THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2008 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2
The magic is gone.
As I said in the first sentence in my review of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, that film was "magical and
marvelous."
Neither of these adjectives have any place in a review of the film's tired
and laborious sequel, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN. While the
original was energetic and entertaining, the sequel is plodding and
downright dull.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN is one of those "too" movies.
It's
too long, too slow, too dark, too confusing and too bland. This long and
lifeless follow-up will likely have younger members of audiences fidgeting
noisily, as they did in our screening, which is a real problem since the
actors speak mainly at a low level, probably because their hearts are
clearly not in the production.
The title star of the film, a relative unknown actor named Ben Barnes,
sleepwalks through his part, acting like a brooding model upset that his
scheduled photo shoot is running late. As Prince Caspian, he brings
absolutely nothing to the role other than supermodel good looks. But even
the kids, Georgie Henley as Lucy, Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie,
William
Moseley as Peter Pevensie, and Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie, aren't
very good this time.
About the only characters any good, save a nice cameo by Tilda Swinton as
the White Witch, are a few talking animals. The best of these is a
smart-alecky mouse named Reepicheep (voiced by Eddie Izzard). But don't
be
surprised if you think you've seen this character before. You have. That
would be Puss In Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) in SHREK, another film
by THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN's director Andrew Adamson.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN wants desperately to be the next
THE LORD OF RINGS. In battle after perfunctory battle, the movie tries to
repeat THE LORD OF THE RINGS look and style, right down to fighting trees.
Is there anything other than a few wisecracking animals that the movie has
to offer? The music is pretty good.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN runs a long 2:24. It is rated PG
for "epic battle action and violence" and would be acceptable for all
ages.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, May 16, 2008.
In
the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century
theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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