The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian

[slickstu]

The Christian subtext which was, by turns, lauded and criticised in The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe, remains alive and well in Prince Caspian. 1300 years have passed since the last film and with the disappearance of Aslan (read "Christ"), naturally Narnia has descended into chaos. Order, of course, will only be restored when the "King" returns and he has been away for so long that the populace have become cynical about whether he will return at all. Like the previous movie, whether this subtext tarnishes or enhances the film will be determined entirely by individual prejudices. Christians will deem it a wholesome, classical story; atheists will think it a load of bible-bashing drivel. The truth is, however, that the story works equally well whether one chooses to acknowledge the subtext or not. It is a classically themed story which is only "bible-bashing drivel" if you choose to see it that way. (Similarly, The Golden Compass is only an "atheistic rant" if Christians choose to see that film that way.)

But Christian subtext is not the only one at work here. Freudian film analyst, Slavoj Žižek, would be particularly appreciative of the overt sexual connotations present. Anna Popplewell basks so comfortably in her virtuous virginity in the role of eldest girl Susan that she looks like she's waiting for a Sound Of Music remake just so she can play the part of Liesl Von Trapp (for which she'd be great!) This is unfortunate for the adolescent exiled Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), however, who summons Liesl back to Narnia by blowing his horn. As a means to offset his regal impotence, he readily tries to give her his horn or at least show it to her at every available opening. As a young lady of virtue, Liesl of course refuses him at every opportunity, urging Caspian to keep it, though suggestively teasing that he may need it to call on her later on. Oh, really? You little minx! (And I thought this was a kid's movie!) It's with some disappointment then that at the films final (and inevitable) kiss, Caspian doesn't whip out his horn and give it to her right there and then! Liesl, instead, returns to England with her virtue intact. A shame, really. It was just starting to get exciting.

The film can also be seen as an allegory for the war on terror where the Middle Eastern Telmarines are oppressing the fragile Western Narnians. This can be read in one of two conflicting ways: either it is yet another Hollywood demonisation of the real world enemy of the moment; or a turning of the tables whereby the Westerners are portrayed as the oppressed minority as part of a put-the-shoe-on-the-other-foot style lesson. Again, the chosen interpretation will be dictated by individual ideological prejudices and either way the story works equally well regardless.

Putting all this academic rambling aside, on a fun level Prince Caspian essentially delivers the goods, albeit less satisfactorily than its predecessor. Caspian lacks the fairytale quality which made Wardrobe magical. It's more "real world" and less mystical than its forebear. The absence of Aslan from much of the film is also an impediment and when he does appear his impact is somewhat muted compared to the prior film.

Wardrobe was very Tolkienesque in its imagery and Caspian is even more so, particularly in two distinct sequences involving trees and a river and also in its man-against-the-environment theme. It's true that Prince Caspian was written before The Lord Of The Rings but it certainly suffers from the Rings trilogy being made into films first. Of course it is unsurprising that The Lord Of The Rings and Narnia should have so much in common given J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis' shared literary history.

Performances from the leads are good, especially Anna Popplewell. William Mosely as Peter is the weak link which is a shame given his prominence in the story. It's not entirely his fault, however, as of all the Pevensie children his character is the most bland. Skandar Keynes continues to benefit from the complicated Edmund. Georgie Henley is still cute as a button but not for much longer as the film is rapidly suffering from harrypotterplex; a condition whereby the aging of the cast grossly outpaces the progress of the films.

While it doesn't reach the heights of its exemplary predecessor, Prince Caspian is a solid piece of entertainment nonetheless.

7.5 out of 10

[DND]

For Me its a 6.5 -10

I found that it wasn't as good as the first one, My 10year old didn't like it.
She said the starting was to long