Product: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Two Disc Edition + BD-Live) [Blu-ray] (2008)
Rating: 5.0
A Solid Adaptation
I've read and heard numerous complaints about "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian." Two of the primary ones are that a) the magic is gone and b) the film is too violent. For those who've actually read the stories that this film and the previous one are based on, this should come as no surprise. "Caspian" is intentionally a darker, more violent and "magic-less" film. It's a story where the children (except young Lucy for the most part) turn away from the aid of Aslan in an attempt to do things on their own. Of course, things never go quite right without Aslan.In this tale, we find Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan literally called back to Narnia to help Prince Caspian, the rightful king of the Telmarine empire, reclaim his future throne. It's been stolen from him by his uncle, Miraz, who plans to become king. Two great battles, as well as one very dramatic and violent face-off take place, all in an attempt to reclaim the throne. To tell any more would be to ruin the tale.The story has been edited for pacing, and although it's been a little while since I read this particular tale, I'm sure that one particular battle sequence was added. There are also a couple of changes to characters that I don't recall in the original story. In the end though, the key elements of the story are all there. The Christian undertones are also present, but aren't as obvious as they were in the first film. Those familiar with the Christian aspects of the story should pick up on them though.Families with especially young children may want to preview this film before taking their little ones. My daughter, who's seven, had no problem with the story and wasn't scared at all. Yes, it is grittier, more violent and has less magic in it, but this is a good adaptation of "Prince Caspian." I do believe that the poetic license doesn't add much to the film, but it doesn't take anything away from the key elements of the story. Overall, it's a highly enjoyable tale that I highly recommend to fans of fantasy, Christians, and anybody who enjoys a good story.