Disney delivers yet another adaptation of Lewis’ adventures with the return of Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy to a post-golden age Narnia where Telmarines threaten the existence of its fabled creatures. The story begins with the flight of young Prince Caspian from his malicious, pseudo-Spanish uncle aspiring to claim the throne for himself, and the land that is a fading Narnia. For the most part, the opening scene is formulaic with the aid of a wise professor, the gallop from treacherous guards across a dark and open vista, and the sudden appearance of rescuing Dwarves, Warwick Davis including. Caspian blows the mysterious horn of Queen Susan in attempt to thwart his foes, which in turn resonates in fifties England where the Pevensie children await their train.
Despite the predictable magic whilrwind of Disney animation, childish humor, Caspian's facial suicide, and plot detours from the original book, the movie manages to exceed the Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe in entertaining action sequences and the lessons of growing up to deliver a decent, worth the money show. Dialogue is sporadically slow, topped with witless retorts of talking rats, who should have been played by Paul Giamatti, and sprinkled with the ridiculous rolling of r's by none other than the prince of the hour. Lucy, however, manages to captivate audiences once again with her girlish charm, and graceful features while Peter comes swinging full force, desperate to become a man. It seems that these two siblings personify the battle between belief and human rationality, and what it takes, well beyond the eleventh hour, for ordinary kings and queens to become something more.
Aslan's cameos are few and far between, yet there is no doubt he is lord over man and beast, "not a tame lion." For as he states he never does things the same way twice, unhesitatingly drawing the trees out of their lethargy to attack Miraz's army and calling forth an angel of the water to destroy the remaining troops. It's hard to dismiss the similarities to "Fellowship of the Ring's" river scene but if Lewis and Tolkien were friends then perhaps it's not so unimaginative. Some would say that Aslan is a poor digital creation, even a little foo-foo in this film, but he is still the enigmatic, approachable embodiment of love and power and not without poignant weight. Let's hope that Jack Black will not sell more tickets at the box office as this summer's overweight karate panda.
All in all, the movie is what one would expect with the exception of a few dark twists, Hollywood's attempt at spicing up a story for this generation's cynical, anti-hero leanings. But that aside, the cherished language of C.S. Lewis lives on as his heroes and heroines persevere through trial and battle against insurmountable odds while memories of Mr. Tumnus and the beavers echo in the viewer's minds. A family achievement, another step at resurrecting the magic of childhood, perhaps ticking off an observing Jack Lewis from his ethereal library above. See it. It's history now.
