Cast: Ben Barnes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell

Director: Andrew Adamson

Screenplay: Andrew Adamson

Running time: 2 hrs 29 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure



CRITIQUE:


Blame Star Wars for instigating the blockbuster cliché that sequels should be darker. So here goes Chapter Two of the Narnia saga, Prince Caspian takes the franchise into a darker place, magic is restrained and into 1,300 years ahead since the quartet’s first outing into this land. There’s an enormous effort to shed its predecessors airy-fairy approach, as Shrek’s Andrew Adamson turns off the bright lights and gives Narnia a more sinister feel. But he can’t help shrugging off the saga’s obvious Christian symbolisms (still very prominent in Caspian, like blinking neon lights – second coming of Aslan). Its main flaw is the fact that it cannot dodge clichés.


From its opener, the underground train brawl and the magical transport to Narnia, to the film’s entire running time, it is littered with deux ex machinas, or devices to mechanically manoeuvre the plot. Characters appear out of nowhere, Talmarines people sport scrummy accents (with very contrived speeches). The castle attack at night remains to be the most spectacular setpiece, but where the flying griffins come from, nobody knows. The performances of its four leads had been considerably better, but are given poor lines to say. It is Lucy that shines the most, the tale’s embodiment of sheer innocence and belief. Kingston University Drama school graduate Ben Barnes, whose recent acting gig was in Stardust, considerably fares well as the titular Prince Caspian. Liam Neeson and Tilda Swinton take cameo roles as Aslan and the White Witch, respectively. There is a finale that may set Prince Caspian as Lord of the Rings-lite, but the former feels formulaic and debilitated.


VERDICT:

This isn’t exactly a high-flying fantasy as one might hope it to be. Narnia Part Two feels formulaic, and tired rather than inspired. Beautifully shot but emotionally distant. It will keep the little tots happy, though.



RATING: B-