Product: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Two Disc Edition + BD-Live) [Blu-ray] (2008)
Rating: 3.0
Too Much Violence By Kids and For Kids
In this second movie in the Narnia series there's a lot of violence and killing. I would not recommend it for kiddies under ten because animal and mythological characters, the good guys, get killed and maimed in large numbers. The kiddos are going to be upset by some of the excessive violence in this sequel. Adults should be too. The battle scenes get repetitive, and the movie is too long. The villains are cardboard stereotypes.The wife of a usurper to the throne gives birth to a baby so the usurper decides it is time to get rid of Prince Caspian, actor Ben Barnes, who was Dakin in the play/movie "The History Boys." Here he gives a rather bland performance, and it's the four English school kids who shine as they did in the first outing, but these kids are quite active in the killing and combat even though it's the bad guys they are fighting. For a movie aimed mostly at a young audience, there is an awful lot of slaughtering of human beings and creatures going on. When adults kill adults, it's bad enough, but when youngsters are doing it, I think it sends the wrong message.The wicked witch makes a cameo appearance in a giant ice cube. As in the first episode, there are talking animals and mythological figures, but some viewers missed seeing more of the lion Aslan. The special effects are well-done. Moviegoers will recognize the good dwarf from other films - Peter Dinklage -especially good in "Death at a Funeral." There are a great many reaction shots of the oldest boy as he realizes they're in deep doodoo as many Narnians get wiped out.