Rated PG
Directed by Andrew Adamson (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Shrek I & II)
Starring Ben Barnes, Warwick Davis, voice of Liam Neeson
Prince Caspian was worth the wait.
What wait?
The last 50 years.
In my interview with Narnia co-producer Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis, he commented that seeing the Narnia films come to the big screen is a dream come true. He went further to say that he thinks that the Holy Spirit might have been holding the project back for a while, because only now, with the advancements of CGI, have they been able to do the books any justice.
Let’s face it—the books are fabulous. Some of the best ever written. But we’ve all seen great books made into mediocre movies (cough, Eragon, cough, cough…). Prince Caspian was not one of those. C.S. Lewis would be proud.
In this film we find the four Pevensie siblings transported once again from England to the beautiful land of Narnia. But it’s not the Narnia they once new. The “Narnians” are distraught, almost without hope; and the human Telmarines, led by the evil King Miraz, have taken over. The four kids are enlisted once again to help ward off the evil forces and restore the rightful heir to the land’s throne, Prince Caspian.
As much as I liked the first Narnia film, Caspian easily trumped the first. Let’s be honest… prior to the release of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, no one really knew how good the first Narnia film would do. It wasn’t exactly starring Anthony Hopkins and Meryl Streep! But when The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe hit 300 million, I think the film makers attacked Caspian with a new confidence. The effects were better, the performances more convincing and the script even showed a little more of a modern flare.
I’m probably not going to be alone in my fondness for the character of Reepicheep. Reepicheep rocked! I know he was definitely my 10-year-old’s favorite character. But the film was far more than funny lines (plenty of those by the way) and cute furry creatures (yes, an abundance of those too). Once again C.S. Lewis’ amazing story is thought provoking and penetrating. That same 10-year-old, my daughter Ashley, was almost in tears during one scene where Caspian was tempted by evil forces to do wrong to achieve what’s right. Ashley leaned to my wife during the screening and implored, “How could they do that.” After the film she told us, “I hope I never would be tempted enough to give in to evil like that.” It was remarkable how much that scene affected her.
The film is amazing. I loved every minute (and there were 147 of them) and your family will to!
People will no doubt compare the film to The Lord of the Rings films. Keeping it real, I don’t know if any film in this genre will ever aspire to such a comparison. Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films are flawless. The greatest example of a perfect 10 since Nadia Comaneci! But the Rings trilogy aside, you won’t be disappointed with the newest of the Narnia films.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Again, younger kids might be a little scared of some of the creatures. My 10-year-old was pretty freaked out by the intensity of the scene with the witches and the werewolf. But that being said, she wouldn’t have missed it for the world. And I’d take her again in a heartbeat.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
