Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

MPA Rating: PG-Rating (MPA) for epic battle action and violence.

Reviewed by: David Criswell, Ph.D.
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Good
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Kids Family
Genre: Fantasy Action Adventure Adaptation Sequel
Length: 2 hr. 24 min.
Year of Release: 2008
USA Release: May 16, 2008 (wide—3,800 theaters)
DVD release: December 2, 2008
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Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

INTERVIEW—Behind the scenes of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”

Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

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Featuring Liam Neeson (voice)
Tilda Swinton
Ben Barnes
Warwick Davis
Eddie Izzard
Peter DinklageTrumpkin
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Director Andrew Adamson
Producer Andrew Adamson, Douglas Gresham, K.C. Hodenfield, Mark Johnson, David Minkowski, Perry Moore, Marianna Rowinska, Philip Steuer, Matthew Stillman
Distributor

“Everything you know is about to change forever.”

The Chronicles of Narnia has been called the Christian version of The Lord of the Rings, although J.R.R. Tolkien’s classics were actually a Catholic-Christian allegory. The primary difference is that Narnia was directed largely at children. The first film portrayed the death and crucifixion of Christ, His resurrection, and even the Second Coming allegorically with the Lion of Judah as a literal lion in a fantasy world. However, Lewis’ second and third entries toned down the religious allegory. “Prince Caspian” has a few allegorical elements, but its message is a more simple one about faith. Although still aimed at children, the movie may appeal more to older kids, as the majority of the film revolves around a war and many battle sequences which occupy probably close to an hour or more of the picture.

On a technical level, “Prince Caspian” is perhaps a little more refined than its predecessor. As good as “The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe” was, I felt that the humans were perhaps the least believable, and Adamson’s direction was good but unpolished at times. The best scenes were those that involved extensive CGI. In “Prince Caspian,” Adamson has refined his craft and adjusted more to the human element.

The story itself revolves around Narnia a thousand years after the kings had left. The “mythical” Narnians had apparently been exterminated and become extinct. In its place are humans who look like they are out of the Middle Ages. Caspian uncovers a plot to seize his throne and flees where he encounters the true Narnians he thought were long extinct. With the aid of the four human children (the true kings and queens of Narnia), he wages war against an army of humans, to restore the unity and diversity of Narnia.

As aforementioned, the religious element is reduced significantly from the first film. This, no doubt, delights the secular critics. Nevertheless, there are some good spiritual lessons which are retained. When King Peter sees what has happened to Narnia and sees that Aslan is not present, he tells everyone “it is up to us to do it alone.” However, Peter fails. The Narnians suffer defeat with Peter as leader. Meanwhile the youngest of them, Lucy, insist that Aslan is waiting for them, but no one listens. Only toward the end of the film does Lucy ride out to find Aslan and seek his assistance. The lesson is that we are never to “do it alone.” Only with God by our side can we hope to achieve victory. Also, note that it was Lucy, the youngest and most innocent, who saw Aslan when no one else could. These morals contain the lessons that parents should teach their children.

In terms of the moral content of the film, it is very clear, except for violence which is, at times, relatively strong. I say relatively because most children are so used to violence. Blood is virtually absent (save a few scenes where blood trickles, and a man’s hand is cut in an occultic ritual), but blood or no, death is a plenty. In one scene, Peter even pulls his sword out of a victim, but the sword appears clean! Still, there is a scene, in particular, when the helpless are being slaughtered, and the camera appears to linger. Once again, there is no blood, but we hear their cries and see them all desperately trying to escape. Moments later, we see their bodies laying strewn across the castle floor. Such scenes should be too intense for young children, but alas children seem so desensitized to violence that I heard several children clapping when one of the villains was slain. In the scene, the villain was betrayed by his own men and slain just moments after Caspian had shown him mercy and let him live. The children seemed to take their cue from the villains, rather than from Caspian!

“Prince Caspian” will be likened to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Two Towers, inasmuch as it is predominantly battle scenes and war. It will doubtless appeal more to older children, and parents of the very young will definitely want to be a little cautious. Since the religious element have been toned down, both by C.S. Lewis and the filmmakers, the movie will have a broader appeal to moviegoers, and perhaps encourage some to see the first film, which they may have skipped because of its Christian message.

Certainly, “Prince Caspian” is more refined the first, but it is a little hard to compare the two, since they differ in so many ways. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was a spiritual Christian allegory from start to finish, with magical creatures and children who learn much about life and love. “Prince Caspian” is a fantasy film about war, with a message of faith, and a warning against going it alone. I suspect some will prefer “Prince Caspian,” while others will cling to the innocent of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” In either case, “Prince Caspian” is sure to insure that “The Chronicles of Narnia” continues on, although it will continue without Adamson, who has already called it quits. Certainly, he is trying to go out with a bang.

Violence: Mild / Profanity: None / Sex/Nudity: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—I saw this with a friend at the first showing opening weekend. It was captivating from the get-go. Although there weren’t as many spiritual references as the first Narnia movie, the ones that were there, hit home. I will say that the movie was very intense and I am choosing to not have my 11 year old daughter see it on the big screen. I’ll wait for it in DVD for her to see it. The sound and cinematography were amazing! This is a movie to see more than once so you can get the full significance of our reliance on God and not on ourselves. It’s a must see!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Debi, age 42
Positive—Great movie!! There were a few things that done differently than the book. The first being the raid on Mirazs’ castle, even though this was not in the book, I thought it was cleverly done!! Being that the only battle scene in the whole book is only a mere two pages long, having an extra attack never hurts anything! There are some other things, which I won’t expound on except for one (that is written below). Other than those, EXCELLANT MOVIE!!!… I am very pleased with the outcome!

[ could be a spoiler alert!!} I do have to so say one big disappointment was the way that Lucy first saw Aslan. In the book, she sees him and talks with him while everyone is sleeping, and then wakes everyone up to follow her who is following Aslan, even though no one else can see him. Eventually along the walk the begin to see him. At this point when they reach Aslan’s How Susan and Lucy go off with Aslan to bring more narnians and the people of Beruna to fight with the Narnians. However, this does not take place until the end. During the battle b/w Peter and Miraz that Susan and Lucy go off to find Aslan. During this they are attacked and Susan sends Lucy on and Caspian comes to the rescue of Susan.

For a movie aspect there really is not a big problem with that BUT a lover of the book and picturing that first meeting with Aslan, I was looking forward to see the kids finally see Aslan on their own, just like with Christ, he opens our eyes at the appointed time!

All in all I was very please with the film! A MUST SEE, It’s just as good, if not better than Lion, Witch and The Wardrobe. Now, we must wait patiently for the best of the series, The Voyage of The Dawn Treader, and we deal with bratty Eustice! You think Edmond was annoying in LWTW, wait until Eustice!! LOL!! GO! and enjoy Prince Caspian!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Ben, age 25
Positive—This second installment in the Narnia series was suspenseful, captivating and overall an excellent, enjoyable movie. If you’re a Chronicles of Narnia fan in any way, you will be impressed.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
E. W., age 21
Positive—If you love the books and know them well, this movie may drive you nuts. They added SO much and changed the order around that its very frustrating. everyone seems grumpy, Peter frustrated me the most, I think its because the scene in the book where he apologizes and becomes the old peter never happens in the movie, though he does come to himself by the end.

There are several other main parts that they added that, although good cinematically and entertaining, were frustrating at the same time. With all the added and changed stuff, they sort of lost the magic and classic feeling of Narnia. This is MUCH darker and sadder than the last narnia movie. and MUCH darker than the book itself. that bothered me a bit. There was also romance that just wasn’t in the book (nothing inappropriate), and rivalry that wasn’t in the book either.

If you don’t know the book very well, I think you’ll enjoy this. it is well made and entertaining. there are some really funny parts too. overall I enjoyed watching this, but I’m bummed that I went to see a classic narnia movie and ended up with a somewhat Hollywood-zed narnia movie.

Parents be aware that there is a lot of battle scenes some with tragic moments in them. nothing morally objectionable. no blood. A good entertaining movie, not the narnia you’d expect, though it does peek through now and then and the end feels like the classic that you went to see.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Bekah, age 27
Positive—This movie was as good as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, if not better. I thought it was an awesome movie! My children, ages 11 and 15, both enjoyed it. I thought the violence might bother my 11-year-old but it didn’t scare him. I saw much younger children there than him. I believe I would exercise caution in taking younger children to see this movie. It was very stimulating and might disturb younger kids.

The allegorical elements were awesome, especially towards the end of the movie. I was overcome with tears at the end to see Faith triumph and see so many images that related to Scripture passages, like death being swallowed up in Victory (Christ), every knee shall bow, and the paralytic being carried to Christ on a mat. These were just three that strongly stood out and blessed me.

I would definitely recommend seeing this movie for teens and adults and perhaps older children with supervision.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Julie, age 39
Positive—This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time! The reviews say it has no biblical parallel, but believe me it does!!!… Throughout the whole movie, there are biblical parallels—scriptures came to mind continually. This story parallels the story of Israel. She is a nation under captivity. Lucy hears her master’s voice—she knows his voice and goes to him (Aslan). Her brother Peter does not listen and is “tired of waiting for Aslan” and takes matters into his own hands. Lucy confesses to Aslan that she was afraid to follow him because of what the others would do/say (sound familiar?—this is the plight of our teens!). Aslan comes to help and frees the Narnians from oppression… and he does it by having the rocks cry out in the place of Peter, who chose his own way… and the waters cry out, just as they did when Moses and the Israelites fled Egypt… the water consumed the enemy.

