My wife and I, movie buffs that we are, couldn’t help but to go see Prince Caspian this weekend. We knew it started every 30 to 45 minutes so we were in no rush to get there and had a nice lunch before heading to the movie. We go to the theater 10 minutes before the next movie started. Worrying about the crowds and great number of kids that I expected, I asked the ticket lady for the number of remaining seats in the theater to be sure we were not sitting on the front rows. There were over 350 seats available in the theater now 7 minutes before it started…this does not bode well I thought.
We got out tickets, popcorn and water and headed into the theater….it was near empty and for a 2:00 movie on a Sunday during opening weekend; that is not good. We watched the previews and I saw what may be the dumbest movie idea I have ever seen beyond giving Tom Green his own movie: Beverly Hills Chihuahua….be afraid. The movie may be great for kids, but I will be skipping this one for sure! The singing dog show of a trailer should be enough of this movie by itself for most adults.
Caspian started well enough and I enjoyed seeing a bit more of the ”normal world” going on with World War II soldiers in the streets and on the subway. I thought that was a nice touch to show the actual time frame that the kids are coming from. However, they very quickly find themselves in Narnia again. They discover that they are not in the same Narnia that they left and a great deal of time and war has passed. The find their hidden chests with all their armor and weapons that they left behind and head out to find out what has happened.
The main Christian theme throughout the movie was facing your belief vs. going with what you can see. When Aslan did not come bounding up the first second the kids were in Narnia they began to doubt. This should speak volumes in our day and time when we are faced with problems. Do we just go with what is before us and take the easy way out, or do we stand firm in our beliefs, ask for the help of our God, and follow in the path that He has laid before us.
The movie itself was not bad; it just wasn’t the summer blockbuster that we expected. The main problem I had with this movie was Peter and Caspian being side by side. Peter, who looked like and acted a child, is the High King, and Caspian, who looked like he actually had a clue how to survive in this world, had to listen to Peter and call him Sire. I do understand the time jump, and that Aslan named them kings and queens, and so forth, but it just did not pull off well between the two. All the rest of the cast did very well and I enjoyed them. My wife and I both left the theater saying “It was OK…I just liked the first one much better.”
I give it 3 out of 5 stars and will probably skip buying it on DVD.
I agree, although I was a bit harsher. As a movie it was very good, but I wish it had stuck more closely to the themes and mood of the book.