More exciting than The Lion; the Witch; and the Wardrobe; The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian continues the movie franchise based on C.S. Lewis' classic fantasy books. The movie picks up where the first left off... sort of. It's been a year since the Pevensie children--Peter (William Moseley); Susan (Anna Popplewell); Edmund (Skandar Keynes); and Lucy (Georgie Henley)--returned to England from Narnia; and they've just about resigned themselves to living their ordinary lives. But just like that; they're once again transported to a fantastical land; but one with a long-abandoned castle. It turns out that they are in Narnia again--and they themselves lived in that castle; but hundreds of years ago in Narnia time. They've been summoned back to help Prince Caspian (Stardust's Ben Barnes; resembling a young; cultured Keanu Reeves); the rightful heir to the throne who's become the target of his power-hungry uncle; King Mraz (Sergio Castellitto). And he's not the only one threatened: Mraz's people; the Telmarines; have pushed all the Narnians--the talking animals; the centaurs and other beasts; the walking trees--to the brink of extinction. Despite some alpha-male bickering; Peter and Caspian agree to fight Mraz alongside the remaining Narnians; including the dwarf Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage) and the swashbuckling mouse Reepicheep (voiced by Eddie Izzard). (Also appearing is Warwick Davis; who was in Willow and the 1989 BBC Prince Caspian.) But of course they most of all miss the noble lion; Aslan; who would have never let this happen to Narnia if he hadn't disappeared. Prince Caspian is epic; evoking memories of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films. (Some of the battle elements may seem too familiar; but they were in Lewis's book.) And it's appropriate for kids (Reepicheep could have come out of a Shrek movie); though the tone is dark and there is a lot of death; albeit bloodless. After two successful films; Disney and Walden Media's franchise has proved successful enough that many of the characters are scheduled to return in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. --David Horiuchi




Stills from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Click for larger image)