Truly this story is the story of the Israelites and God’s bringing them out of captivity. I took my 6, 7 and 2 year old with me. Every one of them sat 2½ hours through this movie… even the 2 year old and LOVED it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Claire Guthrie, age 38
Positive—I loved this movie! The filmmaking was excellent and it’s such an encouragement to go to a theater and see a movie with spiritual parallels. I actually found the spiritual parallels to be just as prevalent in “Prince Caspian,” as I did in “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

The world seems to be falling apart around us and it is often tempting to question why God stays silent and doesn’t intervene; it sometimes seems He has abandoned us and will never return. All we can do is cling to His promise that He is with us, even when we can’t see Him, and in the end, He wins! This is the entire story of Prince Caspian! I think almost everyone knows that Aslan is an allegorical figure, representing Jesus. When he popped up in the movie, I wanted to jump up and shout, “Don’t lose heart! Jesus is coming back!” This is our hope! “Prince Caspian” is what filmmaking is supposed to be—entertaining, yet challenging and encouraging. I am so grateful when Hollywood chooses to put out this kind of movie. It’s a must-see and I would highly recommend seeing it on the big screen.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Lindsay, age 26
Positive—I thought it was an excellent movie. Although, it was a little hard to understand (without having read the books), why it opened in a Spanish castle setting… not too much of an explanation. Nevertheless, the message of the movie was very encouraging and the warning of not trusting in yourself came out loud and clear. The cinematography was captivating. I would definitely recommend this to anyone!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Holly, age 40
Positive—I was fortunate to see Prince Caspian with my wife and three children, ages 14, 12, and 6 and we all really loved the movie. Coming from a Christian perspective, we were able to discuss multiple biblical lessons from the movie. Faith, the power of prayer, the destructive nature of pride are just a few. There were a few parts, one in particular with the white witch, where we covered the eyes and ears of our 6 year old due to the scary (demonic looking) characters. However, there were great lessons to be learned even from that scene. Without spoiling the movie, I believe that if you go see the movie and you have a good understanding of the bible, you will find ample opportunities to see God’s power and sovereignty. If you have a tendency to be a Christian fence rider or a non believer, many of the great lessons may be missed, but you will still love the movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Dan S, age 37
Positive—Kudos to Walden for a well-done sequel. I was in the minority of my party of four (including two boys 13 and 8) who thought the first Chronicles was the better of the lot. True as advertised, Caspian wears a darker shade with a little more snappy dialogue than its predecessor. In this way, this sophomoric release pushed the violence theme a little more than should have been necessary, and may be off-putting to younger ones or to squeamish parents.

There were new elements/scenes in the movie not derived from the book. I thought at MANY turns the movie stole, borrowed, and imitated plot themes directly from Lord of the Rings. While CS Lewis and Tolkein were in the same writing group (The Inklings) and therefore one might expect to see hints of similar themes or styles, Chronicles is a meritorious work that certainly can and should stand on its own. All in all, Caspian is a movie worthy of the price of admission.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Joe, age 50
Positive—I just got back from seeing this movie with my brother and mom and a friend. The first thing I have to say, is from a technical standpoint, it was amazing. The photography, special effects, sword fighting, and music were all really, really good.

However, as a fan of C.S. Lewis’s books, this was a very, very poor interpretation of the novel, “Prince Caspian.” I haven’t read the books recently enough, or this review might be quite different. Without giving away anything, they added at least three major changes to the story (that I didn’t particularly care for) and changed the order of several other things. That aside, it was a very good movie.

There was definitely a LOT more action/fighting in this one then in the first one, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” so this movie appealed to me a lot more then the first one did, but that’s because I like action a lot.

Parents, I would advise caution with younger children (age 10 and under.) There are some rather violent scenes, however (like the first one,) blood is virtually absent.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who likes action/sword fighting. The moral, while maybe not as firmly based in Scripture as the first one was, was still good. There were a lot of funny moments (the mice are HILARIOUS,) and on the whole, it was a very good movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Josiah T, age 17
Positive—This was a very good adaptation of the book, and although it did change some minor events in the book, it was nothing that detracted from the plot or purpose. I was disappointed that so much of the fighting and war were depicted in close-up. The focus on the battles did take away from the themes of redemption, betrayal, trust, and friendship. I took my young children 7, 6, and 3, who love The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I had them close their eyes when it got more intense than I liked, as I am cautious about what I expose them to in terms of violent viewing.

SPOILER HERE: I don’t recall Edmund stabbing the white witch in the book and it could be pretty upsetting to children. I would not like my kids to believe the best response to a villain is always a violent one. The positive thing about it was that Edmund took action when Peter and Caspian were being drawn into the witch’s spell, showing he had learned his lesson about her destructive power and this time defeated her immediately, saving his brother and all of Narnia. God tells us to not even get into debates with untrustworthy people or playing on the edges of destructive behavior. It’s too easy to get sucked in. We are to turn away quickly!

You can see throughout the movie that Edmund has matured. The effect of Aslan’s forgiveness of Edmund, has been that his family has also forgiven him completely for his mistake with the Witch (first movie), and more importantly, Edmund has forgiven himself. In fact, if you have seen the L,W, and W then you will especially appreciate the loving and supportive relationship that Peter and Edmund have developed. There are even some comments between characters referencing events from the earlier movie, which remind the viewer of how far the family has come in their love and respectful treatment of each other. This is a great example of God’s desire that we accept his forgiveness, and forgive each other, allowing each other to move on from past mistakes and take up a confident and happy life again.

To that point, I add that Aslan’s importance in the film does seem a bit played down, and I would have liked to have had it emphatically stated by Aslan the lesson he wanted the youngsters to learn by waiting for His guidance. I took it to mean, when Aslan was talking to Lucy about why He had not stepped in and immediately rescued everyone, that as we grow in relationship with Jesus, He lets us take more steps in faith, versus giving us lots of miracles early on to help us understand His love for us. In this way we not only learn to become stronger in our trust of God’s love, but also to learn that when we are not sure of the right choice, it is often best to wait and pray, asking for guidance.

I also loved it when Aslan chided Lucy for not trusting herself when she saw Aslan and no one else did. Aslan was either calling Lucy alone, or demonstrating that we need to follow Jesus when He calls us, even if others do not want to follow, even if they ridicule what we know in hearts is true, or just refuse. We each have our own path and it is up to us to be true our gifts and to our faith. Wonderful continuation of the Lewis Chronicles and CAN’T WAIT for the next one!!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Karen, age 42
Positive—So, ever since I saw The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe on opening weekend back in 2005, I have been waiting for another Narnia movie. I fell in love with it. The only Narnia book I had read previously was The Magician’s Nephew, and as soon as I saw it, I received all of them as gifts for Christmas, and have read them all numerous times.When I found out in early 2006 that Prince Caspian was next, I was very excited. And I have waited very patiently for May 16, 2008, if I may say so myself.

And so, on May 16, 2008, at 7 pm, I was finally able to watch the movie that I had been anticipating. And not only was it absolutely great, it far exceeded the expectations I had and even the first movie, which I love a whole lot.

First of all, there has been some controversy over some changes made to the book, that I want to quickly address. First, as all who have read the book know, the story begins with the Pevensies and they learn the story of Caspian as Trumpkin, the dwarf, tells it to them. They then go and find him. This time, we begin with Caspian running from the kingdom of the Telmarines and the story is told in a more linear fashion. This didn’t bother me at all. In fact, it makes it even easier to watch this than it would have been if the original structure was followed. Also, there’s a rivalry between Caspian and Peter that ends up escalating rather far. In the book, they liked each other instantly. This time, they don’t like each other until the end. So it’s also not hard to point out that Peter starts off as a bit of a jerk. The rivalry actually makes some more sense than the instant getting along. I mean, Peter was High King, so it would seem right to say he might have a hard time giving up his throne. Making him a jerk was hard to watch though. But don’t worry, he doesn’t stay that way.

And of course, the Susan/Caspian thing. Believe me, it’s barely noticeable and very innocent. And this “kiss” that everyone hears about? It’s very chaste and quick. But the hardest thing might be the downsizing of the role of Aslan in this book. He doesn’t really show up until the end, because the sequence with Lucy in the woods turns out to be a dream, or is it? But this also doesn’t feel horrible, because just how, in real life, we sometimes feel as if Jesus is far from us, it is only when we actually seek Him and call on His name that we can be saved. And that rings true.

Otherwise, the acting is a lot better than the first movie. Mosley, Popplewell, Keynes, and Henley are all obviously more comfortable in their roles and working with green screens this time around. The supporting cast of Dinklage as Trumpkin, Izzard as Reepicheep, and the Italian actors whose names I will not even attempt to spell are very well done. And Ben Barnes, I must say, does a very good job with Caspian. In fact, I can’t think of anyone else who could play him. The CGI are all much better this time around. In fact, you might start to forget that Trumpkin isn’t real and that a lion could never get as huge as Aslan. The script is also steps above LWW.

But there is some objectionable content. In a summoning for the White Witch, which happens in the book but is nowhere near as intense as this, a hag draws a circle on the ground and says an incantation. She also forces Caspian’s hand out and cuts it for the spell. It’s in no way any kind of “this is good” scene, and watch what happens. But the I have to say, the thing I found most objectionable is the violence. Seriously, this is only PG? One of my friends came with me and said she thought it was PG-13 from the beginning. There’s a lot of violence and death. What, just because there isn’t a whole lot of blood means it shouldn’t get a PG-13 rating? Believe me, this is NOT a film for families, especially if you have young kids. If people created the PG-13 rating because of the Indiana Jones movie, I can only imagine what new rating will be made because of this movie.

But, for those who can handle the violence and some alterations to the plot, this movie also has great lessons in forgiveness, help, sacrifice, love, and ultimately, faith. And while Lewis might be a little less happy with this adaptation than LWW if he was still alive, he would definitely agree that the core of his story is still there. And, happily, Disney has not decided to end the journey yet. Voyage of the Dawn Treader already has a release date of May 7, 2010. And I will, once again, be there opening night.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Mary, age 17
Positive—I love it! It was the perfect second film to the first Narnia film. It was a little different but that is why I loved it. The sequels usually leave us wanting, but this just made me want the third one to be done already. And my nine yr old son loved it too. A friend and I took both our nine yr old sons together and we could hear them commenting throughout about how they were loving it. Just enough battle without all the blood was perfect for boys of this age. They love to “play battle fight” at home and it was nice to have a film that the younger boys could watch without having to cover their eyes like most battle films. And boy is Prince Caspian wonderful. It was nice to see how this film shows that working together with our differences is what makes us stronger. And also, how that we can do nothing without our true leader in charge. We may try to win, but it is impossible without God! And I could tell that even my son got this message from the film. Go see it!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Gay, age 39
Positive—I was very impressed with this film. I felt that it did justice to the story, and more importantly, that it showed the importance of having honor and faith, even when faith seems not to yield any results. I could not pick out the Christian allegory as easily in this film as in the first, but it was definitely there. The Pevensie siblings had a positive relationship (at least after returning to Narnia) and were there for each other even when they had hurt each other. It was obvious that they had a strong bond, and they were able to admit to each other when they were wrong. Many times they worked together to make decisions. And the cinematography was beautiful.

I would caution parents to be careful when bringing young children to see this film, as it seemed to be a “darker” movie than the first, both literally and figuratively, and as there was a lot of violence in some drawn out battles involving children. Also, Peter and Caspian had to make some very tough decisions, and the emotional toll this took on them (both in making the decisions and in living with their consequences) was obvious.

There was a scene where school children got into a fight, and Peter and Caspian, each assuming that he was the rightful leader of Narnia, were often at odds with each other. Also, there are moments in which the viewer sees some of the children, especially Susan, questioning their faith. They come around; however, if you have read the last book, you realize that one of them turns their back on their faith in the end, and there were moments where I wondered if impressionable children who have not yet decided on their beliefs might be negatively impacted by those scenes. On the other hand Lucy’s faith is tireless, even when she is outvoted, and is shown once again to lead to her (and many others) to the truth.

