Prince Caspian

A few years ago, in my LWW review, I wrote that the Narnia filmmakers (led by director Andrew Adamson) appeared to have a lot of talent, but they weren't all working together perfectly to create a comprehensively great film. I also wrote that I anticipated that Prince Caspian would be better, and I was happy to find that it is!

The film starts with a bang, extending a scene from the middle of the book in which Caspian's cousin is born, and he must run for his life from his uncle's castle. If you haven't read the book, you might be confused, but if you have, it's great to see how dramatic this scene can be, (and how much you maybe missed if you last read it as a child).

As with LWW, the time-frame is shortened on the story, but the important thing is that the arc of the film is fluid. I never felt like the filmmakers were contorting the story either to follow the book, or to make it a better screenplay. For example, they added a failed assault on Miraz's castle, but this merely replaces one of the outdoor battles in the book.

All the characters from the book are easily recognizable, but some of their relationships are emphasized more or less. There is more animosity between Peter and Caspian about who is the rightful king, and Susan and Caspian go so far as to kiss goodbye at the end. I don't remember either of those dynamics from the book, but when you look at the story from an adult point of view, it's impossible not to expect that both of these things should occur. I never cared much either way about the character Trumpkin, but in the film he comes across as more wry and sarcastic, providing some good laughs without detracting from his qualities as a great warrior and friend. Now I like him, and it's too bad he doesn't have a major role in any of the other books.

It's kind of weird that all the Telmarines, including Caspian, have a thick Spanish accent. I think C.S. Lewis wrote them as a different culture, but to me their strong accent is distracting, and over-emphasizes the stereotype that anyone who doesn't speak "normal" English is a bad guy. I'm curious to see what they'll do with the evil dark-skinned Calormans in The Last Battle.

The animation of the animal characters is good, but I've seen better (most notably in The Golden Compass). Reepicheep, especially looks more like a cute hamster than a noble mouse, but his character shines through so strongly that I forgave the animators by the end. I was also initially skeptical about Reepicheep's voice because it was far too deep and manly for a mouse. But again, I got used to it.

The story of Prince Caspian, how he turned from his dark family history and helped reestablish the happiness and magic of Narnia, was always one of my favorites in the series. This strong story has provided a good framework on which to build the film, and the talented filmmakers have made the most of it.