Guest Blogger! Brian K. Previews/Reviews New Narnia (Prince Caspian)
“Things Never Happen the Same Way Twice.”
- Aslan
I was given the opportunity to
see a special screening of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and
Jo asked if I would like to post a review. With next-to-zero history in blogging
(apart from comments), I obviously accepted.
My plan is to keep the review
spoiler-free, but give a complete review nonetheless. I’ll leave out the
synopsis since those can be found online if you are so inclined to search them
out. I also find that anything that is not in the trailer should be left as a
new experience when you watch the film for the first time. So here we go…
I remember repeatedly watching
the 1979 animated version of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe as a kid
and was excited when the live-action version came out by Disney in 2005. Never
having read the books by C.S. Lewis, the follow-up film was an unexpected
journey for me since I had no idea where the fantasy-adventure went post-The Lion, The Witch, and the
Wardrobe.
I found the film very engaging
a la Disney style and was repeatedly caught up in the tale as it unfolded. The
cheesy Disney dialogue poked it’s head up every once and awhile, but if you take
it with a grain of salt and realize that the film is geared more towards the
younger audience, it is understandable and pleasant in a light-hearted way.
Moments in this film share the excitement and anticipation of the open-field
battles in Braveheart and head-to-head titan clashes in Gladiator, but of
course in a PG fashion without the excessive blood and gruesome death scenes.
Remember that the Kings and Queens of Narnia are portrayed by young actors and
actresses, so the fighting scenes lack the punch (pun totally intended) that you
may be used to from other fantasy films.
There are also wonderful
performances by Peter Dinklage (of The Station Agent; highly recommended) and
Eddie Izzard, who lends his unmistakable voice talent to a swashbuckling Chief
Mouse. Recent Oscar winner Tilda Swinton also reprises her role as the infamous
White Witch, and you obviously can’t have dwarfs in a movie without the
legendary Warwick Davis brilliantly playing one. The Spanish influenced
Telmarines (unfavorable humans that occupy Narnia) offer a sharp contrast to the
English influenced Pevensie Family (Kings & Queens): Peter, Susan, Edmund
and Lucy (which itself offers a subtext that is probably too long to get into,
but I had to mention it). Even though both sides deliver acting performances
that are less than Oscar-worthy, it does not detract from the effectiveness or
enjoyment of the film.
All in all, I had a great time
watching it. The special effects were wonderful and I would recommend the movie
to kids and adults the same. The first film adds context to the second, but is
not a viewing requirement. Is this where I’m supposed to give it a thumbs up,
or stars, or two shakes of a dogs tale with a biscuit? If so, it has my stamp
of approval.
Additional thoughts for those that look deeper into
the film..
Often times the films (and originally the books) are referred
to as a Christian allegory, but I think that singling out the Christian
influence sells the effectiveness and longevity of the fantasy adventure short.
Let’s not forget it also incorporates Greek and Norse (or Scandinavian)
Mythology, English folk lore, and wherever you classify magic and fantasy. C.S
Lewis included influences from multiple legends to form an adventure that has
withstood the test of time and circled the world with great success.
This
formula has been used repeatedly – isn’t that part of the lure in LOST? We all
watch and eagerly analyze the influences week after week on Jo’s LOST blog –
from the Alice in Wonderland nods to Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. Let’s not forget how
over the head LOST is with character names (Christian Shephard: Christianity,
John Locke: Enlightenment Philosopher, etc). Since we praise LOST (or other
mediums) for doing so, the same should be true for The Chronicles of Narnia; for those of us that like to delve deeper than the surface, there is a plethora
of themes for us to enjoy.
I think that is a wrap. Hopefully
I didn’t include anything that will take away from your appreciation of the film
and maybe added something positive to your future experience. I would appreciate
any feedback (positive/negative) from those that took the time to read this
since I am looking to start my own BLOG for runners in the near future. I’d also
like to thank Jo for giving me the official chance to be long-winded on her
forum.
—
Special thanks to Brian for his detailed preview! I didn’t have plans to see movie, but after reading his review, I am adding the first Narnia film to my Netflix queue and will do the same when this one hits DVD. Feel free to leave feedback about his thoughts or your own as comments below.
- Jo