I really enjoyed this movie. It was beautiful, and it showed that children can be heroes in their own right, and can learn to make good decisions, work together, be honorable, and have very strong faith. It was magic!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Jessica, age 24
Positive—After viewing the second installment of the Narnia Chronicles I prefer the first. Prince Caspian is done well, from acting to CGI, and the subtle humor (great one liners throughout) is wonderful. Yet, the first movie is more appealing for its innocence and the path of discovery the children travel on. In the second movie, we see the struggle of trying to achieve success without heavenly wisdom, and watch the miserable consequences of such action. There are lessons for our children in both movies. The first is the joy of accepting the Lord, and the second is keeping the Lord as our counsel, actively keeping Him in our lives.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Pd Webb, age 50+
Positive—Overall, it was a good movie. The plot was quite different from the book which was a little disappointing. For example, in the book Aslan turned water into wine and was a lot more present throughout the storyline than in the movie. While I rated the moral rating “good” at the end I was disappointed by Susan and Prince Caspian kissing just as Susan was about to leave Narnia. How are we supposed to teach our kids/teenagers about the sanctity or value of a kiss when it is used so loosely throughout even “Christian” films.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Kaysie Campbell, age 23
Positive—For those who like a good-ole, good-versus-evil movie, this movie does not disappoint. However, being an African-American female who knows the history of Hollywood when it comes to race, I was pretty disgusted to see how Hollywood once again took a darker-skin group of people and made it “the bad guys” in the movie, while the saviors of the movie, aside from Aslan, of course, were rather fair-skinned children, most of whom were also light-eyed. (Even Ben Barnes “Prince Caspian” looked significantly lighter to me than the rest of the Telmarines in the movie.) This only further proves in my mind Hollywood, even though it preaches tolerance and acceptance and the likes, still at its core has the proverbial “Great White Hope” mentality. The only thing that kept me from leaving the theater at once was the fact the Pevensie children did have SOME ethnic features, including the dark hair and fuller lips; that is, had they been proverbially blonde-haired and blue-eyed heroes, I definitely would’ve called it a day for fear of throwing up on the shoes of the nice lady sitting next to me.

Furthermore, unlike “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” the producers of “Prince Caspian” did not keep to the book nearly as well. The characters who really made the story a marvel in my mind were so incredibly insignificant in the movie. For example, I really wasn’t happy with how several of the lines in the movie were said by characters other than those who originally said them in the book; and, I felt the focus was way too much on the Pevensie children rather than Prince Caspian. I mean, the title of the movie is “Prince Caspian,” for crying out loud!!!

Parents of really young children, I do not recommend you take your children to see this movie, as it is pretty violent and very heartbreaking at times; and, some of the creatures, especially the werewolf and witch who summon The White Witch, scared some of the adults in the theater. So, I can only imagine the nightmares that all of those images might induce in a little one.

Nevertheless, for all of my dislikes about the movie, I did enjoy it overall. I absolutely loved seeing all of the creatures in the book come to life on-screen! (Reepicheep was too, too cute!) And, the references to a higher being and the folly of depending on oneself, especially in one’s own pride and arrogance, were well played out. Definitely looking forward to “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” still!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Vonetta M., age 30
Positive—I loved this movie. The child-like faith in Jesus (lion) that the young girl had was so very inspirational. This movie seemed to flow better than the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The story itself was so refreshingly un-Hollywood (which can be so predictable at times). I see the Lord all over it as an encouragement to have faith in Him, even when the obstacles seem insurmountable… and even when others wish to resort to their own strength, or even worse to the lure of the enemy (played by the witch). I highly recommend this movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Mark Robledo, age 37
Positive—This movie was good. It has more violent scenes in it that the first Narnia film. I believe you can find several Christian allegories in it if you will look. I believe that small children could be afraid of some of the scenes. A lot of children these days are allowed to see more violent films than years past, so the violence may not bother them.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Dwayne, age 40
Positive—I rented out the entire theatre with a friend so that we could invite our clients, families, and their friends. There were many children in the audience, primarily ages 10-16; however, my 10 year old son did not want to attend because he was scared by Aslan’s death in the first film. We are reading the book together.

I thought the director did an excellent job transitioning from the book to the movie. Those that have read the book, as I have dozens of times, will note that the film does not follow the book exactly. I will not give any of the details away; however, following the book with the flashbacks would have been confusing on film. I have just had my own youth fantasy novel published (Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword) and it is being made into a film script and I was picturing the same transition issues as I watched the film.

The key to the movie is the Christian worldview. I particularly liked the comment concerning a “non-talking” bear that attacks Lucy at the beginning of the film. Words to the effect that over time if you forget the ways of Narnia you become dumb.

I did find that many of the people we invited to the movie commented that it probably could have been rated PG-13 due to the amount of violence. Many of the 12 to 15 year olds on my row were covering their eyes during certain parts. I am very critical of movies and what I allow my children to see and was fine with my 12 and 15 year old; however, for ages 10 and younger you may want to use caution and see it yourself first.

All in all, a very good film and score another round for the “good guys” and something positive coming out of Hollywood. I hope that it is a great success and has more studios scrambling to put out family and faith friendly movies.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Eric Reinhold, age 43
Positive—I thought the movie was good. A couple of other Christian observations could be made… When Aslan tells Lucy why she would not follow him even when she saw him and the others did not. This speaks to the biblical message of not being conformed to the world. It also reminds us of when Christ said that we must become as these children, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

When Aslan then said that it was time for all the others to join them is an analogy of when Christ returns with all his Saints to rule and reign on the Earth.

When Caspian did not stand up when Aslan mentioned all Kings and Queens to stand… when Caspian did finally stand and state that he did not feel like he was ready and Aslan said that is exactly why he IS ready. This speaks of the humility we are to always have… blessed are the humble in spirit!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Debow, age 30
Positive—I thought this movie shared the message of Christian faith every bit as well as the first Chronicles. This is a well-made fantasy, communicating the helpless condition of man and the need for faith in the Lord, who in this story is Aslan, representing Christ. It showed human weakness and foolishness and the cleverness of evil people. The battle scenes are a little too intense for the very young, but otherwise, a very good movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Positive—Having followed the movie’s production for two years, I was well aware of the changes made from the book to the movie (the night raid, Peter’s character). And I was also aware that Aslan would not appear much in the movie. So I went into this movie expecting to be pleased with it, but wishing for more.

What a surprise! The movie completely blew me away. Yes, it was not very faithful to the book, but the themes and morals of the movie were quite powerful. I found the theme of faith to be incredibly moving. Throughout the whole movie, both Peter and Caspian didn’t wait for Aslan and tried to do things on their own. As a result, every battle failed. It was only when they remembered Aslan that they were able to defeat evil. On the contrary, Lucy always kept her faith in Aslan and was able to see him. The others did not have faith or believe Aslan, so they couldn’t see him. I just loved Lucy’s line to Susan, “Maybe you couldn’t see Aslan because you didn’t want to see him.”

The theme of “without faith, you can’t win” was throughout the movie, and because of that, I rate the movie 10 stars. The other aspects—the music, directing, special effects—were very well done as well, but they don’t seem nearly as important to me as the theme and moral.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Beth, age 18
Positive—First, let me say that I am a big fan of the books and of the first movie. I haven’t read the Prince Caspian book in years, so I can’t remember how close the movie is-but I’m sure they changed quite a bit-esp. the dialogue. This movie contains some of the funniest, yet clean lines in recent movie history. I’ve heard this movie already compared to 'The lord of the rings'-esp. The Two Towers-mainly because of the epic battle sequences, and there is some validity in those comparisons. but in other ways this movie is as different from the TLOTR trilogy as it is its predecessor'-The Lion,The Witch, and the Wardrobe'. There is still strong character development in this one, esp. in the three children-who you see mature right in front of your eyes. The balance between storyline, character development, action, beautiful cinematography, and convincing performances is nothing short of amazing. Not to mention the fantastic CGI effects, which are not overused like in so many movies now a days.

This was the most exciting and satisfying movie I’ve seen in the theaters since “Return of the King.” and as to the religious content being less prominent in this film than in TLTWATW-It may be less OVERT—but there is so much just below the surface, in some ways it is more powerful than in the first film. It is one of the strongest statements of faith, and esp. the faith of a child, that I’ve ever experienced. The ending is very powerful and effective, however sad in some ways. And there are themes throughout this movie that are more adult or mature in nature-that’s why its being called 'dark'-I call it a more realistic side of fantasy! I can’t wait to see it again!!!…
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
David Momberg, age 46
Positive—Many of the analogies to our spiritual walk are probably too attenuated for children and teenagers to catch, but that is something the parent can make up for after the movie. This is one of the better movies to hit the big screen since the first Narnia movie. The movie also touched me in a very deep way. God used it to minister to me during a difficult time in my life.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
David, age 45
Positive—This is a great movie with great values. Parents of young children (about 6 or under) should be warned that there is a lot of violence and intense scenes, as the main reviewer said. But if your children have seen the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, they should be fine watching this film.

It also has enough comic relief to keep you smiling. Trumpkin the dwarf is good and smart-alecky, and Reepicheep is exactly like I hoped he would be.

Fans of the book might be a little disappointed with some of the changes. For example, there is an unnecessary brawl between Peter and another schoolboy at the beginning, and an unnecessary hint of romance between Su and Caspian. Also, Caspian in this movie appears to be at least ten years older than his book counterpart. Still, the main message of the book is not compromised. Lucy, the youngest sibling, sees Aslan and knows he wants the kids to follow him. But none of the others see him, and they don’t believe Lucy (again). The lesson is that you should follow Jesus even when no one else does, and even if He seems far away and doesn’t show himself in obvious miracles like He did in days of old.

All things considered, I haven’t decided yet if I like this Narnia movie better than the first one. I’ll have to see it a second time to know for sure. It is hard to compare the two because the plots are so different. But different is good. I can at least say that it is a worthy follow-up.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Melissa E., age 26
Positive—I felt script writers took a few liberties with the book that I didn’t feel needed to be done, but overall, this was just a fantastic movie. And the liberties taken did not soil the overall wholesomeness of Lewis’s works.

It was darker and more violent than “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” so be warned. If you thought the last battle in the first movie was too much for your kids, your definitely not going to think Caspian is any better in that category.

Like it’s predecessor, this movie was clean, with no nudity or swearing (it is CS Lewis after all) with many messages in self sacrifice, humility, honor, revenge and salvation.

