Web Exclusive: Chronicles of Narnia

Since the release of the first modern “Lord of the Rings” adaptation, there has been a strong… Since the release of the first modern “Lord of the Rings” adaptation, there has been a strong push to adapt other canonical fantasy series into epic adventure films. While the lion’s share of them have been laughable flops (see – or better yet, don’t see – “Eragon”), 2005’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” attained a level of fanfare on par with the Tolkien adaptations.

Now the adaptation of the second book in the Narnia series, “Prince Caspian,” tests director Andrew Adamson’s ability to match his initial success. Unfortunately, while “Caspian” is certainly as epic as any of the “Rings” films, it eschews the emotional poignancy that made “Wardrobe” so exceptional in favor of heavy-handed religious allegory.

A year after the four kings and queens of Narnia are unexpectedly returned to their dull teenage realities, they are suddenly sucked back into their fantasy realm. It is Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), an exiled prince of a Narnia-conquering human empire called the Telmarines, who summons them. He is assembling an army of Narnians – mythical beings of all shapes and sizes, from centaurs and minotaurs to swashbuckling mice – to fight against his uncle, the usurper-king Miraz (Sergio Castellitto).

While the plot is somewhat darker than that of “Wardrobe” – there is a great deal more violence and death – the core of the film is essentially unchanged. The dwarf Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage) assumes the required role of sassy Narnian sidekick, and even the previous film’s villain, the White Witch (Tilda Swinton), makes an appearance.

Ultimately, however, “Caspian,” just like “Wardrobe,” is still all about the growth of the four central characters through their adventures together in Narnia, and here is where the film is unfortunately at its weakest. The two main conflicts between the siblings, Peter’s (William Moseley) difficulty in leading the army alongside Caspian, and Peter and Susan’s (Anna Popplewell) lack of faith in absent lion-god Aslan’s return take a complete backseat to the film’s epic battles and sieges. As such, the film seems to crawl along despite all the visual splendor. In the end it has little-to-no emotional impact.

There is, however, a unique quality to the way in which “Caspian” ignores characterization. It is no secret that C.S. Lewis’ Narnia novels were greatly influenced by his Christian beliefs. This influence was little more than a subtext in Adamson’s adaptation of “Wardrobe,” but was still highly praised and was undoubtedly one of the main reasons the film distinguished itself from the cesspool of “Rings” doppelgangers. Adamson clearly understood this foundation of the first film’s success when making “Caspian,” as the Christian metaphors and allegories are abundant and obvious.

Particularly overbearing is a scene where both Prince Caspian and Peter have to choose between believing in the ephemeral Aslan or succumbing to the White Witch’s immediate temptation, a dilemma very similar to those central to Christian morality. Though a scene of enormous importance in the novel, it is reduced to little more than a black-and-white moral decision (and, of course, a fight scene) in its adaptation. This is exemplary of Adamson’s treatment of Lewis’ themes – an utter divorce between the characters and the morality driving them, filling in the gaps with nothing more than swords and special effects. In the end, this obvious pandering to the film’s Christian viewers backfires completely, making the film overly simplistic to the lay-viewer and near-insulting to the religiously inclined.

This is not to say that the film has no redeeming value. On the contrary, “Caspian” is impressively entertaining and beautiful to behold. The acting is great all-around, with particularly strong performances from Moseley and Castellitto. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the music is appropriate if unexceptional, save for the stirring ballad accompanying the final scenes that single-handedly manages to bring said scenes to the brink of poignancy. However, there is simply nothing beneath this enchanting veneer.

“Caspian” is an invigorating experience but almost immediately forgettable and fails to live up to the “Rings” legacy of increasingly powerful sequels. Hopefully the next entry in the series (already in the works, of course) will put Narnia back on the path taken by Tolkien’s adaptations.