The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

[Ariel'sprince]

Caspian already has a parade in the Disney parks like Giselle and Remy had:

I also heard that WALL-E will be there.
Anyway Caspian looks great .

[yukitora]

Ugh.

I saw Iron Man on Friday, and about ten minutes before the movie (well the previews really) started a couple theater employees came in in full Narniaish costumes and did a little skit, then announced that two seats in the theater had a crown underneath them that meant you won two free passes to the film. The kid in the seat next to me (the seat I was actually sitting in till my buddy dragged me out to the lobby) had one of the crowns. It was the one time I was really happy I didn't sit in that seat. Had I won the passes I probably would have actually went to the movie.

I swear it was divine intervention. XD

Anybody else experiencing anything of this nature at their local theater?

We never get anything like that in Australia but either way, I'd never pass up a free movie

[Ariel'sprince]

Ugh.

I saw Iron Man on Friday, and about ten minutes before the movie (well the previews really) started a couple theater employees came in in full Narniaish costumes and did a little skit, then announced that two seats in the theater had a crown underneath them that meant you won two free passes to the film. The kid in the seat next to me (the seat I was actually sitting in till my buddy dragged me out to the lobby) had one of the crowns. It was the one time I was really happy I didn't sit in that seat. Had I won the passes I probably would have actually went to the movie.

I swear it was divine intervention. XD

Anybody else experiencing anything of this nature at their local theater?

We never get anything like that in Australia but either way, I'd never pass up a free movie

We had something similar-
When Finding Nemo was out you had to call some number and then you get a free ticket to Finding Nemo,a week before the film was out! I got a ticket and saw it .

[daydreamer22010]

ok i am going to confess, i dont remember much about the first movie, it just did not capture me. If i remember correctly I was in a bad mood that day, so that could have had something to do with it. Either way I am going to give the second one the benefit of my doubt and watch it. I think i will take my little sister, she enjoyed the first one....

[katemonster]

Well if it helps the new trailer looks more exciting and action packed than the first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmQAuBRMu6M

It also brings in Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian and multiple new characters to enjoy from the book such as Reepicheep!!

[rs_milo_whatever]

i was just at disneyland this wendensday and i missed the pre-caspian parade

[Ariel'sprince]

Oh but can you see it another time?.
There was a clip in the Disney homepage showing a clip with Reepicheep (I"m not sure if it was in the book,I"ll have to check).

[akhenaten]

saw caspian today!

if u liked the first one, ur not going to be disappointed

if u expect more, u will be.

spoiler:
the movie starts loosely and slow and the battles were cool.aslan only shows up much much later and i don't think adamson handles drama and action scenes very well. the white witch shot sequence was great! harry gregson was lazy enough to recycle the first movie's music score up to the cues.and the title credits still sucks.

all in all i like the pirates franchise better.

rating: B

[jediliz]

I finished the book and I purchased and printed out my ticket for opening day tomorrow.

I can't wait! 12:45 PM is when I'm going.

[Simba3]

I ordered my tickets to the midnight showing tonight. I'm excited, I can't wait!

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Some of my friends and I are going to see the 9:00 showing tomorrow night. I am simply excited for this movie and can't wait to see it. I don't really remember the book, but I'm sure that Adamson did splendidly on this film as he did on The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

[Nala]

I'm planning to go to the movie maybe this weekend but can someone tell me what digital cinema is.

[MadonnasManOne]

DVDTalk.com has posted a review for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The reviewer really didn't like it. It received a Rent It rating:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/33245/ch ... spian-the/

I felt indifference to 2005's "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," and I feel indifference to its sequel, "Prince Caspian." There's something missing from this franchise, and three years ago the absence of persuasive content was baffling. Now, the clues are more apparent.

When a magical train station whisks siblings Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley) back to the realm of Narnia, they learn that while one year has passed for them since their last visit, hundreds have gone by in Narnia, and the land is in ruin. Overrun by humans led by villainous King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), it's up to Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) to escape the clutches of Miraz and seek counsel with the creatures and leaders that remain in Narnia. Teaming up with the Prince, Peter and the clan decide to fight Miraz for control of the land, while Lucy searches anxiously for signs of the all-powerful lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson).