My entire family enjoyed this move ages 9-17, and if the audience around us was any indication, the majority of the people I went to the theater thought this was a fun and adventurous movie. Wish more movies like this were made, it would be nice to have more adventure/action movies that the whole family can watch.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Lynai, age 44
Positive—SPOILERS!!!… While the film wanders away from the original text in places—such as an attack on the king’s palace and a kiss between Susan and Caspian—most of the film is accurate and as well filmed as the first. I took four children today—13yo, two 11yos, and a 6yo. They all loved the film. The Biblical symbolism remains: the leader who is going to save the nation but who does not think he is ready to lead, the Narnian’s need for Aslan (the Christ figure), the danger and enticement of evil, and the deliverance of an entire nation.

The film does have some PG-rated scenes, such as a hag who cuts Caspian’s hand to provide the White Witch with a drop of blood from a Son of Adam and as the battle scenes, during which many Narnians and TelMarines die. The audience also struggles when the Narnians are fighting and cannot escape the enemy, and High King Peter must leave them to be slaughtered.

Warn your children about the battles, because this is a battle between good and evil to save Narnia! But they will enjoy revisiting our beloved Narnia with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Carie, age 38
Positive—We took two 12 yr old boys, two 10 yr old girls and our 8 yr old daughter. We all loved it! It was as epic and grand as Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, and a great story of the continuing battle of good vs. evil. The audience cheered at several stirring moments. There were many suspenseful times during which my 8 yr old grabbed me for comfort. She is very sensitive so she cried and had to look away during one battle scene where some of the Narnians were being killed (I cried too!). She also looked away during a scene with two scary-looking and scary-sounding evil creatures. Overall, this wasn’t enough to keep her from enjoying the movie, just something to be aware of if you’ve got small children. As with the Narnia books, the movie provides many discussion points about our personal relationship with God, how He acts in the world, His ways and timing (not ours), good vs. evil, standing for what’s right, being careful who you align yourself with, using your gifts, etc. Can’t wait for the next one!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Lori, age 44
Positive—Faithful fans of the beloved tales will not be disappointed! The movie stays relatively true to the book, but there are a few modifications. If you loved the battle sequences in the first movie, you will be in for a real treat, as there is much more screen time given to such sequences in this film. The moviemaking quality is absolutely breathtaking! The special effects make the animal characters even more believable than before!

I do have one caution for parents; this movie is much more devoted to the battle sequences and these come with a much higher level of intensity than the one in the first film. While the injurious behavior that obviously goes along with such battles is mostly implied and much of the root of this action is not seen overtly, the sequences are still very intense. In my opinion, this film comes within a fraction of an inch of the ratings threshold; perhaps the closest of any PG rated film I’ve seen. I do not recommend this one for young children or those sensitive to violence, even those who enjoyed the first movie or who are familiar with the books. I do think that this element was handled in the best way possible while still remaining faithful to the story, which does rely much more heavily on conflict. I would definitely pre-screen this one if you plan on taking children under the age of 10. Having said this, older children, teens, and adults that love the books will be in for a real treat! I was on the edge of my seat and loving all 2+ hours of it!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Jamie, age 34
Positive—Overall, the Prince Caspian movie was very well adapted. This movie departs much more from the original book than the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe did. All the same, however, it was faithful on most accounts to the themes and ideas of Lewis’s masterpiece. I was slightly disappointed at some of the parts that were removed or diminished in the movie but I will definitely watch it again if I have the opportunity to do so. This movie is much better alternative to any of the other movies out this year and is well worth seeing.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
David Penner, age 19
Positive—“Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” ain’t your mama’s Narnia. Many aspects of it C.S. Lewis himself would not recognize. Overall, it ranks a positive, but with some caveats.

Peter, once the magnificent High King of Narnia and thoughtful eldest of the Pevensies, brawls with fellow schoolboys, mourns the year since the siblings left Narnia, and wonders how long “He” (Aslan) will make them wait before returning. In Narnia, undercurrents of rivalry swirl between Peter and Caspian, contradictory to the supportive relationship the boys shared in the book. Peter ignores Lucy’s advice, declaring “we’ve waited long enough on Aslan” before embarking on a plan that ultimately breaks his heart and costs the Narnians dearly.

Omissions and additions are expected when a book is adapted to the screen. But in an age where boys have few worthy role models, it seems a shame to undermine the nobility of Peter and Caspian as created by Lewis, though they do ultimately regain their spiritual footing.

Other negatives: changes to the storyline result in Aslan’s appearance only late in the movie; Badger’s devotion to Aslan receives scant attention; battle after battle fills the last half of the movie. There’s not a lot of blood, but there is a lot of dying.

A number of positive points make “Prince Caspian” worth seeing. Edmund (the black-sheep sibling of LWW) is thoughtful, faithful and brave. Lucy is steadfast in her reliance on Aslan. All the children willingly risk their lives in efforts to restore Narnia. Reepicheep is the very soul of honor and a welcome dose of humor. Peter and Caspian eventually do work together to save the country they both love. The acting is first-rate, the movie’s story is well told, and the settings are breath-taking. Honor, integrity, sacrifice, bravery and faithfulness all are represented—just not in proportion to Lewis’ tale.

My children, ages 7 and 9, enjoyed the movie tremendously. But a friend was moved to tears by the deviations from the book. Go to “Prince Caspian” expecting a good movie, but don’t go looking for a faithful re-creation of Lewis’s story.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
D.j., age 44
Positive—I had enjoyed the first Narnia movie so much that there really was no question about whether or I would see Prince Caspian, but I was a little doubtful that it would be able to live up to the success of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. After seeing the opening midnight showing of Prince Caspian, I am pleased to say that not only did it surpass my expectations, but provided some much needed confidence that this series may indeed carry its high level of quality throughout the remainder of the films.

Granted, there are repetitive elements present in Prince Caspian but there’s enough of a fresh twist to keep it enjoyable. I was wondering, based on what I saw in the trailer, how the epic battle on the end could possibly compare to that of the first. Without giving any spoilers, I’ll just say that it most definitely does compare—possibly even raising the bar a bit higher.

My greatest praise for this movie would have to be on the rich spiritual elements woven into the story. Once again, I was somewhat worried coming into the movie that the director would have left key parts from the book out of the storyline, but there are many references (some subtle, some obvious) to the Christian walk. If the theme of the first movie was salvation and repentance, the theme of Prince Caspian would be faith (as noted by the reviewer). Several times throughout the movie the main characters are tempted to trust in themselves, rather than in Aslan, or in the extremely well-done scene with the werewolf and hag, the mistake of trusting in the occult. The end of that particular scene left quite the impression. The difficult question of “Why is God sometimes silent during hard times?” is also dealt with in a similar fashion.

Again, without trying to give away any spoilers, there are some deviations from the book, but not to the point of detracting from the storyline. Several of the character-specific changes actually served to enhance their development, and seemed to blend in very well with the storyline.

And for those wondering, the CGI in this movie is phenomenal. The badger and Reepicheep especially are entirely believable and shine as individual actors; I am extremely thankful that neither of them are used as comedic relief (read: Jar Jar Binks).

The story is rich, the scenery is lush, the music is brilliant, the battles are epic, the CGI is excellent, and the spiritual elements are a primary focus… this is definitely a movie to see.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Kyle Scharnhorst, age 22
Positive—“You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember…” That quote earned a bit of an eye-roll from me when I first saw the trailer when I went to see Nim’s Island. Although 19, I prefer to view children’s movies because they are cleaner than most modern “teen” films. My sister read The Chronicles of Narnia set to me when I was a child, and I loved the old movie versions the BBC made of four of the books. I LOVED the first new movie, from start to finish, with my only complaint being one of historical accuracy concerning untaped window panes during the London air raids. That was all that bothered me. Then I went to see Prince Caspian, and my initial comment (that went unspoken) was: 'For this I spent a couple of hours of my life?'

I walked out disappointed in many ways, with the lack of character development, the addition of the unneeded sequence of the night attack on Miraz’s castle, and the seeming booting of Aslan from the screen. I later bickered with my older sister, who loved it, and asked WHY she loved it. And what she said was so true, that I was in the theater two days later re-watching the movie with an open heart and a forgetful mind (erased EVERYTHING I knew about the book Prince Caspian) and enjoyed myself completely! She said this: Because it is the ONLY version that might ever be done right, and that you might get to see in theaters. That is very true, seeing as the other old version of Prince Caspian, while being more accurate, is also considerably less technologically minded. Special effects, where they existed, were not eye-poppers by any means. And people were dressed as animals, just as Aslan was animatronic. But, the point of better movies is generally this: It is not the destination but the journey that matters, and when one recalls a very brave Hobbit called Frodo Baggins’ journey to Mount Doom, that makes sense. They needed to tell Prince Caspian’s story, and the story of the Pevensies, and while not exact copies of the books, the movies are very special and valuable. Especially when you take into consideration the message C. S. Lewis wound up incorporating into his tales: God always triumphs in the end, over every evil, over every black deed that has been done. And no-one shall forget that message that is like a beacon of hope which still shines on through “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Caitlin, age 19
Positive—I was excited to hear that Prince Caspian was being made for a movie adaptation. While not better than the first, it comes in at a close tie. I enjoyed watching it and would go see it again. There was nothing offensive, with the exception of the mild and tastefully done violence. I agree that this one did not have as many metaphors as the first. Prince Caspian mostly focused on heroic virtues than building type and shadows. I went to see it with my family and left with nothing but positive things to say.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Jacob Airey, age 19
Positive—I am very glad that this movie did not follow the book too closely, they would have spent the first part of the movie complaining about eating raw apples. The book was not movie friendly, so they had to make some changes. The changes they made made the movie better than it would have been if it followed the book.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Aaron, age 32
Positive—I have both seen the movie and read the book and although some material was taken out or put in, I found this movie very enjoyable. True, this movie does not have the obvious spiritual connections like 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe', but (to my recollection) neither did the book. This movie showed the child like faith of Lucy (one many people do not always possess), the true change in Edmund’s character, and Caspian’s willingness to fight for the freedom from darkness, even against his own people. Although the raid on the palace was not in the book, it gave me deeper understanding of Caspian and Peter. Caspian could have murdered his uncle out of revenge, but he didn’t. Peter was selfish and arrogant in his mannerisms, but it shows that we are all fallen and will fall into sinful pride, even High Kings. The movie gave the impression that Peter learned and grew from his mistake. True, the romance was rather silly, younger children could be negatively affected by some of the images, and some families don’t approve of “Shut Up” or the bickering siblings. But tension in families do happen, and everyone makes mistakes. Its a heart of repentance and forgiveness that is vital, especially Christians to those who do not know Christ. Continual complaining and nitpicking about Hollywood does not help the Word of God spread. Instead of wanting change to happen, we should begin a change. Young strong Christian actors or directors should overwhelm Hollywood with movies that show the Light of Christ. A heart of feeling self-righteous about knowing the Truth does not endear unbelievers to Christ. These reviews are helpful, but instead of writing reviews about unGodly movies, we need to start making Godly movies that can change the world for His Name and His Name alone. And as a final note: this movie, though probably not best for children under 8 or so, is much better than other movies like “Sex in the City” or “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” The Chronicles of Narnia:Prince Caspian shows, although we may fall, through Christ we can be forgiven and have a complete change of heart, we should always fight for Christ and to do so, we must have the faith of child.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Nicole, age 17
Positive—I really enjoyed this movie! I’ve seen it twice already, and I plan to see it again before it leaves cinema’s. I’d heard people say you need to see it twice to really get into it, they were right. I enjoyed it much more the second time I saw it—probably because for the first half of the movie I was pretty lost.

