Product: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Two Disc Edition + BD-Live) [Blu-ray] (2008)
Rating: 4.0
A Very Different Narnia
I suppose the biggest surprise most viewers who aren't familiar with the books got was how quickly the story becomes darker and much more serious. But, that's C. S. Lewis's point. Even a beautiful, magical place like Narnia can transform and become a place you barely recognize. Narnia does continue to change each time the children travel to this magical country. They learn, as we do, to expect these drastic changes. You do get to meet wonderful characters like Mr. Tumnus and Reepicheep, (my personal favorite) but you also see a lot of evil too. Yes, this film was violent. It would have been nice to forewarn parents that this was not a film for younger children. Surprisingly, the film appears to be not rated. I wonder who dropped the ball on this one.But, I suppose the biggest challenge that Andrew Adamson, the director, had to face was that several people had an expectation and picture of Narnia in their minds when they stepped into the theatres. Just as I'm sure readers did when they opened the book Prince Caspian. I wonder if they were similarly outraged. However, if you see how these stories progress you'll see why this plot line really does make sense in the large scheme of things. Think about any sequel in a fantasy series. The Empire Strikes Back, The Two Towers or The Chamber of Secrets. They are all much darker than the original film in the series. But, the sequel sets up the viewers for the rest of the series and prepares you to take a darker journey. Then, when the heroes rise victorious you are more than willing to hail The Return of the King and the Return of the Jedi as major successes.Prince Caspian is part of the journey that the Narnians, the Pevensie children, viewers, and other characters still to come have to go on to reach the ultimate goal. Yes, there were a couple of dramatic licenses taken to further the plot line that drew away from the book. However, I think they did a fine job of developing some of the characters and capturing others. I am however interested in finding out if there's an extended edition that'll be available when it's released on DVD. I wonder if that's where the rest of the character development went. Especially considering the time and care Andrew Adamson typically takes with Narnia. I'd be surprised to hear there won't be one available.I hope you all enjoy this movie, but please understand that Narnia is no longer going to be viewed with rose tinted glasses. There's a reason for this evil presence in Narnia, but I'm afraid you'll have to read the books to find out the answer to that one.