Prince Caspian...Finally...

Today, I’ll do a better-late-than-never review of the newest Chronicles of Narnia movie, “Prince Caspian.”

If you at least got a little enjoyment out of the first installment, you should love it the second time around. This time, our (mostly) lovable young heroes are back in Narnia, but not at first. We find them at home, and anxious for some sort of sign, a whisper, a call. And quickly enough, we find ourselves once again wandering through the most breathtaking oases of Narnia. But immediately things become foreign to the young kings and queens. Although just a short period of time has passed at home, many years have passed in Narnia. The places they knew so well are in ruins, and much of the great monuments have fallen; testaments to the time passed and the current turmoil of the land.

Prophecies are once again fulfilled as the four nobles make their presence known. The Narnia they once knew is no longer. Many of the blissful and peaceful elements of Narnia have been revoked, and Narnians find themselves in hiding within their own land. There is a new enemy with an aggressive arsenal and an astounding hatred for all other life.

The perception we come to love about Narnia is that it is completely unlike reality. The two elements that make Narnia flow and make people aspire for it are: life and harmony. Things are alive. Things are moving, flowing, real, speaking. We do not always understand what things are being communicated, but the actions speak much louder than words. The expressions of the trees and plants, for example, are a highlight to Narnia. These expressions, and these living things, are the great cause for the potential harmony in Narnia. When just kings and just queens rule Narnia, life and harmony are also present. The same is to be said of the opposite. We see in “Prince Caspian” that when evil and greedy kings and queens reign, life is then quite literally ‘sucked’ from the land, and therefore harmony as well.

Our emotions soon get to us and we understand that without life and harmony, there can be no hope. But not all life is gone. While there is still life, there is still hope, and that gives harmony a chance.

Throughout the film, you can find many Christian parallels. If you have seen the film, but did not notice them, go see it again, and look only for parallels. If you are still having trouble, I’m sorry.

There is a great moral in the film that I wish to point out. Fortunately, I can explain it in general terms so that you can identify them when you see it and I’m not giving you spoilers.

The young ones, more especially Peter (being the High King), must make crucial decisions during the story that will essentially determine the fate of his Narnian followers. As you watch this story progress, you will see the consequences based on their faith. At times they have more faith and hope than others, and it becomes obvious as they seek for support. There are many different sources they can go to for ‘help,’ and they do in fact ‘try out’ these sources. A great lesson here is that you should never have to sacrifice good for good. In other words, you cannot achieve good through the methods of evil. It’s a principle of life. If you try to accomplish what seems to be a ‘greater good’ by incorporating an aspect of what you know to be wrong, the results will be devastating. This is obviously not the only film that teaches this principle. But to me, it's more about the way it's taught rather than what exactly is being taught. It is a clear and precise message.

I will own this film when it comes out on DVD. It is an all-time favorite of mine. It is the best movie I have seen in a very long time. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.