The CG was a lot better than the LW&W, really impressive, and the storyline worked well, even though it was VERY different from the book—I don’t think that the movie would be anywhere near as good if they had followed the book closely I found the book is very “jumpy” and wouldn’t make well as a movie. I think this book would have been the hardest of the Narnia books to make into a movie. I was impressed with the movie(after I read the book which I re-read the night after I watched the movie—I read the book about 5 years ago and decided to read the book again after seeing the movie so I didn’t ruin the movie by expecting it to be the same).

I liked how Narnia was a “darker” place and the way they showed it.

I enjoyed to see how the characters developed and thought it would be very accurate of what would have happened. I like how they made Peter to have some “pride issues”—I think after being the High King for so long he wouldn’t be used to people treating him as anything less than that.

I liked how Edmund as developed as a character—which I think reflects how he would have acted as a King in Narnia—A “kingly servant,” I guess. Used to being both a King but also subservient to Peter. I think it showed him to have learnt his lesson and that he is growing into a man of character.

I liked how Lucy was kept true to her character too. I liked how they developed Susan’s character too—starting to bring the “personality” in her that is revealed in the later books.

I was a little disappointed at the lack of Lucy/Aslan scenes. They are what made the book one of my favorites. But the scenes that were in the movie were very good and still “hit home” and didn’t distract from the movie in anyway. I enjoyed the Lucy/other children scenes where they asked her about Aslan too or where she reminded them of Aslan’s importance and who really won their battles.

I thought the acting by the children was much better than LW&W, I’m hoping that means by VotDT Barnes’ acting will have improved more (I wasn’t too fond of it, but it didn’t ruin the movie in any way). The script was quite good—brought the movie back to the book with all the lines from the book they put into the book. The scenery was great! Storyline flowed well. From a cinematic view, I think it was a very good movie.

There are more things from the book I would have liked to be in the movie, But I prefer this movie over the book. I found it more “real” because of the characters development and very good overall—Though I would recommend it only for teens and above due to the darker nature of the movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Bethany, age 18
Positive—I purposely did not re-read the book prior to seeing the movie, and I think that was a good move. The movie is basically a fantasy war movie, with Narnian flavour. I enjoyed some of the characters, particularly Reepicheep and Trumpkin, and Caspian was very Princely. I did not find much particularly Christian in the movie, but I enjoyed it as a swords and not too much sorcery battle movie. I went with the whole family, and we all enjoyed it, with a tang of disappointment due to the missing elements of faith. There are some quite intense battle scenes and a single scary occult scene. Miraz was the strongest character in the movie in my opinion, shame he is the bad guy.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Dale Ogilvie, age 40
Positive—Great movie—the books are even better.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
S.G., age 22
Positive—I love this movie… I loved the first Narnia movie. The first Narnia movie was SO classic!! It was so amazing. And so was this movie! I am so glad Ben Barnes was the one chosen to play Prince Caspian. His acting was so outstanding. He’s definitely talented, that’s for sure! He was made for the part. If anyone else was to play the part on screen, well, I’m quite sure it wouldn’t have been as good.

…However, when people say this movie wasn’t as spiritually challenging, I have to disagree. True, Aslan isn’t in the movie as much as he was in the last one. And in the last movie, he sacrificed his life for Edmond, just as Jesus sacrificed His life for us. *SPOILER WARNING* However, some parts I did catch were this: Lucy and her brothers and sister and their dwarf friend are walking along this cliff and trying to figure out how to go across. She looks and spots Aslan in the distant. When she turns back around, she doesn’t see him. She tries to convince everyone that he was there, but everyone thinks he’s crazy. She tries to tell them that Aslan wants them to go down that particular path, but Peter’s like, “No, we should go this way.” And they all eventually decide to go Peter’s way, but it ends up being very dangerous.

Peter then decides to go where Lucy believes Aslan wanted them to go. And when they do, they find out it’s a much safer way to where they want to go. Like us, we all keep wanting to go down our own paths and our own ways, even when we know Jesus’s way and plans are the best ones. When we do go our own way, that’s when we become vulnerable to temptations such as envy, selfishness, unforgiveness, and hang out with the wrong people who will drag us down as well.

However, when we go where Jesus wants us to go and stay on His path and follow His ways, we find its a better road to travel. Stay on Jesus’s path, because His way is the best way. No, following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean it will be easier, but it is better. And it will be worth it. Another thing that I did catch was faith. Though the kids couldn’t see Aslan, they knew he was there and trusted him. Awesome stuff, these Narnia movies.
*SPOILER ENDS HERE*

I agree with this one reviewer who says Susan irritated her in this movie because she was sullen through-out the whole movie, and the whole Prince Caspian/Susan falling in-love thing was just plain silly. It had nothing to do with Prince Caspian taking his rightful place as king. The scriptwriters didn’t really put that much effort to show you Prince Caspian and Susan had feelings for each other. *SPOILER WARNING* The kiss at the end ruined the ending for me, because it just seemed like they were friends. It just wasn’t necessary. It was just a silly Hollywood attempt to put the movie’s genre into “romance.” Please. If you want to see a movie about romance and true love, they made a movie called “Enchanted” and that fits the romance category better!

However, I can’t recommend this movie for younger kids. It has a much darker tone than “The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe” movie. That dwarf in the movie isn’t kidding when he says, “You’ll find Narnia a more savage place than you remember.” No one’s kidding about that. I think young children would be frightened by it, but any Narnia should enjoy this movie. …
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Sarah, age 18
Neutral
Neutral—Okay, I have to admit right off, I have never read C.S. Lewis’ works. Even so, I really enjoyed the first Narnia film, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was an enchanting film with a wonderful score and great characters, not to mention a beautiful message. But I’m not here to comment on the first film am I?

I wasn’t as eager to see Prince Caspian as I was the first one, but my brother, sister and dad all wanted to go see it and I tagged along.

I liked it well enough, the effects for animals were amazing and the plot is great, but I have heard that there were a lot of liberties taken for this film, like Caspian being too old and the Pevensie children way out of character.

I do agree that the violence is a bit strong, but kids see so much of it nowadays. It really didn’t bother me that much. It’s really showing war and how good has to battle evil. Many kids have probably seen worse. The thing that got me was the whole “reviving the witch” scene. Kids are used to violence (sadly) but I don’t know if many are used to the occult. And I don’t think I want to see the day when they are.

Maybe I’m being too judgmental, but this is based on the work done by a Christian man, and I don’t think he would have approved of that scene.

I also missed Aslan. I absolutely love Aslan and I was hungering for more of him, but he wasn’t there. Though I do understand why, since it all has to do with faith. You have to have faith to believe and in this case, see Aslan.

Another thing that got me was Susan. I just didn’t like her at all. She was always sulking! And I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when the little flirtation between her and Caspian took place. Even a girl I work with claimed that she thought it was silly.

To make a long story short, it was a great film, overly entertaining, if not completely satisfying. Personally, I still love the first one the best.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Kiley Strangman, age 18
Neutral—The promotional line: “Everything you know is about to change forever.” is absolutely appropriate for this film, because that is what they have done to the story. If you view it as a stand alone film it is OK but if you look at it as an adaptation of the book it is somewhat feeble. For the first two thirds of the movie I sat there thinking they obviously didn’t think the book was exciting enough. Battle scenes in the book take up quite a small space, unlike the movie. Central themes of faith from the book are hard to spot in the movie. The character of Trumpkin in particular was disappointing, as in the book he is highly developed and undergoes a major transformation. In the movie he is underdone. They changed Peter from a noble high King into a petulant teenager who can’t decide if he is Caspian’s ally or rival. Some of the changes they made to the story made it not make sense; Miraz was building a bridge urgently so he could get his troops to the Narnians but in the meantime the Narnians could wander off and attack Miraz’s castle and wander back again without any bother at all.

If you want an action movie it’s OK but if you want to enjoy the movie don’t read the book before you go.

If you want something uplifting you would be better to stay home and read the book.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Yvonne, age 44
Neutral—Based on what I had seen from the first Chronicles of Narnia movie, I must say I was greatly anticipating seeing the new Prince Caspian movie. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was definitely a defining movie in modern day film-making. I had the hopes of the series growing in quality and accuracy with every new movie.

Unfortunately, my hopes were somewhat crushed when I viewed Prince Caspian. I believe I was correct in my assumption of the quality aspect, as the special effects, costumes, acting, and choreography (which probably isn’t the correct term, but is what first came to mind to describe the fighting and overall flow of action sequences) were quite exceptional and a big improvement from the first movie.

One of the few qualms I had with the first movie, however, would be the artistic liberties taken and/or parts of the story added to or left out entirely. Since there wasn’t a substantial or significant amount of changes it worked out very nicely and may be one of my favorite movies. But while the quality of the Narnia series has improved with the addition of Prince Caspian, I was stopped cold in my hopes for keeping to the storyline of the books in the movie series. The movie lacks character development, only partly follows the book (it keeps the general idea of the story but has a lot in between that never happened in the book), and isn’t quite as family friendly as the first movie in both the overall feeling and the visual images (the scene of trying to call the White Witch back or people being beheaded in combat comes to mind, though they don’t dwell on these for very long).

It seems not entirely unfair to say that Prince Caspian was underrated with its PG rating. The movie has much more action, possible disturbing images, and violence than the first Narnia movie by far (I would like to point out there wasn’t gore, just violence). I wouldn’t say that movie was entirely family friendly in the intensity and violence respect. The overall feel was a darker one. A few of the characters went through struggles not mentioned in the books (an artistic liberty or too… and rather large ones, at that) that could be viewed as enhancing the story or taking away from it based on their attitudes and actions. It seems that Narnia has transformed somewhat from being a children’s story in to a giant, epic battle story, rather like Eragon or Lord of the Rings in some respects.

