Screen Scene: “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”

A canonically faithful movie adaptation of “Prince Caspian” would have put most viewers to sleep. Author C.S. Lewis wades through paragraphs describing what it feels like to walk on a hot muggy day with a jacket on and what apples taste like, and the climactic action of the book is condensed to a few pages.

Luckily, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” departs from the book in all of the right places, carving the outline of the plot with admirable alacrity and then launching into a rollicking action scene that doesn’t abate until the credits roll.

The Pevensies are once again magically transported back into their favorite menagerie of spunky talking animals, only to find that hundreds of years have passed and their kingdom has been invaded by the Telmarine nation. They join forces with the deposed Telmarine Prince Caspian to restore the land to its rightful citizens, the talking animals.

“Caspian” trades the fairy-tale wonderment of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” for a more robust, intensely paced story, featuring an excellent all-around cast and a multitude of well-crafted action scenes.

The film is thematically more mature than its prequel.

In “The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe,” it’s implied that nobody actually dies in the final battle thanks to Lucy’s magic healing cordial, but “Caspian” stretches the limit of its PG rating. Battle scenes are comparably graphic in their depiction of death. The film also features some genuine drama, including a battle scene where Narnian forces are left behind to die. Love is in the air ““ Susan (Anna Popplewell) and Caspian (Ben Barnes) make eyes at each other throughout the whole movie, and Peter’s (William Moseley) teenage angst over his lost status as king considerably darkens the tone of the film.

And for those who pined for the action movie that “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” could have been, “Caspian” will not disappoint. The film has roughly twice the mayhem of the first in the series, and battle scenes are cleverly choreographed, despite an unhealthy fixation with slow motion. Our young heroes no longer suffer from a lack of either skill or strength ““ Peter and Edmund defeat numerous opponents twice their size and weight in a spectacular fashion, and Susan looks like she’s been taking private lessons from Legolas of the “Lord of the Rings” films for years.

The film also features some standout acting performances. Of the many inevitable parallels drawn between “Narnia” and “Lord of the Rings,” Peter Dinklage’s surprisingly heroic performance as Trumpkin the dwarf undeniably trumps that of Gimli, that springboard for short-people jokes from the “Lord of the Rings” series. Georgie Henley turns in a charismatic performance as Lucy, and it’s a pity that she doesn’t get nearly as much screen time as does pretty boy Barnes, who plays a routine, lackluster Caspian.

However, the series’ young cast is significantly older, and thus “Caspian” suffers from an identity crisis. The kids of Narnia have grown up ““ is “Chronicles of Narnia” still for kids?

Director Andrew Adamson chose the middle ground, and the result can be awkward.

A darker movie is undoubtedly in order, but “Caspian” lacks commitment in its portrayal of a more mature Narnia. Scenes of genuine drama are juxtaposed almost indecently with comic relief, as if to prevent nightmares for the children sure to be filling the seats, and the few scenes of real drama in the film are cheapened by this constant wisecracking. It’s also very disturbing to watch the cuddly mouse Reepicheep crack jokes while slitting the throats of Telmarine soldiers.

However, with action scenes that brim with personality and compelling acting, “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” truly does overcome its growing pains to entertain on all levels.

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