I have to be honest; Prince Caspian is my least favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia book series. Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the book, but I sat down to watch Price Caspian with a little less excitement than I did when I sat down to watch The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Still, I told myself I would keep an open mind about the film and (seeing as Caspian is my least favorite of the books) perhaps I might even appreciate the inevitable changes made by Andrew Adamson to the story and characters. After three viewings, I still cannot fully enjoy this movie and let me explain why.
I understand that a dilemma faces most filmmakers who attempt to translate a story from the pages of a book to the silver screen. An author can explain motives, thoughts, desires, fantasies and emotions on a page very clearly to the reader, but filmmakers have to communicate those same things visually. The transition can be difficult to say the least, and like I said, I understand that sacrifices must be made and that compromise must be attempted both from the filmmakers (to stay true to the original story) and from the audience (to allow the filmmaker room to breathe and adapt within the structure of the original story). And since I am not as much a fan of Caspian as I am of LWW or my personal favorite, the Silver Chair, I was more than willing to accept some changes made to the story. But after this third viewing, I must say that I do not approve of the changes made by Adamson and his team. My disapproval stems mostly from the changes made not to the story, but to the characters (Peter in particular). In Adamson’s movie, Peter spends most of his screen time pissed off at every living thing that happens to breathe
in his general direction. It is leagues apart from the eldest Pevensie in Lewis’ book, so far apart that I felt the original character is lost. Adamson’s Peter is immature, displaying a hair trigger temper and eagerness to fight. He is ignorant and arrogant. The magnificence, the dignity and honor of Lewis’ Peter are nowhere to be found on the screen, and the film suffers for it.
In the book, Caspian and Peter work together towards the preservation of a Narnian future, while in the movie, Caspian and Peter quarrel about the most insignificant of things. Adamson apparently felt the film would benefit from the tension between the two male leads throwing hissy fits over who should be in charge and who the blame should fall on for failures. The Pevensie children are snappy and sarcastic with one another in the film adaptation, which I understand is more realistic, but I don’t think it is entertaining to pay for a $9 movie ticket to watch children bicker with each other. The other children’s character is handled well, but I will never ever approve of the Caspian – Susan romance plot. It is so underdeveloped that it doesn’t deserved to be mentioned in a commentary, let alone in the film itself.
On the positive side, the effects of the film are of the highest caliber. I have recently developed a newfound appreciation for effects, and even if the story and characters are disappointing I can still enjoy the effort and detail that goes into spectacular effects. The sets, props and clothing are all top notch as is the quality of the picture, sound effects, musical score, and lighting. From a technical standpoint, the film is fantastic which is an accomplishment that I feel does deserve praise. Technical excellence is not an easy goal to achieve, so the film wins points in this regard.
There are several other aspects to the story that I do not appreciate (mainly aesthetic elements such as the Spanish/Italian accents given to the Telmarines) but I won’t go into much detail there. Overall, enjoyment of the film will stem directly from the expectations of the viewer. Fans of the book will be disappointed in all likelihood (perhaps even frustrated with the changes made to the characters) but those unfamiliar with the book series may not be as offended by the changes. Viewers looking for bright colors and flashy effects are in for a fantastic ride.
Seeing as how Disney has jumped ship (no pun intended) on Dawn Treader, I foresee one of two futures for the Narnia franchise. Having been guaranteed at least one more film, I believe the franchise will be either revitalized and refreshed(after the departure of Adamson and Disney) or the franchise will crash and burn with one last hurrah. I dearly, dearly hope the series continues on (particularly because Silver Chair is next in line after Dawn Treader) but the bottom line is that Dawn Treader needs to make a lot of money when it comes out for the franhise to live on. Here’s hoping.
5/10
Directed by Andrew Adamson
Produced by Andrew Adamson, Cary Granat, Mark Johnson, Perry Moore, Douglas Gresham, Philip Steuer
Book written by C.S. Lewis; Adaptation written by Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Starring Ben Barnes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Sergio Castellitto, Eddie Izzard, Peter Dinklage, Liam Neeson
Rated PG for epic battle action and violence
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