Overall, the movie was mostly enjoyable. The cons of the movie were some additions or liberties taken of the story (along with leaving out parts or explanations of the story) and a darker and more violent feel. I would like to emphasize that the movie was very well made and did follow the story in many areas, though, so I don’t want this review to seem like a bash. I would not recommend taking very young children to see this movie nor would I go expecting something as relatively light-hearted as the first movie. You’ll probably get a few laughs and a few tears (maybe even a few “Oh, come on!” moments) if you see this movie. Definitely see it while it’s still in theaters. I’ve refrained from specifics in some areas in this review because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. I also recommend reading the book (and the rest of the series!) before you see the movie if you haven’t yet. Despite what areas were disappointing in this movie I still have hopes for the ones to come.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Stephan, age 17
Neutral—I was very disappointed by this film. So was my 13 year old daughter who viewed it with me. We had been looking forward to it ever since we viewed the original Narnia. We had been following the development of it, etc. We had read the book, watched the Prince Caspian version of it by the BBC and were so excited to go yesterday. While there were some good parts, the scenery was beautiful, it was fun seeing how the kids had matured, the CGI animals were cute, overall my thought was it seemed like one long fight… battle after battle. And unlike the first Narnia where the “good guys” were revived either by Lucy’s potion or Aslan breathing on them, here many of the “good guys” were killed and as far as I could say, stayed dead. I think for young children who have not been exposed to violence, there is way to much in it for them. And as much as I love a romance as much as the next, personally I liked the BBC version where Prince Caspian was a younger boy, not an older one as in this one, where there was some romantic attraction with Susan.

The first Narnia, we loved so much we watched it several times in the theater, later purchased the DVD and watched those. I don’t think we will be doing it with this one. I was not sure whether to rate in negative or neutral, because as I said earlier there were some good parts and we were able to relate spiritual principles, but overall it was a disappointment
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Deanne Rogan, age 48
Neutral—I was somewhat disappointed in this film for its lack of emphasis on Aslan, as well, I did not care for Aslan’s “narrowed” mane. It made him less GRAND than I remember in the first film, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe… despite the fact that the computer generated aspects and the wonderful cinematic scenes overall are above that of the TLWW. However, this film seemed to lose its direction and go the way of HOLLYWOOD without staying as true to the story and its characters as it should have. Knowing that most of the viewers may have been C.S. Lewis fans it felt somewhat “toyed” with and in a way that perceptibly reduces a younger viewers understanding of its allegories. An adult would not miss the overt attempt to diminish these qualities. I also don’t care for Liam Neeson’s voice as Aslan and feel the role requires a stronger projection. I was not put off by the “violence” in the movie as it seemed to be appropriately attributed and in line with the warrior aspects of Good triumphing over Evil and from characters who are much more matured. At the end of the movie it suggests that Susan and Peter will never return to Narnia again but the others will.

I don’t remember this from the book I read long ago so there is a mixture of confusion and sadness for me on this point though I know there will be a 3rd sequel and look forward to seeing what direction these characters will take. Lastly, on the point from the viewer, Vonetta, who said she was put off by the “whiteness” of the movies’ cast where she believes the evil doer’s appear more “darker” in physical features than those of the other “whiter featured characters” who were cast as “good” in the film and therefore she was about to “vomit” in revulsion from the lack of darker skin or African American types being represented in the film; I will say that these kind of comments are what will separate the races instead of bring unity.

I am an African American woman and neither saw the “evil doers” as darker or blacker in complexion nor were their features that of my own. With all the emphasis on political correctness these days I would hope my sister would stay clear of that mindset that limits personal potential and reduces our community. I can be who I am in this society without disregarding my heritage and without being bias or prejudiced against another’s. In movies like “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” I am personally happy to see films bring together creatures of all kinds and all sorts.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Gianesha, age 43
Negative
Negative—My husband and I were surprised to find any positive reviews of this film by people who have actually read C.S. Lewis’s book. “Prince Caspian” the movie basically borrows character names and a few scenes from the book and changes everything else, including the strong Christian themes of nobility, chivalry, sacrifice, and courage. Instead we are left with an empty shell of a story that is basically all CGI and no character development.

If you are able to listen to NPR’s interview with the film’s director, you will find the reason so little of the movie resembles the real story. Douglas Gresham (Lewis’s stepson) disagreed with all the changes made to “Caspian,” and the director fully admits that he created the film based on his memories of the book rather than the book itself. The director’s imagination simply cannot compare with C.S. Lewis’s brilliance. What we get is a dark film with too much testosterone and too little virtue. Caspian is a shadow of himself, and the Pevensies are reduced to self-centered, bickering siblings who seem to have learned no lessons from their time in Narnia the first go 'round. And don’t even get us started on Susan as warrior woman (Father Christmas is surely disappointed with this development)! Douglas Gresham gave away the store in the first film when he allowed the removal of the critical line about battles being ugly when women fight. Where’s the chivalry?

This is not a film we’ll be taking our children to see. Skip it, save your money, and read the book out loud to your family. What they see in their own imaginations will be far superior to anything Hollywood’s CGI machine can churn out. Vastly disappointing.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Jennie C., age 36
Negative—I am sure that this is an excellent movie in every sense of the word just like it’s predecessor was—in my opinion—one of the best films ever made. Why do I feel compelled to give it a negative rating then? Simply because in Australia it is rated M (which means you have to be preferably but not exclusively 15 years or older to view it). This has meant that we have decided that our three children all under the age of 10 will have to miss out seeing it on the “big screen” where the visuals and sounds are so much greater than on our TV at home. This might seem harsh to some parents and maybe even “legalistic” to others, but what I appreciate about this particular Web site is it’s emphasis upon being discerning—a much neglected spiritual discipline!

I believe the Lord has used this Web site to help me personally avoid unwise choices on a number of different occasions. So, when we tell out children though that the governing authorities that have been ordained by God to protect us (see Romans 13:1-7) and they have advised viewers not to let little children view this film then we have to be consistent…

If anyone from Walden Media is reading this then please keep in mind the families for any future installments. You are providing a much needed corrective against all of the anti-Christian and non-family friendly movies out there. We thank God for this and pray that it will continue. However, please don’t neglect the core market I have read you set yourself up to cater for.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Mark, age 37
Comments from young people
Positive—I am a HUGE Narnia fan, I own all of the books and have read all of them at least twice; I saw the first movie in theaters and have watched it about a million times since I bought it. I happened to see this one in theaters twice, and I have to say that I LOVED it! Although it wasn’t really anything like the book, I still thought it was awesome. Though the violence isn’t any more explicit than the first one, the bodycount is huge; so I probably wouldn’t recommend it for younger kids. Plus, the part where the evil dwarf and his friends try to resurrect the White Witch is a tad creepy, but it wasn’t near as bad as I thought it would be. Needless to say, I plan to buy this movie when it comes out on DVD; and I can’t wait until Dawn Treader!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Katie, age 16
Positive—I think the Prince Caspian was just as excellent as The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. I love how these movies capture Christianity, although most nonbelievers may not pick up on it, I did. One thing I love about “The Chronicles of Narnia” series is that the whole family can enjoy an action packed movie without blood, inappropriate language, and fighting and killing for the sake of fighting and killing. I also think that the ride home from the movie is a great time to talk about god and the bible connects with this movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Samantha, age 13
Neutral—As a big fan of the books, I was somewhat reluctant to see this movie. I really liked the first one, but judging from the previews, this one seemed so much darker! Well, it is darker. It’s a more serious Narnia, a more “grown-up” one. From the very first scene (a woman shouting in pain as she gives birth) I knew that I wouldn’t like this movie as much as the first one. Fans of the book will be disappointed to hear that they take out a lot of things. There is no archery contest between Susan and Trumpkin, for example. My overall opinion is this:

It is not a bad movie. Really, in comparison to many other recent movies, this is wonderful. It’s a good-versus-evil story where the good triumphs. There are many good themes in it—respect for life, duty, honor, and faith.

But it is certainly one of the most intense PG movies I’ve ever seen! There are long, drawn-out battle sequences. Not much blood is shown, but it is implied that hundreds are killed.

One of the most objectionable scenes, in my opinion, is one in which a hag and a werewolf try to summon the White Witch, who has been dead for hundreds and hundreds of years. The werewolf, first, says to Caspian that he will kill his enemies for him. Then the hag draws a circle in the dirt, muttering incantations, and suddenly a pillar of ice shoots up with the white witch inside. She is never fully summoned, but the scene seemed just a little over-the-top to me.

I think this movie might be a bit much for anyone under the age of 10 or so, unless they’ve read and understood the book. I think the special effects were wonderful, and the casting was okay. (my main annoyance is that Prince Caspian was supposed to be about Peter’s age, but I understand, I suppose, why they wanted to make him older.)

I don’t like how they decided they had to have Susan and Caspian flirt, and even kiss at the end. But, what can you expect from Hollywood? Okay, final opinion: You could do very much worse than go and see this movie, but leave very young or sensitive children at home.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
K, age 14
Positive—It was the best movie I have ever seen!!!…
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Maisy, age 11
Positive—I went to see this movie with the youth group at my church, the day after it came out. I must say that the graphics, acting, and camera work was amazing!! It had a great storyline. As soon as it comes out I will buy it immediately! It was 10 times better than the first one. I must say that Reepicheep (the little mouse,) was bad to the bone, and my favorite character!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Braden, age 14
Positive—This was the best movie I think I have ever seen! My two friends, Ashley and Abby, and I went to the first opening dressed as Characters from the films/books! This movie was so good I was filled with anxiety that I wasn’t a part of it. It gets awfully sad in some parts and there are some added scenes that were not in the book. Everything leads to Aslan, the figure portraying God, and the Pevensie children/High kings and queens show brilliant examples of how God can work through many. I loved this film!! The director and producer did a brilliant job! Not to mention the acting. It was outstanding! And no one is displeasing on the eyes. ;) Peter and Caspian… very great and valiant. I recommend this to everyone! FOR NARNIA!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Maryann, age 13
Positive—I went to see this movie with my parents, my younger brother, and my boyfriend. Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I was not expecting to enjoy the movie because it involved many battle scenes, but I was pleasantly surprised. The plot line was excellent, the actors were very good, and the film-making was amazing! I believe that the movie had several very good lessons in it:

-Prince Caspian chooses not to kill his uncle when he has the chance because he wants to make the better choic
-Susan is willing to sacrifice herself so the Lucy will get through to Aslan in tim
-Lucy has faith in Aslan throughout the movie just as we should have faith in our Lor
I would not take young children under 7 or 8 to see this movie. The battle scenes and frequent death would probably scare them. There was only two things that stuck out in my mind as offensive. The uncle in the movies is intent on murdering his nephew. There is little loyalty or love within that family. There is a good deal of lying and cheating on the enemy side during the one-on-one battle scene.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Katharine, age 14
Positive—I liked this movie. I am Narnia fan I have read the books. Now I do care if they stick to the book which in the first movie they did a great job of doing. this one not so much… but it was still a good movie. I was sad though that Aslan was not so much in the movie. He is involved way more in the book. It does have a lot more battle scenes then the first and some others that might not be to great for younger kids. There is humor in it I heard kids laughing more then a few times in the theater. But my main thought was this movie is most likely for more older children. But, all in all, I enjoyed it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Sarah Jacobson, age 16

Positive—I really liked this movie. It was very Christ-like and was “Good verses Evil.” Although, it was not as Christian as the first one. It is more focused on faith to man. There is definitely more action and violence (fight scenes; battles.) But it is very clean. There is no blood besides a few scratches on people but none coming out when fighting. I do recommend that you not take your younger kids to this movie because of the action. A little girl next to me was in her mother’s arms the whole time and her mother had her hand over her child’s eyes for a long period of time. My whole family came out with smiles on our face. You should absolutely see this movie, and I’m pretty positive that you won’t be disappointed!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Nicole, age 11
Positive—I am a little disappointed that a lot of stuff in the book was left out, but I guess they needed to make some changes when turning it into a movie. I was also desperately searching for the part when Aslan tells Lucy that she should have gone on without the others when they didn’t believe her. It was in there, but a little down-played—I mean, it could be overlooked. As Christians, we need to follow Christ—even when no one else is doing it.