I'm aware that stepping on the literary throat of C.S. Lewis is sure to provoke a rabid response, but understand that my beef is not with the source material, but with the director of the two "Narnia" films, Andrew Adamson. While surely putting forth a herculean effort to lift these massive fantasy features off the ground, Adamson has a horrible grasp on the drama and performances. Surely "Wardrobe" could coast on the very newness of it all, but "Caspian" is a visual sleeper hold from frame one; a constipated effort to erect widescreen wonderment, yet the production is missing dimension and needed narrative gusto.

"Caspian" handles oddly from the opening sequence, which introduces us to the new "Narnia" look: muddy, low-lit cinematography, which lends the picture a brooding stance, making an already overlong picture feel eternal. While the story might come easy to Lewis devotees, as a film "Caspian" has substantial difficultly arranging itself into a kinetic whole. It takes a good 30 minutes for the film to warm up properly, only to find that Adamson has little interest in his characters, giving mere seconds to important motivations and sweeping Shakespearean dramatic turns that seem critical to the experience.

"Caspian" doesn't feel rushed, just unfinished. Adamson's focus is on the eye-opening, big-bang material, in which Caspian and Peter try to lead Narnia forces of dwarves (played by Peter Dinklage and Warwick Davis), centaurs, and sword-wielding CG mice into battle against Miraz. That's all well and good, but where's the meat here? Where's the connective tissue that the audience can savor while our heroes step into battle? "Caspian" is marked by long stretches of screentime where there's nothing dramatic to grab onto, as though the film was engaged in a dullsville holding pattern while waiting for the next opportunity to declare war. Once it becomes clear that Adamson isn't interested in establishing a human element, the picture becomes a chore to sit through.

The performances don't exactly help matters either, with the Pevensie clan of young actors showing a noticeable lack of panache with these more difficult roles. Truthfully, the kids are completely ineffective, and it cripples "Caspian," which details the once and future kings and queens of Narnia as troubled souls, yet nothing registers in their body language, nostril flaring, or distant stares. I also wasn't thrilled with Barnes as the titular royal heir. It's difficult to get excited about a hero who looks exactly like and seems about as threatening as a Jonas Brother.

"Caspian" is quick to head into battle, and the final hour of the movie is devoted almost entirely to expansive combat arrangements and a marathon one-on-one duel between Peter and Miraz. Admittedly, I was more swayed by this section of the film due to its thankful influx of velocity, but Adamson is hardly serving up anything new here. It's the same war cries and catapult assaults as detailed in such hits as "Lord of the Rings," without anything to single them out for "Caspian." It all speaks to the fatigue of the production's imagination, and while it may entertain the faithful, I doubt it'll inspire more than a drowsy "yip-ee-do" out of the casual viewer.

I suppose I was expecting the next chapter in the Pevensie family adventure story that was promised at the end of "Wardrobe." What "Caspian" ends up becoming is a simpleminded, violent war picture (the film's PG rating is misleading) with minimal effort put into character growth. It's a decent ride for special effects and all things that go boom, but anyone expecting depth here might be better off snuggling up with the original books instead.

[Isidour]

Ouch!

That critic almost made me wish to see the spice girls movie instead of TCON

[Widdi]

Well I caved and saw it at a special advance screening early this afternoon (the person I am currently dating had two tickets are really wanted me to go with him, so I reluctantly did) and it was terrible.

I didn't think it was actually possible, but I liked this movie far less than the first one. The young actors all need some serious lessons because not one of them was believable in their role.

The story was slow, the music was redundant. The special effects were better than they were before, but that was the only improvement over the first one.

Unless you are a die hard Narnia fan I'd recommend that you skip this movie.

1/4 Stars and not worth the hour and a half drive to see it.

[Simba3]

Well, I'm back from my midnight showing and my overall review is: slightly disappointed. The movie was decent, but not nearly up to par with the first. I have been a long time fan of the Narnia books, and I though the first film was excellent. However, this film did not meet my expectations. I don't want to discuss too much for those who haven't seen it, so I won't state my reasons just yet.

