The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Rating:

* * * *

Verdict:

A classic, enjoyable family adventure.

Director Andrew Adamson lifts his game with this bolder, darker and more dynamic adaptation of C.S Lewis' second novel from the Chronicles of Narnia series.

The film kicks off back in the real world one year after the magical events of

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

. Once again the four Pevensie children, Peter (Moseley), Susan (Popplewell), Edmund (Keynes), and Lucy (Henley) find themselves whisked away from World War II London back to the mythical land of Narnia.

There, more than a thousand years have  passed, the kingdom has changed and is much more savage than when they last visited. Narnia is now under the tyranny of Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) the leader of the Telmarines,   humans who invaded shortly after the children's last visit, wiping out almost all of the magical creatures of Narnia and banishing the survivors to the woods. This film starts with the true heir to the throne, Prince Caspian (Barnes), escaping an assassination attempt by his Uncle Miraz. Fleeing into the woods, he discovers a whole world of creatures and, along with the children and creatures, makes plans to go into battle to wrest back control of the kingdom.

The children's performances are still intense, as if they are weighed down by their adult responsibilities, with the exception of Keynes as Edmund who gets the least amount of screen time but manages to steal the show with a relaxed performance and all the comedic moments.

Ben Barnes as Caspian is solid and charming and will no doubt drag in the teenage girls who might not otherwise be interested in a film filled with mythical characters and children wielding swords.

There are wonderful new characters brilliantly brought to life thanks to special effects, including a talking mouse, Reepicheep, voiced by British comedian Eddie Izzard (whose chivalry will remind you of

Shrek's

Puss in Boots) and a wise badger called Trufflehunter.

By the nature of its story,

Prince Caspian

is a much more action-oriented film than its predecessor, and as long as you're not too young, the action is exciting without being overwhelming. Fans of Adamson's The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe will be happy with this sequel, and now the action is well under way, Adamson leaves us wanting more.

Francesca Rudkin

Cast:

William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Ben Barnes, Peter Dinklage

Director:

Andrew Adamson

Running time:

147 mins

Rating:

M (violence)

Screening:

Skycity, Hoyts, Berkeley and Lido cinemas