It wasn’t so much the violence, but the intensity of it! Younger kids WILL be scared! The death is portrayed often in this movie, and humans actually die in this one—lots of them.

The part where the White Witch is actually brought back didn’t happen in the book, but I do like how Edmund ended up resisting her, and also stopped her from being freed, which was awesome as he had fallen into her trap the first time. -A sinner redeemed by Christ, now able to overcome that sin!

The only scene I HATED was near the end, when *spoiler* Caspian and Susan kiss. They weren’t attracted to each other in the book, and it seemed a little like they threw the part in there at the last minute to add some teen romance (we all know that Disney just LOVES that).
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Kendra, age 15
Negative—I am a very big Narnia fan, I LOVE the books, and was VERY disappointed with this movie. It wasn’t close to the book at all. At ALL.

First of all, it would be a little scary for kids under the age of 8, maybe younger. The words “Shut Up” are said at least three times which is NOT in the book… There is one scene in the middle of the movie with two VERY scary creatures for kids under 10, the hag and the werewolf. It goes on for only about 2 minutes, so it’s not that long, but during the battle scenes there is a fair amount of people getting stabbed in the backs, heads getting chopped off, and other stuff. I really don’t recommend this movie for kids under 8.

Unlike the first movie, there really is no Jesus/Aslan similarity in this one, except the fact that the Pevensie children have to trust without seeing, like blind faith. That’s all I have to say. Just don’t spend your money on this, wait until it’s in the library. Read the book instead.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Stellar G., age 12
Positive—I LOVED it! It was one of the best movies I have ever seen!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Maisy, age 11
Positive—I think this movie portrays the book very well. All the symbolism from C.S. Lewis’s masterpiece is accounted for. Narnia is an excellent allegory of the Christian life if you are willing to look into it. The entertainment portion was also fantastic. It went straight into the action and the visual effects were phenomenal. I waited three years for it to come out and it did not disappoint! The acting was great. The characters were original and unforgettable. And that soundtrack! It fits in so well with the emotions of each scene and affects the way the audience feels. Now that makes a good movie! The only bad thing about it, in my opinion, is the violence. It may not be fit for younger viewers. It is definitely “darker” than the last Narnia because it faces a more human evil rather than a magical, mythical one. I would advise you read the book, too, because it will give you more insight into the characters and their situations. I could see how that could be a problem if you were not familiar with the plot of the series. But that will not stop me from seeing it as many times as my mother’s money will allow me!!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Ashley Blankenship, age 13
Positive—I watched this movie this afternoon, and I was on the edge of my seat!!!… It was Incredible!!!… Much better than I expected, it did have some added parts and some parts I really wanted to see in the movie weren’t in there, but it was Incredible all the same. This movie sheds light on many Christian subjects, waiting for Jesus to come back, having faith in what we do not see. This film is not just an enjoyment, it’s a Christian message in disguise. Everyone should see this movie!!! Again, it was INCREDIBLE!!!…
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Claire De Mocskonyi, age 15 1/2
Positive—I absolutely loved this movie, it was the best I have seen in a very long time. Though I love Lewis’ books, I have to say that the changes made by the filmmakers added to the human element, which, wonderful as they are, I thought the books lacked. Peter’s pride and “go-it-alone” attitude were shown to be destructive and harmful. I also didn’t think Susan and Caspian’s romance was over-the-top, but remained sweet and simple, even enjoyable. The acting was excellent, the writing fluid, the action superb. This movie took all the elements I love in movies and blended them all together.

On the moral level, I found nothing wrong. There was one scene that would probably be frightening for young children (cover your little one’s eyes after Caspian follows Nikabrik into the keep and draws his sword). And the violence, though heavy and intense, was filmed in such a way that it was often difficult to see what happened. The times it was apparent what was going on, it was entirely bloodless. Self-sacrifice, humility (or 'huge'-mility, according to one character), mercy, and faith are all promoted beautifully and subtly, with gentle demonstration rather than a big hammer. I will most definitely be going to see this again, and I recommend it without reservation for anyone over ten (and under, with adult supervision).
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Brynn, age 15
Positive—Overall, I think both the acting and directing was good… to some degree. I think that those who have never read the book will be a little confused about what takes place, because the beginning is so rushed. In the book, there is much more detail explaining why the telmarines came to narnia, how they came to be there, and more telling of the old days to Prince Caspian by his professor. They also completely skip the nurse’s presence which I think C.S. Lewis would have been disappointed about. I think the first scene should have been lengthened and had more of an explanation as the book does. In the movie, you feel as though you are being rushed into Prince Caspian’s life whether you want to be or not. Also, the first couple scenes where the four children first enter Narnia and find Cair Paravel feels like they are only there for a couple hours and then quickly hasten on to rescuing Trumpkin the dwarf. The book feels nothing like that. In the book, they are there for several days before they actually figure out what the ruins are and rescue Trumpkin.

I suppose the makers of the movie wanted to get on to meeting Prince Caspian, but again, I think it’s all too rushed. The whole journey the children take with Trumpkin to find Caspian seems a bit too rushed as well. The journey seems to only take them a day or two. Aslan is never really seen until the very end which disappointed me as well. I think if they had taken more time to establish the story, and less time on the battle scenes, the movie would have been much better. I think they left out things they should have put in and changed the story around a little too much, but they also added things to the movie that made it seem more believable. I like how Peter says before the first battle when he decides not to wait for Aslan, “For Narnia!” and the as they’re charging towards the telmarines in the last battle he says, 'For Aslan!'

There were many allusions to faith and who to put it in. Peter especially had to learn not to trust in himself, but in Aslan. Although Peter came across as rather selfish and prideful in the movie, (especially when he was fighting with Caspian… which wasn’t in the book) in the end everything turns out fine. Although, I was disappointed that Aslan never rebuked Peter or the others, besides Lucy. I also like how Aslan tells Lucy that every time she grows, he seems to grow. Just as when we grow in our faith, God seems bigger and bigger and so beyond our comprehension.

There are many other Christian allusions in the movie like that, although I don’t have time to write them all down. Lucy is the constant believer throughout the movie, portraying how important faith is in our lives. Overall, the movie was okay, but seemed a bit incohesive. They didn’t really spend enough time developing the story and too much time on the special affects and battles. The characters weren’t as developed or believable as I would have liked, but I think the special effects and battles were awesome. Especially the scene where Peter fights Miraz. I would encourage anyone to go see the movie… that is, after you’ve read the book. Otherwise, you may be confused by the story and get nothing more out of the movie than swords and cool effects.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Rachel Phillips, age 15
Positive—The Chronicles of Narnia—Prince Caspian is a very well made film. The acting is much better than in the Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe. There is not as much rudeness between the children, although there are a few uses of “shut-up” by the children, and Reepicheep, the chief mouse. The special effects were amazing. The Gryphons were flawless. Susan is slightly immodest in one or two parts as are some Centaurs (both Male and Female). *Mild Spoilers* One part that was very Hollywood was the end when Susan runs into Caspian’s arms and they kiss and hug briefly *End Spoilers*. Also, when Susan fights she fights just like Legolas, just not nearly as cool. The violence is very intense, and, in my opinion, the film should be rated PG-13. The part when they are trying to bring back the White Witch was the most disappointing part of Caspian. They made it way to intense and dark. Take caution bringing children below the age of 9-10 because of the violence and the White Witch scene. It’s not as accurate to the book as the first film was, but most of the changes they made were necessary. I was not disappointed in Prince Caspian although it didn’t seem as much like Narnia as the first one.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Anthony, age 13
Positive—Prince Caspian is a great movie! Very enjoyable! It’s a little violent for it’s rating and I would not recommend it for smaller children. The movie is very exciting and well made. There are some really cool stunts and strategies they use in the battles. I can’t remember any language at all. The sequence with the hag and were-wolf is especially frightening for smaller children. Some families in the theater brought smaller children and they were crying throughout that sequence and some of the battle sequences. I wouldn’t underestimate it’s PG rating. Overall, I loved this movie! It is one I will be seeing over and over again!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Ben, age 15
Positive—Hats of for Andrew Adamson again! He has made another truly spectacular film! My FAVOURITE movie ever!!! CGI animation believable again! I loved it. It keeps pretty true to the book, and a couple jokes are added. If you have not read the books, you could be a little confused but I still highly recommend it for any over the age of about 7 or 8. There is a few scenes that could be suspenseful for very sensitive children and I would not recommend it for those type. The quality is excellent, the music is excellent, the acting is excellent, the sets and costumes are excellent, in fact there is not much that is not excellent. I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but I can tell you it’s a 5 star movie. SPOILER: the “romance” between Caspian and Susan is a bit cheesy. In the end, the kiss, in case that is offensive. It’s not the “long endurance” type, and its rather appropriate, however. ***SPOILER HAS ENDED***

Overall, this is my favorite film of the year, and maybe of my whole life. Go see it today!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Corryn, age 14
Positive—I saw this movie this afternoon and was overall pleased with it: morally and filmmaking quality. One of the things that disturbed me a little bit was the amount of times that many of the main characters said “shutup” to one another. Even though at times it was said lightly or even jokingly, is this something that we need to be saying to one another? That you want their mouths to be closed because you don’t like what they’re saying? Wouldn’t it be better just to ask them to be quiet? The rest of the movie was clean though, and I will definitely get it when it comes out on DVD. I didn’t exactly like how they changed it from the book so much, but the way they combined the past and the present as C.S. Lewis wrote it was well done. I would definitely recommend seeing it to everyone.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Sam, age 15
Positive—Once again, the Chronicles of Narnia series was wonderful. Stunning visual affects and animated animals. Good messages, and no swearing that I remember. A refreshing movie for today’s releases.

