“Prince Caspian” is superior in every way to “The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe,” but that isn’t saying much.

The plot: The Pevensie children return to Narnia to help their friends the Narnians fight against the evil Telmarines and to help Prince Caspian claim his place at the throne.

 

The primary reason ‘Caspian’ is made watchable is because of the new characters Trumpkin, Nikabrik and Reepicheep. Trumpkin (a helpful dwarf) is wonderfully played by acclaimed actor Peter Dinklage. Warwick Davis of “Leprechaun” and “Star Wars” fame is equally memorable as the evil dwarf Nikabrik. As for Reepicheep, he is actually a CGI sword wielding mouse, but comedian Eddie Izzard does a commendable job in bringing the comical character to life.

 

I also have to say that the high quality production values definitely made the film a visual treat. The costumes for the Minotaurs, Centaurs, etc. in particular were incredibly well done. It’s always nice seeing characters in practical costumes rather than CGI creations as it makes the universe more believable.

 

Complaints aside, ‘Caspian’ is far from a great movie. To me, ‘Caspian’ and ‘Wardrobe’ are simply not up to “Lord Of The Rings” or even “Harry Potter” like standards. The direction in both films is not very competent and the actors and actresses who make up the Pevensie family simply cannot act.

 

It doesn’t help either that a few of the main characters are downright annoying. Peter, for instance, is a completely unlikeable fool in this film, especially when he devises a plan to storm a Telmarine castle that winds up getting several creatures killed. Another somewhat unlikeable character is Aslan himself. I am puzzled as to why Aslan spouts cryptic messages and never seems to help anyone when he is called upon. Yes, you know he will likely save the day, but he doesn’t show up until the last moment possible after so many lives have been lost! What is with that?

 

Summary: “Narnia” fans will enjoy “Prince Caspian,” but I can’t give the film a recommendation myself. It’s not a poor film by any stretch, but it’s not worth raving about either.

 

A Note to parents:  Even though “Prince Caspian” is rated PG, this is rather a violent film. To be honest, ‘Caspian’ should have received a PG-13 rating as the movie is riddled with death.

I have no complaints with the 2.40:1 widescreen picture quality. The image looks fantastic. I was especially impressed with the brighter color scenes, namely any scene involving the river.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is certainly lively and busy, especially during the climactic battle scenes.

* Digital copy.
* Disney ads and trailers.
* Commentary by Andrew Adamson, Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Mosley and Anna Popplewell. Andrew chats about technical aspects while the cast talk about set experiences. Not worth listening to.
* 10 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Andrew Adamson.
* “The Bloopers Of Narnia” (3:00).
* “Becoming Trumpkin” (5:00)- We see Peter Dinklage chatting about his role and we also get a look at how the makeup/costume was applied.
* “Warwick Davis- The Man Behind Nikabrik” (11:00)- A featurette on the highly underrated actor Warwick Davis. This is my favorite extra on the disc.
* “Secrets Of The Duel” (6:45)- A behind-the-scenes look at the pivotal swordfight.
* “Previsualizing Narnia”- A 10 minute featurette on the importance of animatics.
* “Talking Animals And Walking Trees- The Magical World Of Narnia”- A brief 5 minute featurette about the fantastical Narnia universe and its inhabitants.
* “Inside Narnia- The Adventure Returns”- A 34 minute bonus feature in which director Andrew Adamson and others chat about the sequel, the themes, the cast, etc.
* “Sets Of Narnia: A Classic Comes To Life” (23 ½ mins.).
* “Big Movie Comes To A Small Town”- A 23 minute featurette about the small town of Bovec where several scenes were filmed.