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Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The
Walt Disney Pictures, Walden Media

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The reviews


7.1

based on 33 reviews
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based on 77 votes
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FILM:

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

MPAA RATING: PG for epic battle action and violence

Starring Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Ben Barnes, Peter Dinklage, Warwick Davis, and Vincent Grass

One year after the incredible events of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the kings and queens of Narnia find themselves back in that faraway, wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1,300 years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has passed, and Narnia has been conquered by the Telmarines and is now under the control of the evil King Miraz, who rules the land without mercy. The four children will soon meet an intriguing new character: Narnia's rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian, who has been forced into hiding because his uncle Miraz plots to kill him so he can place his own newborn son on the throne. (Walt Disney Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Adventure \| Family/Kids \| Fantasy
WRITTEN BY:	C.S. Lewis (novel) Stephen McFeely Christopher Markus Andrew Adamson
DIRECTED BY:	Andrew Adamson
RELEASE DATE:	Theatrical: May 16, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	140 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	UK \| USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

A glorious medieval war movie. It's about war as the ultimate pitch of conflict that tries men's souls, and women's, too.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

The film's pronounced split between violence and softness notwithstanding, Prince Caspian is finally a more polished effort than "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and squarely in the tradition of the kind of teenage movies the Disney organization used to make before teens discovered horror and gore.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Even with all the CGI effects, this darkly emotional movie feels like the anti-"Speed Racer." Sure, it's a big-budget spectacle. But it's also the kind of grandly old-fashioned entertainment we don't get enough of anymore.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

Several shades darker in tone than the previous edition -- which, to be fair, didn't carry the burden of expectation that a sequel must bear -- the return to Narnia still casts a transporting spell.

Variety Todd McCarthy

Closer to a straight-ahead medieval battle picture than the fantastical, other-worldly journey depicted in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," this new entry is a bit darker, more conventional and more crisply made than its 2005 predecessor.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

As portrayed by William Moseley, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley and especially Anna Popplewell as Susan, the Pevensies still make for terrific tween protagonists, and Aslan, the majestic mythical lion voiced by Liam Neeson, is still a breathtaking manifestation of the Cat Upstairs.

USA Today Claudia Puig

An exhilarating fantasy adventure marred only by its length and protracted climactic battle scenes.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

An elaborately presented feast that will taste familiar to the 'tween and teen audience for whom it is served. The four courses are love, war, faith and humor, served in no canonical order, and sometimes, simultaneously.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Athima Chansanchai

In this sequel, magic still reigns but suspending disbelief doesn't come as easily.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Overall, while not as strong in terms of plotting or character development, Prince Caspian is nevertheless a better cinematic experience than its predecessor, if only because it feels more confident and polished.

New York Post Kyle Smith

In their refusal to be up-to-the-moment, the Narnia movies are bound to age beautifully, perhaps much more so than the two Shrek films Adamson directed.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Take away the storming music and grand vistas, and it's all a standard sword-and-sorcery adventure; director Andrew Adamson is more than a journeyman but much less than the visionary Peter Jackson is.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

If Caspian has a fault, it's that viewers familiar with neither the books nor the first film may have trouble picking up the strands of the story in the early scenes… but in all honesty, how many Lewis neophytes will choose Caspian as their point of entry?

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

Next time out, more dwarfs, more Aslan, and definitely more Reepicheep.

Village Voice Ella Taylor

Prince Caspian is fairly good fun, and I'm trying to decide whether it was the capable swordplay or Ben Barnes's bedroom eyes that prompted a significant shift in brand loyalty.

Slate Dana Stevens

They may make for clunky religious parables, but the Narnia books--and so far, the movies based on them--are wonderful as stories about childhood and its loss.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Quite a bit darker than "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," both in look and in mood. It is also in some ways more satisfying.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

In total effect, Prince Caspian feels a lot more earthbound than "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Adamson's pulled a more morally nuanced rabbit (or badger, actually) out of his directorial hat this time out, and the result is a far more engrossing film than its predecessor.