[akhenaten]

the review says everything i felt while watching it. the biggest disappointment is still the score.....now its clear why disney lacks faith in CON

[rs_milo_whatever]

I just got back from the theater...all i can say is wow.

I set my expectations low enough; and I loved it. This is coming from a huge Narnia geek, yes, they added and switched around too many things, but I still found it very enjoyable, if you've read the book, a film adaptation isn't what comes to mind at first; the book is great, but it doesn't really call for a movie. the changes were actually pretty cool, aside from the Suspian fiasco,other than that it was good.

Score was a bit disappointing, especially since I love the first Narnia score; but the most dissapointing has to be the CGI.

[Prudence]

I just got back from the theater...all i can say is wow.

I set my expectations low enough; and I loved it. This is coming from a huge Narnia geek, yes, they added and switched around too many things, but I still found it very enjoyable, if you've read the book, a film adaptation isn't what comes to mind at first; the book is great, but it doesn't really call for a movie. the changes were actually pretty cool, aside from the Suspian fiasco,other than that it was good.

Score was a bit disappointing, especially since I love the first Narnia score; but the most disappointing has to be the CGI.

I saw it as well, and you took all the words out of my mouth. (How dare you? I wanted to give a witty and original review!)

So all I'll add is that I like how the film began in Narnia. The film would not have flowed properly had Trumpkin's story within the story been used, as it was in the book.

[Disneykid]

SPOILERS ABOUND:

I just got back from seeing it and am completely floored. I absolutely loved the first one, but I think I might actually prefer this one a bit better. This is astounding because The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is my favorite of the books whereas Prince Caspian is my second-least favorite (the #1 spot in that regard is The Horse and His Boy...meh). Everything about this film is better except for perhaps the score.

I'm glad Harry Gregson-Williams reused themes from the first one to bring some continuity, but he lifted too many riffs directly without much adaptation (especially during the finale). I also thought the ending song, "The Call," was kind of inappropriate. Not only is it nowhere near as good as LWW's "Can't Take It In," but I don't like that it was edited in a way that overlaps with Narnia itself. If they had waited till the kids got back to the station to kick off the song, I don't think I would've minded as much.

Besides that. though, everything else is an improvement over LWW. The CG is far more photo-realistic and the blue-screen work more seamless. The script also is a bit smoother, balancing comedy and drama with more tact. The kids all showed growth in their acting abilities, especially William Moseley as Peter. The biggest leap in quality between the two films, though, is the action. I'm not just talking about the quantity, but also the quality. There's more creativity and weight on display here. The battle scenes here at their worst top LWW's one at its best.

The purists may complain, but I think the film drastically improved the book. The book as it is simply doesn't work on film (and is still awkward to read, too). That's why the BBC series condensed it into one hour and made it the intro to Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and even in that format it was still clunky. It's a miracle that Adamson and his crew managed to mold it into a workable narrative.

Eddie Izzard as Reepicheep and Peter Dinklage as Trumpkin were both amazing. I'm really glad that they were funny characters without resorting to caricatures (I was especially worried about this for Reepicheep). While no one can ever touch Tilda Swinton's Jadis, the White Witch (holy crap was her cameo awesome), Sergio Castellito really holds his own as Miraz. He actually was more intimidating than I was expecting, especially considering what a non-entity Miraz was in the book.

I do wish Edmund and Lucy were given more to do, but I understand why Susan and Peter were given the attention they were considering we won't see them until The Last Battle (assuming that in the earth scenes for that one, we see Susan and her new attitude towards Narnia). Speaking of which, I like how they foreshadowed that in this film. When that point occurs in the last movie, it won't seem as out of the blue as it did in the books.

There are a lot of other things I could praise or nitpick, but I'm still a bit overwhelmed and need time to soak it all in. I'll probably be seeing it again Monday, so I may make another post with more conclusive thoughts. As it is, this just may be my new favorite live-action Disney film. If they were able to take such a weak book as Prince Caspian and make it into something so remarkable, I can't freaking wait for Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Silver Chair.