THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
Sequel to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is more visually overwhelming and blandly generic.
STARS: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Sergio Castellitto.
DIRECTOR: Andrew Adamson.
RUNNING TIME: 147 minutes.
RATING: PG (epic battle action and violence).
Video | Toppman's take on Narnia, more
• Trailers, ratings & more movie info
• What's playing at your local theater?
Does it really matter that “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” is untrue to the tone and some significant events in C. S. Lewis' novel? Is it a bad thing that Disney has commercialized, denatured and inflated the story to make it indistinguishable from any handsome sword-and-sorcery epic?
Perhaps not, for it is handsome on its grand scale. The magical creatures and sprawling battles have been beautifully produced and shot, and the thunderous final conflict shakes the Earth. That it ends in the kind of Red Sea effect Lewis didn't dream of will give you an idea of the movie's visual magnificence and storytelling bloat at the same time.
Disney wants this series to stand alongside “The Lord of the Rings” onscreen, something Lewis probably never intended. He and fellow Oxford University professor J.R.R. Tolkien wrote their fantasy series about the same time, shortly before World War II (Tolkien) and shortly after (Lewis), but the friends' aims were different. Tolkien created a sprawling, densely packed universe based on many sources of archetypal folklore; Lewis imagined a simpler world where he could cloak Christian parables in fairy-tale guises.
Director Andrew Adamson has blended those two styles in his “Narnia” movies, though the 2005 “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” had more of the flavor of Lewis' book. Adamson is apparently going to shoot the novels in their order of publication, not the timeline of the series. (The fifth novel in the series takes place between “Lion” and “Caspian.”) Adamson made a smart choice: The actors playing the four Pevensie children already look a good bit older than they did in “Lion,” though only a year has passed in London.
We first see them pining for the parallel universe of Narnia, where they ruled as adults for centuries. Suddenly, a blast of a magical horn summons them back to defend their old domain against usurping King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto). He leads the invading Telmarines, who have attempted to exterminate the magical creatures of Narnia. Miraz also wants to exterminate the benevolent Caspian (Ben Barnes), rightful heir to the throne and a young man tutored by a faithful Old Narnian.
War rages, with storm-trooper Telmarines against dwarves, centaurs and talking animals. These gabby beasts have apparently seen their share of Bruce Willis movies at the Narniaplex: Even sword-carrying mice know they're supposed to deliver witty one-liners before executing their opponents. (The body count is extraordinarily high for a PG rating.)
Adamson has soft-pedaled the Christian elements and, to be fair, Lewis also downplayed them in this volume. Aslan the Savior Lion hasn't much to do. His longest scene is the most bizarre: While Caspian's allies are being slaughtered, Aslan and little Lucy Pevensie enjoy a cuddle and a chat in the grass.
The movie piles climax upon climax, stretching to 2 1/2 hours to emulate “Lord of the Rings.” One of the many final scenes shows celebratory fireworks bursting over a castle, an echo of Disney's famous TV and theme-park logos. It provides final proof that “Narnia” belongs not to Lewis now but to the magic kingdom of action figures and Happy Meals. Folks who dwell there gladly will not be disappointed.
