Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

This is topic The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=001418

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 05-13-2008, 05:41 PM:

I really wasn't a fan of the first one, I thought it was to long and boring. To much for kids to sit through before it picked up to keep there attention. This one on the other hand picks up right away.

I really don't want to give anything away as the trailer leads you a diffrent direction then what is really happening here. I will say this, I enjoyed this one. Its not great by any means and it's still longer then it needs to be, but is a lot better then the first one.

I give 3.5/5 [thumbsup]

worth checking out

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 05-17-2008, 09:09 AM:

I thought this was a good movie but nowhere near as good as the first one. It just lacked the "magic" and sense of discovering Narnia. The setup took way too long. Additionally, even though the movie is supposed to center on Prince Caspian, there is very little character development of him. He's just kind of there and they certainly had time to develop him.

Once the battles got going, the pace really picked up and it was good from then on. As a kids movie it is too long since the first hour is just basically people wandering around (well not literally but that's what it feels like).

Overall it was enjoyable but does not measure up to the first one. It didn't have the fantasy "feel" to it. I know that some of my complaints may be the fault of C.S. Lewis' writing in the book. I only read the first one as a kid so I don't know.

3 out of 5

Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 05-17-2008, 11:00 AM:

I have to wonder just how it is that this managed to get a 'PG' rating. There are more people killed in this movie than in any of the Die Hard franchises. Certainly not a movie for young children under the age of seven.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 05-17-2008, 11:35 AM:

“Remember what the MPAA says: horrific, deplorable violence is OK, as long as people don’t say any naughty words”

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 05-17-2008, 12:23 PM:

Also, there was no blood or graphic death.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-17-2008, 01:17 PM:

Audience members excitedly talking on the way out of the theatre after our first show last night, and almost zero bathroom traffic during the movie -- good signs.

A couple of people said it's not very true to the book, but stiill good.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 05-17-2008, 04:34 PM:

CINEMA: Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons, Sandy, UT
AUDITORIUM: 14
PRESENTATION: Dolby Digital Cinema DLP/THX
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: None
RATING: Two and one half stars (out of four)

WARNING: "You may find Narnia a more Spoiler place than you remember"

I enter the auditorium and the video pre-show is playing without sound. Booth Guy has the port window open. "Come up so you can test the microphone." Female on radio: "Okay."

Female arrives. "It's not working." "Is it plugged in? I bet there's no batteries in it."

Pre-show audio is restored just in time to miss the audio of the PC Laptops commercial where a ninja nunchucks himself in the balls.

Then it's replaced by a female voice saying "Test one two three."

Then it's back.

So what was this all for? "Welcome Narnia fans. Before we start the show, we wanted to mention it's Danielle's 13th birthday, and we'd like you all to help us sing happy birthday to her! Ready? One...Two...Three..."Happy birthday to you..." The audience half-asses it, which is enough to satisfy the girl on the microphone.

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua"? You have GOT to be kidding me.

Wow. Cool new THX trailer. I guess that answers the question of "Can you be DLP and THX certified at the same time".

THE PLOT: Some bad guys overthrow Narnia and the damn lion's nowhere to be found. Wackiness ensues.

For those who really hate spoilers, stop reading here because I'm revealing the end...

We had to sit through all that crap just so AQUAMAN could save the day?!?

Cripes.

Posted by Richard P. May (Member # 3598) on 05-18-2008, 12:40 PM:

138 minutes of incomprehensible battles. The story was so slight it was irrelevant.
I probably looked at my watch a half-dozen times, and it was moving VERY slowly.
The visual effects are excellent.

RPM

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-18-2008, 06:15 PM:

Today at Regal 15 in Eugene, #8, 35mm. Looked and sounded really good. [thumbsup]

I too found the story & battles a little incomprehensible and was looking at my watch. After sitting there for 2+ hours I'm not sure who Prince Caspian is. [Confused]

I was very clearheaded today too, not hung over. [Big Grin]

However I did like the pretty pictures etc. and this print intermittently looked extremely good. Some of the outdoor shots are amazingly crisp and detailed, while unfortunately other scenes look mangled by digital processing in comparison.

I didn't hate it but it has some problems, and I didn't like it nearly as much as the first Narnia. 3 stars out of 5. It will fade relatively quickly.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-18-2008, 07:15 PM:

Slightly off topic: Every time I see the title of this movie, I see it as: Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Crapistan.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 05-18-2008, 09:27 PM:

I figured you'd see it as "Chronicles of Nadia"...

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 05-18-2008, 11:32 PM:

The Chronicles of Yardia, Yadia, Yada... [Razz]

Posted by Galen Murphy-Fahlgren (Member # 4535) on 05-19-2008, 04:07 PM:

The Chronicles of one of my prints has crappy lab focus problems in the credits, which pisses me off a few times a day. I am positive the focus is nailed, and yet, poor focus in the credits. I hope there aren't issues elsewhere in the print that the managers who screened it just didn't mention.

Posted by Stu Jamieson (Member # 4626) on 05-20-2008, 08:38 AM:

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

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 07-27-2008, 09:45 PM:

I haven't watched it yet but a couple of friends who have, said it was very good. The audience applauded at the end, though after 2.5 hours they may have applauded because it was finally over.