Movie Info:
Writer: Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus
Director: Andrew Adamson
Cast: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Sergio Castellitto, Peter Dinklage, Warwick Davis
Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Info:
DVD Release Date: December 2, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99
I remember when The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was released. I was mildly curious about the film. By previews alone, it looked like it was going to be pretty amazing. Then there was a hailstorm of marketing that just rubbed me the wrong way. The debate was on the religious nature of the film. Apparently, there was a large group of Christians that wanted the world to believe this might as well have been a children’s Bible story. With all the talk about it, I made the decision not to see it for the mere fact that I did not remember the stories by CS Lewis to be like that. I hate seeing a movie adaptation that is grossly different than the original product.
However, when we received this for review, we gathered around the Playstation 3, and I made a decision to review this version, as opposed to the DVD version that also arrived. I was all set to be skeptical. I am ashamed to say that I even looked for Christian references that I felt were thrown in unnecessarily. Not too surprisingly, I did not find any. I did find a really impressive story though. In fact, the acting and story were enough to make me want to go back and see the first movie when I have some time.
As a refresher, or for anyone that has not read the books, The Chronicles of Narnia is all about a stately land where Kings and Queens rule, dragons and dwarves exist, and anything is possible, if you only believe. Narnian’s start out life old and as they grow they become younger. This easily explains why the four Kings and Queens are teens and pre-teens. This provides an interesting story for the entire family. Kids are more willing to be interested for the sheer fact that the leads are children themselves.
Still, a good book doesn’t automatically equal a good movie. It requires good acting, a solid screenplay, point on direction, and in the case of a Blu-ray, excellent sound and video quality. Luckily, all of these things and more were offered here in Prince Caspian. All of the actor’s were fairly new to me, with exception to Peter Dinklage and Liam Neeson (the voice of Aslan), though I was impressed by most of them.
Even though the story revolved around Prince Caspian I found myself gaining a fondness for two of the other younger characters and the actors that played them. Peter (William Moseley) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) Pevensie by far won me over. In the case of Henley, it should have been harder to do as her role was not as upfront or seemingly important as that of High King Peter. Skandar Keynes, the actor that plays Edmund, offered another strong role though his felt even less than Lucy, and he seemed more able to blend in the woodwork. It will be nice to see future Narnia tales where he takes on a bigger role. Beyond these actors, there were excellent performances offered by the rest of the cast.
I was surprised when I learned that this movie actually did somewhat poorly at the box office. It didn’t make more than the cost associated with making the film. This was shocking to me, especially after I had watched it. Now that I have become a fan, I hope that future films do better, so that the story can continue to be told as they were in the books. Book purists may have a problem with the story in various elements, though I like to think of this as an adaptation. Any way you look at it, removing the books you read as a child as a guide, these films offer everything needed for successful family entertainment.
I have heard some parents claim that Prince Caspian is too dark for young children to watch. Personally, I didn’t find anything wrong with it. Of course, it will be a judgment call. I watched it with my four year old nephew who loves pirates and knights. He had a great time and has already asked to see it again. He has a tendency to be rough though, so it may just depend on the child. If your child is docile you might want to keep this on the backburner until they are a little bit older.
The The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Plot
The Pevensie children, Peter, Edmund, Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Lucy have been in England for about a year before they are called back to Narnia. Of course, in Narnia it’s actually centuries later. This time around, they discover that Narnia is a completely different place. It does not feel like the amazing and magical place that they all longed to be. In this world, the trees are not dancing, the castle has turned to ruins, and Aslan is nowhere to be found. It does not take long for the children to learn that the reason for all of this is that the land was overtaken by Telmarines.
Telmarines are humans that came from Telmar though a rift between the two worlds. The rise of the Telmarines has meant the near-extinction of the Narnian race. Those who still live remain in hiding in the forest. They are so hidden that most Telmarines think them to be a myth and are certain that the Narnians are completely extinct. However, as hidden as they might be, everyone comes out of hiding at some point.
Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) is the heir to the throne. However, when Caspian’s uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) and his wife have a son, Caspian learns that his life is in danger. As Lord Protector of the empire, Miraz wants to get rid of Caspian to allow his son to be able to have the throne. Caspian narrowly escapes an assassination attempt and heads into the forest, thinking that the guards will not follow him there. When he is approached (or attacked) by Narnians, Caspian grabs Susan’s magical horn and summons the ancient Kings and Queens of Narnia.
Caspian might be a Telmarine, but he manages to convince the Narnians that he has no desire to be like the other Termarines. He wants to give Narnians back their land and share it when them. Unfortunately, to do that Caspian needs to overthrow his uncle and the other Telmarines. The Ancient Kings and Queens are with him, as well as all the remaining Narnians, but that still puts them at a major deficit.
After an unsuccessful attempt at gaining the upper hand and storming the castle (something not originally in the books) Lucy goes on a hunt for Aslan, knowing that he is needed now more than ever. Now that the Narnians have invaded Telmarine land and lost, they know that the Telmarines will be gathering their armies and coming to them.
In the midst of all of this, there is a pseudo-love story between Susan and Caspian that is only completely realized near the end of the film. Due to this romantic tension, High King Peter and Caspian find themselves having some problems. Both find the other to have some issues, though they soon realize that they need each other to defeat the greater demon. The two pair with the rest of the Narnians to fight for what is right and even though things look bleak, it becomes increasingly obvious who the real men in the bunch are and who the cowards are that deserve to be defeated.
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Audio/Visual:
Prince Caspian comes out looking marvelous on Blu-Ray. The specs include 1080p and a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. While there are little to no visual errors, which is nice on its own, this transfer offers much more than a clear visual picture. The most impressive thing with Caspian is the level of detail that can be found in each and every scene. When the location is in the train station, even the smallest detail is present. Things are so realistically handled that it gives the impression that you could be there, too.