However, the reason I wanted to write this was to warn people about the VIOLENCE. I went to this with my little brother, and he actually got scared. There are several pretty dark scenes, and very intense battles. I had a problem with the 4 main characters having no problem killing people, whether it was the “bad guys” or not. Even little Lucy seemed to be okay with killing people. Peter and Edmund had no problem killing throughout the whole movie. I thought the violence was VERY intense for a PG movie. It should have been PG-13. Just be careful about taking your kids to this movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Emily, age 16
Positive—This movie was much darker than it’s original film, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” as most sequels are. Unlike it’s first film, this movie did not talk much about spiritual situations. Only one part directly states about Jesus and His Second coming. Aslan, the Lion, and supposedly Jesus, as in the first film, says 'I will not be coming the same way My second time', or something close to that. Meaning, when Jesus came as a Baby to this world, He will not return to here again as one. There was one kissing scene that was inappropriate for this PG Christian film, Christians should save their kiss for their spouse, not someone else before marriage; even if this is acting. Brutal scenes compared to the first one. One scene has a main character about to be-head his rival. I would not want to see this film in the theaters again. Please, rent the first one. :) Even though I put a positive remark on this film, does not mean that I agree with some of the battles, which one is very sad for animal lovers.='(
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Danielle, age 14
Positive—WONDERFUL. Simply breath taking. It was such a glorious film that my friend and I saw it 3 times in theatres already! Though they left out the very Biblical parts in the film, it was so good and powerful. The scene where the Narnians know they don’t have a chance once the gate closes and the give High King Peter a nod stating “Go on. Aslan’s in control” is so powerful. My friend and I were sobbing when we saw them lying dead in the Telemarin court. BUT, it is a very action packed film, I have met many parents who aren’t sure if it’s appropriate for younger kids, and let me assure you, it is. There is hardly any gore, no swearing… no inappropriate references… its great. Totally family oriented. My little brothers (ages 10, 8 and 6) loved it! I recommend you go see it on the “Big Screen” before it comes out on DVD. It’s worth every penny.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Emily, age 13
Positive—“Prince Caspian” was a fulfilling “sequel” to “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Although there was much less allegory in the former to Christianity than the latter, it was refreshing to see the characters’ developing and gradually realizing they could do nothing without Aslan. Christian struggles were well represented: “I can do this” v. “I can’t do anything without Christ.” The clash between Peter and Prince Caspian were well represented, and the respect and honor Prince Caspian showed to his professor was great. There was more violence, and some of it was unnecessary, but nothing over the top.

The scene when the White Witch appears by way of chanting is kind of creepy, and it bothered me. However, this was a good demonstration of how when you turn away from Christ, Satan is there and ready to lead you farther and farther away from Christ. And even if Christians try to help each other, only the one who is armed with God’s armor will succeed. (Although Peter tried to help Caspian, he ended up being drawn to the White Witch. Edmund ended up helping.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I’ve seen it twice in the theaters, and I experienced the same thrills and laughs the second time as the first time. And… Reepicheep is by far my favorite character.

My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
S Bird, age 14
Positive—OK, first let me say I enjoyed this movie very very much. I went to see it with my youth group the first weekend it came out. I was really impressed with the filmmaking quality. I think that some of the scenes didn’t need to be there, though. When they introduce Peter, he is fighting with another kid just 'cause he “pushed him.” Did he learn anything in Narnia or not?! And there is another scene where there is a really creepy werewolf and an evil hag who does a magic spell and brings the White Witch back to life (all they need is Caspian’s blood to get her out of her ice prison). She promises Caspian she will help him win the war against the Telmarines, but Edmund and Peter break it up (literally) before things get (even more) ugly. Also the raid on Miraz’s castle doesn’t even happen in the book! But it’s dramatic all the same.

However, I didn’t think Susan would be in such a bloody battle! Whatever happened to the LTWTW book’s line that goes something like this: “Battles are uglier when women fight?” All the same, the scene was well done, and it had me on the edge of my seat (and gripping the armrests!) WOW. Now for the good things. I like how Lucy, who is the youngest and most attentive, hears Aslan as a still, small voice(sound familiar? Hopefully!) that is calling her. In the book, she succeeds in getting the others to follow her following Aslan, as she is the only one who can see him. But, in the movie, the others go their own way “We’ve waited for Aslan long enough,” says Peter, which just goes to show you that when they thought He’d really forgotten them this time and they were meant to do things on their own now, He was always working “behind the scenes.”

I want to say the kiss between Susan and Caspian was a short, closed-mouth kiss, not your average “Ella Enchanted” kiss Hollywood loves so much. I also want to say this movie was waaay funnier than the LTWTW. The whole audience laughed at Reepicheep the “MOUSE” =) I highly recommend this movie, but only for for children and teens over 10 or 12, depending on the sensitivity of your kid. And, may I say, Prince Caspian RULES!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Jade, age 13
Positive—Although not as much of a Christian allegory as the first, Prince Caspian is very good, and from a Christian point of view a pretty moral film. The scene in which they tried to bring back the White Witch was not in the book, in which they only were ABOUT TO, but it stilled showed what terrible things can happen when people mess with the Occult. The violence was pretty toned down for the children, but not so much that it makes the movie feel overly fictional. My parents didn’t like it, and they said that it didn’t really interest them much, and my uncle, who normally LOVES these kinds of movies, said that he had a lot of trouble staying awake through the movie, and that it didn’t get good until about the second hour in. My aunt and two cousins, however, loved it. I’m sure most Christians will also love it, depending on whether or not you mind having a lot of talking in the movie for the first 40 minutes or so.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Jake Wolfe, age 13
Negative—Personally, anyone from any religion could think the movie was based on anything but Christianity. C.S Lewis based the book on Christianity and this was certainly was not displayed in the movie. I must admit the acting and sets were amazing and extremely detailed, but some characters are displayed as arrogant and proud. As an example Peter was portrayed as very arrogant, but in the books he was portrayed as kind and wise. One scene included sorcery—bringing back the White Witch, this was only talked of in the book but certainly didn’t go as far as bring back the dead. If you love C.S Lewis’ books and don’t want to be disappointed, do not see this movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 3
Maddie, age 13
Positive—I really enjoyed this movie,it had good values, awesome battles, and much more.The thing that really caught me is that this film was rated PG.I have to say this is the most violent PG movie I have seen.I saw many PG movies, and many PG-13 movies. And I think this one should have been PG-13.Some people may not agree with me compared to all of the other movies out there. Other than that, this movie was really awesome.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Kevin, age 13
Positive—Prince Caspian was amazing! Though it was a little darker and more violent than the last film, there was also more humor, and more character development. The overall film was, in many ways, bigger than the last. Andrew Adamson has improved a bit in his moviemaking, aside from moral views…

In biblical terms, I can firmly say that I found this film much more encouraging and inspiring than the last. LWW was a beautiful portrayal of the Gospel message, though downplayed a bit, but it was not really an issue to me as a Christian. Prince Caspian, on the other hand, had more lessons about the Christian walk, rather than the initial salvation. I think, oftentimes, this is the bigger struggle, especially among the peers I know.

Pride and Ego were a good point made in the movie. I was saddened by Peter’s fall from the last movie, but it really reminded me of my own pride and refusal to let others lead. Also, my dad once pointed out, long before Prince Caspian, that after growing up in Narnia, coming back and being kids again would be a huge letdown. So it was always a little thing to think about. I like how the movie brought out this discomfort—in Peter offended at being treated like a kid, in Edmund’s comment “As opposed to hundreds of years later, when you’re younger,” and in other such instances.

But what really grabbed me was the huge theme of the movie about faith. In a world where we are pressured to conform, it is an enormous encouragement to see such a message from a movie, especially since the moviemakers and actors themselves are not Christians, as far as I’ve heard. I was constantly picking up themes like Aslan asking Lucy why she was afraid to come alone. What a challenge! How dare I refuse to follow recklessly after Christ just because I’m afraid to stand out?

I found this movie the most beautiful, deeply moving films I’ve seen since '05, when the first came out, and perhaps more so. Definitely a must see!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Rebekah, age 16
Negative—I had a really hard time knowing what to rate this movie. I loved it, but it was NOT a PG movie!! It was just as intense as “The Lord of the Rings”! I had to cover my eyes multiple times, and many children in the theater with me cried. Although it is well done and a good story, this is a WAR MOVIE, not a children’s or family movie!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Anna Rose, age 17 (USA)
Positive—I think “…Prince Caspian…” was good because it followed the book good. A few of the scenes were not in the book. I think the battle sequence were outstanding, and it had lots of action. The violence was average. Besides that it was pretty clean. The acting could have been better. I think the acting wasn’t very good because when they found Cair Paravel, they didn’t seem excited. I thought this movie was very good, besides the acting.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Evan Cabral, age 9 (USA)
Neutral—I was rather upset with this movie, when I watched the first Narnia movie, I left with a kind of “alright!” feeling, but when I saw “Prince Caspian” with my friends I left with a “Whuh…?”. The movie itself was rather dark, not like “Dark Knight” dark, but the color scheme of the movie was red and black instead of the green and gold of the first one. “Prince Caspian” was also rather violent, much more than TLTWATW. Younger kids seem to really like it, but wouldn’t recommend it to anyone under 7 because of the battles. (A lot of my friends just like it because they think the actors are cute.)
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Brooke, age 14 (USA)
Positive—The is one of the best movies ever! I have been a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia for eleven years and have been reading the books for eight. I thought it was not suitable however for children under twelve. Things do go different from the book a lot compared to the LWW, but that what comes with a book becoming a movie. It’s a movie for the whole family.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Ian, age 16 (USA)
Neutral—“The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian” movie seems to have caused a little issue in the comments area of this site. So kindly allow me to elaborate. The movie’s worst problem was not listening to C.S. Lewis. The professor had once stated that he did NOT want his award winning series to be made into a film.

That aside, let’s go on with the review. Andrew Adamson has completely bashed the Prince Caspian book into pieces. Any fan of the book will be deeply outraged. Our sweet, eleven year old Caspian has turned into an adolescent hunk. And he seems to cast a LOT of sidelong looks at Susan. They even share a kiss at the end. Then there is a scene about a hag and a were-wolf reincarnating the White Witch. This was not included in the book.

Peter and Edmund step in almost immediately before the Witch makes her appearance. And the Hag’s spell was pagan. Aslan has been reduced to a semi-supporting character with about fifteen minutes screen time throughout.

The only good book to movie transition was the river god. That part was beautifully done. Blockbuster CGI fans and Ben Barnes-crazy teenage girls would enjoy this. Actual fans of The books won’t. I’m sure Prof. Lewis wouldn’t experience Joy with the capital J watching this garbage.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2
Dave, age 12 (India)