Landing on Disney DVD just in time for the holiday season is The Chronicles of Narnia : Prince Caspian, the Spring 2008 followup to the film adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ classic Lion, Witch and the Warddrobe tale.
It’s a year after the Pevensie siblings defeated the White Witch, and the 4 kids haven’t learned their lesson to stay out of Narnia. Strangely, a ton of time has passed in Narnia (13 centuries) and disorder has once again reared its ugly head. So Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund make it their mission again to save the magical land from evil and restore it to its rightful heir, Prince Caspian.
The best way to describe Caspian is that it plays things safe - following the same formula as the first movie. There’s the moral undertones, the weird/cool/quirky Narnia inhabitants and the battles and violence that certainly make you think Disney paid off the MPAA to obtain the PG rating. I can’t say I hated Caspian or conversely that I loved it - it sat some where in between and was a good (albeit long) viewing. One of the best surprises was Tilda Swinton’s cameo/return as The White Witch (man, she was scary in the first movie). But again, Disney went with what worked in the first go-round. I’m hoping that they mix things up when The Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes to town in 2010.
As for the DVD itself, it’s full of Disney goodness. By goodness, I mean that it is packed with lengthy and meaty features that really give some depth and background to the making of the movie. And while I can’t say that the film’s bloopers and deleted scenes were filling, the other extras do give you an appreciation for what it takes to pull Narnia together on screen.
Special Features:
* Special audio commentary by director and actors , a behind-the-scenes interview with the cast and crew, a tour of the film’s locations and sets, inside view of the technology and production behind the movie, bloopers, deleted scenes and much, much more!
I didn’t review the Blu-Ray version, but figured it’s worth mentioning what comes in that package if that’s your sort of thing:
Blu-ray Hi-Def Exclusives
* Enhanced Disney’s BD-Live Network exclusives, interactive Narnia game, downloadable features and much, much more!
* Circle-Vision Interactive: Creating the Castle Raid
And as usual with newer DVDs, a digital copy of the movie is included that can be copied into your iTunes or Media Player programs.
Overall, yes, Prince Caspian is a little long and yes, it’s a lot like the first installment, but if you’re a Narnia fan or just looking for an adventure, than this movie is right up your alley.
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