Cosmo Landesman
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If you want to see the difference between the first and second films based on CS Lewis’s Narnia series, just compare the titles. There’s the understated but evocative elegance of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; then there’s the sequel - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which evokes nothing in particular. Neither does this film.
The reason the first film worked so well was that, despite its American affiliations, it was happy to be English: reserved and a bit old-fashioned in its celebration of country, courage and Christianity. It was all about kids on a great adventure, and left the epic battle stuff to The Lord of the Rings and the gee-whizz wizardry to Harry Potter and co. After its box-office success (£375m and counting), however, the director, Andrew Adamson, has decided small is no longer beautiful, big is - though he wants swashbuckling action without blood and gore, evil that won’t frighten the kiddies, and romance that won’t frighten the horses. The result is an anaemic, tedious blockbuster for the preteen crowd.
It’s a year since the four former kings and queens of Narnia, Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley), returned to their lives as schoolchildren in a Britain facing the Blitz. In Narnia, more than 1,000 years have passed.
Its inhabitants have been driven into hiding in a forest by the Telmarines, humans ruled by the cruel Lord Miraz (Sergio Cas-tellitto). He wants to exterminate them and kill his nephew, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), the rightful heir, who takes flight into the woods where the Narnians are hiding. When Caspian blows his magic horn, guess who comes to the rescue? That’s right, the Pevensie kids.
With all those brave, powerful centaurs standing around, why would the prince - or anyone - turn to a bunch of London school-children? They look as if they’ve dressed up in medieval costumes for a theme party that mummy and daddy are giving in the garden. As for Caspian, he looks like he could lead a boyband, but not an army.
So, we have a new villain, a new Narnia and new characters, but it all seems so familiar, thanks to the uninspired screen-play. Miraz is just another bearded bad guy, with none of the icy cruelty and seductive evil of Tilda Swinton’s wicked witch. Even Edmund, once the dark and disturbed member of the Pevensie clan, has become a boring supportive-brother figure.
Adamson has assembled a good cast, but he has weak and underwritten characters. Instead of an unforgettable figure such as the faun Mr Tumnus, we have Trump-kin (Peter Dinklage), your standard gruff dwarf with a heart of gold, and cute, tot-friendly creatures such as a swashbuckling mouse (voiced by Eddie Izzard) and a talking badger (Ken Stott). We get more of everything - battles, characters, plot points - but less of the small things that were so enjoyable the first time, that lovely blend of English domesticity and fantasy drama. (One could smell the mustiness of the old professor’s house.) The small emotional battles between siblings and the scary business of war and separation have been dumped in favour of big battle sequences and endless sword fights. It would have been more interesting to see how the children coped with finding their beloved Narnia ruined.
All the sound and fury of the battles can’t hide the emotional emptiness at the core of the film. Even the central drama, of a race facing extinction, never comes alive. Instead, we have a film full of special effects that never comes up with anything special.
PG, 143 mins
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I quite agree with Isabelle, this fim isn't simply a sequel, it's based on a book, if you haven't read it you can't comment, especially not on the title. Personally I loved the film, as I did the first one, and most of the books in fact,
rachael, france
Rachael, messery, france
This was the film of the book. If you criticise the story, you are criticising the book not the film. Those who love the Narnia Chronicles can only be delightd that the story has not been interfered with. The meaning behind the events is what mattered to C S Lewis and to many of us.
ros emerton, Exeter, England
They made a mistake not giving Edmund a large role. He is the most fascinating character in the series yet they gave him hardly any screen time. I was bemused by this decision and I've read enough reviews to know a lot of people feel the same way. Skandar Keynes was wonderful in the scenes he had
Caz, Bradford, UK
I suggest reading the books, especially the critic! The story gets bigger as the books progress, with the climax, The Last Battle (Book 7) being full of lots of action and Im sure this will be to everyones shock and horror, religious connotations! Read the first book to understand the professor!
Sam Bailey, Sydney, Australia
i must say that i found Prince Caspian far better than the first movie, which seemed to lack a certain something. Prince Caspian has great action, emotion, special effects and just a dash of romance, with our old friends Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy and Aslan! Prince Caspian(Ben Barnes) is very yummy!
Laura, Dunedin, New Zealand
It seems to be a trend... look at what happened to Pirates of the Carribean, great and involving fun story in the first movie, then it went all uber-blockbuster for 2 & 3.
It's almost as if hollywood has lost faith in stories and characters, and is replacing them with ever-bigger spectacles.
Kerome, London,
I've seen it twice with two different people and we all enjoyed it both times. The first film was good, but i certainly think this one is better.
Landesman's emphasis on the professor's house house in the first film seems a little bizarre, since it was nothing more than a brief scene setter.
C. Turner, Cheltenham, UK
The critic doesn't appear to realise that this is also a book, not just a film. Therefore the story and characters must follow the original storyline, which this film does admirably. Overall I thought it an enjoyable film, well made and true to the original, so don't be put off.
Isabel Hogan, Aubin, France
Watched Prince Caspian last night, I have also read the book.
This critique is spot on, Story building sacraficed for fights and battles by the look of it. Hopefully just a poor stepping stone to the next episode, the Dawn Treader which has lots of scope to be a very good film, if ever made.
Dave, Dundee,
I will use the formula I always use when judging films: if Cosmo Landesman says it is rubbish, then I know I will enjoy it; if he raves, I know it will be rubbish.
I will use the example of 'Lost in Translation', the most over-hyped pile of boring garbage I have ever seen and the first film I hr
John Law, Barnsley, UK
For all those that have seen the 2nd Narnia film and liked it, go back and see it a few more times or you'll never get to see the 3rd.
This latest one won't even break even at the box office as I predicted, it's a flop!!.
Sean Hamerton, York., England.
Critics annoy me - they see too many films. Many of them suffer from Film Fatigue. Nothing seems to please them.
I saw Caspian on Friday, my sixty-third birthday, and I found it enchanting. Much better than the first one. And the young actors, like those in Harry Potter, much improved. Wonderful!
Ruth M Thomas, Swansea, Wales
the first narnia film was great & I was not sure if the sequel was going to live up to the standards the first one had set but I glad to say in my opinion it definatley did. I really enjoyed the film & thought the storyline and characters were great but ben barnes was the higlight of movie for me!
Amy Denpster, Dalgety Bay, Scotland
the first narnia film was great & I was not sure if the sequel was going to live up to the standards the first one had set but I glad to say in my opinion it definatley did. I really enjoyed the film & thought the storyline and characters were great but ben barnes was the higlight of movie for me!
Amy Denpster, Dalgety Bay, Scotland
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of my favourite films but I agree that Caspian isnt in the same league as it. I hope the Voyage of the Dawn Treader focuses on Edmund and Lucy. They are the best actors in the franchise and Edmund in particular the most interesting character.
Joanna, Dorking, Uk
The problem is that Prince Caspian is probably the weakest book in the sequence, but necessary so that the story can develop with Narnia having an existence seperate from the Pevensies.
I am looking forward to the Voyage of the Dawn Treader where things really start to get fleshed out a bit.
andrew, Edinburgh, UK