Premiere Ryan Stewart

There's a persistent surface level, one-off quality to the whole business that repels emotional involvement at every juncture and seems stylistically in keeping with Disney's reluctance to greenlight each new Narnia film until the last one has proven itself at the box-office.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Is it a bad thing that Disney has commercialized, denatured and inflated the story to make it indistinguishable from any handsome sword-and-sorcery epic? Perhaps not, for it IS handsome on its grand scale.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

The movie is more somber and less wondrous in tone than the first film, especially since the lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson), who would have been instrumental in leading the Narnians to victory, has disappeared.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Junkies for dark humor should prep for going cold turkey, despite the efforts of director Andrew Adamson to spice things up with combat and a rivalry between Caspian and Peter (good on Moseley for showing some backbone) that Lewis never imagined.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

Prince Caspian is elaborate filmmaking, all right. It's the magic of the human touch that's missing.

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

I can't condemn it outright, but damned if I can remember anything (aside from Izzard's performance) that would make me recommend it.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

The wee mousie is fun, all right, yet like the occasionally ragged editing, the fun just gets haphazardly wedged in.

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

This fusty sequel lacks the narrative complexity of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and squanders both its first-rate computer graphics and its sturdy international cast.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

Roughly the same as the first in terms of quality and style. It delivers without much visual dynamism, and with a determined emphasis on combat. In the 1951 novel the climactic battle between the good Narnians and the bad Telmarines lasted a few pages. The film version of the same battle feels like "The Longest Day."

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

I wish I could be more enthusiastic about Prince Caspian, an honorable and attractive adventure for children and families. But scenic beauty and spirited action can't conceal its dramatic defects.

Newsweek Jennie Yabroff

The more obvious special effects are downright hokey, such as a weird swirling water creature who looks like something out of a toilet cleaner commercial. As the outcome of all the sword-flinging and catapult-launching is never in question, it's hard to stay engaged with the movie once the fighting begins.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

Ultimately, it's an absence of personality that does the film in. The creatures remain beautifully designed and Narnia still looks like a colorful, inviting place, but it feels as lifeless as the fantastical anyworlds found on glittery unicorn posters.

New York Magazine David Edelstein

Such a clunkerama that it made me rethink all the nice things I wrote about its predecessor, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Could the same people have made both films?

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Exactly one minute longer than its predecessor, but it's a dragged-out exercise, with no epic scale and no spirit worth talking about.

The average user rating for this movie is 7.1 (out of 10) based on 77 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Steve gave it a6:
There were things added to this movie that weren't in the book, some good, some not. Caspian's "Hamlet" issues--good. Expansion on Glozelle's and Sopespian's characters--good. Attack on Miraz' castle--not so good. Susan and Caspian undressing each other visually throughout the movie and locking lips at the end--CS Lewis is spinning in his grave!!! A more faithful adaptation from the book would have been more appropriate, is what I think.

Jacob L. gave it an8:
This is one movie that requires some patience. The order in which events occur is mixed up and the beginning feels redicously rushed. In fact, this is one movie that your just going to want to pretend you never saw it. But wait, there is hope. After vaugly introducing the characters and creating a bad sumary of the conflict. Things finally get good. Miraz seems evil. The characters are interesting and movie will start to raise the hairs on the bak of you neck, and you'll find that Prince Caspian wasn't so bad after all and will eagerly anticipate the next film the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Brian R. gave it a9:
Visually rich and entertaining

Ellie M. gave it a9:
An absolutely wonderful movie. It expands upon the original classic book while remaining true to its spirit. The young actors have matured in their craft, and Peter Dinklage is delightful as the dwarf Trumpkin. The special effects are marvelous, too. Don't miss this one -- it's best seen on a big theatre screen to appreciate the spectacle!

Tim G. gave it a10:
Best movie I have seen in a long time! I mean in a long, long time!

Jonathan M. gave it a0:
This is the worst movie I have ever seen. I walked out of "Weekend at Bernie's 2", so maybe that was a little worse. But how can anyone give this any praise. Everything about it sucked. Horrible pacing, the editing looked like it was done by an 12 year old on i-moive, the camera work was tedious and unoriginal, the special fx look like leftovers from the first Narnia, the acting was beyond bad - there were accents coming and going every other minute... and the list goes on.

David L. gave it an8:
I thought it was a great follow up to the first with good action from start to finish.

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Walt Disney Pictures, Walden Media

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The
Walt Disney Pictures, Walden Media