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- First reviewMay 19, 2008
- Last reviewMay 19, 2008
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Dreamhand's Reviews
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Prince Caspian has it all, except...
PostedMay 19, 2008
Dreamhand
from Greeley, CO
... a reason for the 2+ of cinematic effort. The effects were marvelous, the acting was well-executed, it was all there.
And yet, when you leave the theatre, you can't help wondering "what was all that about?" It could have something to do with the fact that there are two books between the first Narnia tale and Prince Caspian. Maybe we missed something in those unaddressed pages.
But the feeling I left with was that the writers were tasked with writing a Narnia script, but neglected to weave it into the mythology they already created. The heroes are supposed to have lived a dozen or so years in Narnia at the end of the first movie... so why are they still acting like children?
Susan has a brush with teen romance that is never resolved (or even given much attention), Peter has anger issues (fighting in the opening moments in London) but those are never addressed or resolved, Aslan is conspicuously absent for 90% of the movie but no good reason is even hinted at ("It never happens the same way twice" just doesn't cut it). The title character has a better story arc than the rest of the core cast, but even his conflict is diluted as Peter fights his fight for him and then offers Caspian the coup de grace.
I haven't read the books, so it's entirely possible I am missing all manner of subtlety the writers crafted into the script. If that's the case, then shame on them for excluding a substantial portion of their audience. If not, then they dropped the ball; instead of providing us with a rich tale that furthers the Narnia mythology and expands our awareness of the core characters, they gave us an adequate tale that - while fun - barely resembles the first (and far superior) movie of the series.
Bottom Line: It was a fun afternoon at the movies... but I expect more from the Hollywood storytellers. I hope they continue with this series, but I also hope they rediscover the magic and wonder inherent to the Narnia tales.
But the feeling I left with was that the writers were tasked with writing a Narnia script, but neglected to weave it into the mythology they already created. The heroes are supposed to have lived a dozen or so years in Narnia at the end of the first movie... so why are they still acting like children?
Susan has a brush with teen romance that is never resolved (or even given much attention), Peter has anger issues (fighting in the opening moments in London) but those are never addressed or resolved, Aslan is conspicuously absent for 90% of the movie but no good reason is even hinted at ("It never happens the same way twice" just doesn't cut it). The title character has a better story arc than the rest of the core cast, but even his conflict is diluted as Peter fights his fight for him and then offers Caspian the coup de grace.
I haven't read the books, so it's entirely possible I am missing all manner of subtlety the writers crafted into the script. If that's the case, then shame on them for excluding a substantial portion of their audience. If not, then they dropped the ball; instead of providing us with a rich tale that furthers the Narnia mythology and expands our awareness of the core characters, they gave us an adequate tale that - while fun - barely resembles the first (and far superior) movie of the series.
Bottom Line: It was a fun afternoon at the movies... but I expect more from the Hollywood storytellers. I hope they continue with this series, but I also hope they rediscover the magic and wonder inherent to the Narnia tales.
No, I do not recommend this movie.
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