of which, Moseley makes for an exuberant Peter, while Keynes, with strikingly dark features, makes for a slightly brooding, matured Edmund. As the titular character, Barnes is dashingly photogenic in a star-making role for the British newcomer.

Prince Caspian’s large supporting cast has many colorful characters, including the cynical dwarf Trumpkin, played with angry delight by Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent). There’s the animated, swashbuckling mouse Reepicheep, voiced with Errol Flynn-esque tones by British comedian Eddie Izzard and providing some needed comic relief from the stark, serious surroundings. Especially memorable is Italian actor Castellitto, who drips with evil as the nasty yet powerful Miraz. Watch for Tilda Swinton in a memorably frigid cameo as the witch from the first film.

Prince Caspian was beautifully filmed in New Zealand, which until now has been strictly Lord of the Rings territory, but now a wonderful Narnia.  The sets, the music, the special effects (particularly in the spectacular final battle sequence) are on a first-rate, Oscar-caliber level. Prince Caspian goes on a little too long, and some will be disappointed that mighty lion Asland (smoothly voiced by Neeson) roars in a far smaller role here. The film’s intensity level, thick plot and length (2 hours, 20 minutes) could either scare or disengage younger ones under 12, but it’s still a must-see for adults.

Prince Caspian’s messages of faith, maturity and courage are all timely, but obviously secondary to its action in a thoroughly enjoyable, hardly boring ride you shouldn’t miss. It makes for marvelous movie-going in the early summer, and one of the year’s best.

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