Although eagerly anticipated, the second installment of The Chronicles of Narnia is a disappointment, lacking two crucial elements in an effective movie – strong character development and engaging narrative. “Prince Caspian” takes place one year after the events in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” in our world and 1,300 years later in Narnia. Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) are summoned to once again save Narnia from evil.
The greatest weakness in “Prince Caspian” is a lack of character development. And the character that suffers most is Prince Caspian. Because you know that good will ultimately conquer evil, it’s hard to root for Caspian, who is so bland that you wonder how he’s going to inspire the Narnians to follow him into battle. And the four returning Pevensie children pretty much follow the character delineations previously developed in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” with the exception of Edmund, who seems to be the only one who thinks. And it is Peter, not Caspian, who learns an important lesson about impetuous behavior. The second element, a solid narrative, is also weak although there is so much computer graphics going on that the simple story, Caspian must regain his throne, seems more that it really is.
At 2 hours, 17 minutes, “Prince Caspian” is longer than it needs to be. It has less magic and a much darker tone than “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. There’s no blood, but there is a lot of violence and death for a PG movie so “Prince Caspian” is not for the very young. But if you enjoyed the first Narnia film, you’ll probably feel compelled to see this one even though you're bound to be disappointed. (5/16/08)
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