Product: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Two Disc Edition + BD-Live) [Blu-ray] (2008)
Rating: 5.0
Prince Caspian may be more mature than what Lewis originally intended, but for adults that only makes it more profound.
Where The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was more of a carbon copy of the book it was based on, Prince Caspian carries over most of the Christian themes central to the story, but makes it it's own and fresh for those that already know the book well and aren't necessarily looking for a verbatim regurgitation of what they've already read.Not surprisingly, we bookworms rarely seem to fully appreciate movies based on the books we know and love because the film fails to subscribe as precisely to the book as we would like; and if it does, it's chosen tone often still doesn't align with our own perceptions of what we read. As an avid reader and moviegoer, I know this feeling all to well, but I also feel that thinking that way only takes away from the enjoyment and personal growth that can come from a new, fresh translation.I'll use the classic story of a sleepy valley near Tarry Town NY to illustrate my point. As much as I loved Tim Burton's dark reimagining of Washington Irvings legendary tale, because of it, I now have a rule never to read books that are based on a movie, instead of the other way around. Reading "Sleepy Hollow" the book translation was essentially like reading the movie; the book neither embellished on the movies script, nor tried to translate the films visual design, which was a huge part of the appeal, if not more intriguing than the story itself. Neither have the many cartoons that attempt to translate Washington Irving's classic novella "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", merited a second look. They're fine for introducing new generations to the classic tale, but don't offer enough that is new to favor over re-reading the novella. But Burton's Sleepy Hollow and Irving's classic novella are as dissimilar as their respective mediums. And thus can be repeatedly enjoyed individually, even one right after the other, without getting bored by watching something you just read or reading something you just saw. Both, bring enough uniqueness to the table, that for a fan of either, it would still be worthwhile to check out the other.The same is true of Caspian. The beloved characters and age-old premise are still there, but in addition for fans of the story to being able to actually see this fantasy world brilliantly brought to life by the pinacle of cinematic technology and an uncompromising budget, we get a fresh story that's more than just nuances in personal perception, like the first film essentially was in ways it differed fome the book.The movie is still faithful to CS Lewis's Christain allegories. Though some side messages may have been compromised, if anything, the major ones have been magnified by changes that more appropriately compliment the cinematic medium. Thanks to this film, we can enjoy a fresh perspective and telling on CS Lewis's heavenly inspired story from both mediums. The movie honors both his work and God's message, dare I say even bettering it in the visual and sonic ways that only the best cinema can, but at least no less profound or worthwhile than what Lewis wrote over six decades ago in late 1949.I also enjoyed Disney's BD immensely. The picture and sound were as capably preserved as I had hoped they would be, even when projecting onto an unforgiving 100" screen.