Narnia looks fabulous, as well. No stone has been unturned when it comes to detail. Even the tiniest bit of clothing has been gone over and made special. The scenic views in Narnia are some of the most amazing shots, but everything manages to look great. Daytime and nighttime scenes both look stunning in very different ways. While I am sure Caspian looks beautiful in standard definition, if you have the chance to see it in Blu-Ray I highly recommend that you do so.
If you like the video (I don’t know how you couldn’t) you will love the audio. DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless surround sound leads the way in this phenomenal audio presentation. The audio alone will ensure that your experience watching Prince Caspian will be a memorable and enjoyable one. Every option that can be used is used until there is nothing left. Each channel is explored and every speaker is utilized. It is hard to imagine Caspian sounding better than it does like this. Despite the booming strength of the explosions, the dialogue remains steady at all times. You won’t spend time toying with the remote because each instance is at a comfortable level, no matter what is going on. Even the smallest thing offers a realistic sound. The arrows that fly through the sky can be heard whooshing through the air, you can hear the strong smack when a sword hits the shield or a fist connects with it’s target. From the horse hooves on the pavement to the roar of Aslin, each sound comes to life as it should when watching Prince Caspian.
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Bonus Features:
Prince Caspian is a Blu-Ray set that includes three discs. The first disc offers the feature film along with a small selection of special features, the second disc is all special features, and the third disc is the digital copy that accompanies the film. There is a nice amount of bonuses in this set, which is not surprising considering the popularity of the film. The good news is that most of these are worth watching, too. An important side note: All of the features in this section are presented in high definition. Generally when a movie is put on both DVD and Blu-Ray, there are some features on the BD disc that are not high definition. It’s nice to see Disney giving people what they pay for in this area.
The full-length commentary is an absolute must for fans of Narnia. The commentary includes the director, the Pevensie children (Anna Popplewell, William Moseley, Georgie Henley, and Skandar Keynes), and Ben Barnes. There is a good mix of entertaining discussion and insightful observation. The occasional bit of dead air does pop up, but it’s rare and the commentary moves quick thanks to the good chemistry that everyone seems to share.
“Circle-Vision Interactive: Creating the Castle Raid” includes an introduction about the work that went into the castle raid scene. After the introduction, you are able to watch the production of the scene through Blu-Ray technology. There is some behind the scenes footage and interview clips, as well.
A small promotional blurb on Blu-Ray, some Disney movie reward info, and trailers for Pinocchio and Earth end this disc for special features, unless you count the BD Live features. BD-Live offers some pretty awesome online content that makes watching any movie more enjoyable. With Caspian some of the BD Live content includes the ability to connect with family and friends so you can watch the movie together while chatting. There is movie mail, challenges, and more! It definitely takes watching a movie to the next level.
The second disc includes even more interesting special features that begin with a feature that lasts for nearly 35 minutes. The bonuses start on the second disc with “Inside Narnia: The Adventure Returns.” This feature includes the director talking about things like shooting challenges, the need to tie the films together properly, and how to add special effects to the film. He even mentions why he chose to direct the second film in the series (he’s only producing the third, Michael Apted will direct). Along with Adamson and all the insight he brings, there are plenty of interviews from other crew and cast members, and a smattering of behind the scenes footage.
“Sets of Narnia: A Classic Comes to Life” clocks in at close to 24 minutes. Without this we would never know just how hard it is to create Prince Caspian and the Narnia world. For the director and the set designers, the goal was to create the vision of Narnia. They had to find the perfect spots to shoot, design the perfect sets, and make sure the props looked good and were realistic enough to fit into the world properly.
Speaking of going on location, “Big Movie Comes to a Small Town” highlights the location where Prince Caspian was shot. The film was shot in the Bovec, a small Slovenian town. This feature includes residents talking about what it’s like to live in Bovec and it shows how a city takes on a major movie. They show how various sets were build (the bridge, for example.) Other information passed through this feature includes the history of the town.
“Previsualizing Narnia” is a much smaller featurette, coming in at only ten minutes. This featurette discusses film technology that is able to bring the movie to life prior to the shoot. Think of it as an evolution to storyboards of the past.
“Talking Animals and Walking Trees: The Magical World of Narnia” weighs in with five minutes of content about the people and the technology that helped to create the Narnian people in just the right way. Obviously, when creating something like dancing trees, you can also expect nature to play a role in this feature.
There are ten deleted scenes that include just over eleven minutes of additional movie time. These scenes come with an introduction from Adamson. Many of these are entertaining to watch, but due to time or flow some of them were left behind. This is followed up by “The Bloopers of Narnia,” which lasts for three minutes and shows some of the funniest bloopers on set.
Things wrap up with three more featurettes. “Secrets of the Duel” offers a behind the scenes look at the duel scene. “Becoming Trumpkin,” is all about Peter Dinklage and his work on the film. Finally, “Warwick Davis: The Man behind Nikabrik,” includes both interviews and behind the scenes shots of the actor and his experience working on Prince Caspian.
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Bottom Line:
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was an unexpected favorite in our house. I didn’t think I would like it all, much less as much as I did. It’s convinced me to seek out The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and anxiously await the third movie in this amazing series. If you like action movies that the whole family can enjoy with Kings, Queens, creatures, and alternative worlds than this movie is definitely for you. The same can be said if you prefer flawless Blu-Ray presentations, excellent acting and directing, and awesome special features once the movie is over. If you don’t like these things you could always pick up the latest Cameron Diaz flick. Still, this one comes highly recommended.
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Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Blu-Ray, Disney, The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian, Epic Battle, Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Sergio Castellitto, Peter Dinklage, Warwick Davis
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.
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