REVIEW: “We’ve anxiously awaited your return my liege.” And return they did! Just as the Kings and Queens of Narnia matured, so did the sequel. We witness the progression of boys to men, girls to women, child’s play to epic battle. “You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember… “ The savagery causes the royal family to grow up even more, real quick. No room for fun and games, it’s strictly business this time. The kingdom is still magical, but it has gotten dark and bleak compared to how it was. It is still an adventure, but a lot more violent, realistic, and mature. There is always a conflict when dealing with corrupt sons of Adam, which happen to be ruling over the kingdom. The treachery and tyranny is what causes the Kings and Queens to be summoned back to Narnia.
This movie was exciting and inspiring. It is more down to earth than the first one and all around better too. I really don’t think I’ve ever been at a movie with as much cheering and clapping as this one. I think this one took the top spot in that category. Granted, about 25% of the audience were children. Regardless, the whole audience was really into it and enjoying every minute even though it is over 2 hours long. It didn’t even seem that long. I don’t recall ever being bored. There was plenty of action and a very good storyline to keep you tuned in. On the other hand, however, the progress of the story was abrupt at times.
It was nice to see the original 4 reprising their roles. It was similar to how you see the Harry Potter crew grow up before your eyes throughout the years in their movies. They are all a lot less innocent and a lot more regal. Their performances were good enough considering they don’t get much of a chance to really act because there is too much going on. One actor that did stand out was Peter Dinklage as Trumpkin. That guy can act. His facial expressions along with his voice strengthen his performance. I also need to mention that at least this time Lucy (Georgie Henley) was not constantly crying. As you can imagine, the cinematography was breathtaking. From the streets and subway of England to the forest, hills, mountains, castles, and sky blue waters of Narnia, the look of this film truly elevates its quality. Even the majesty of the Kings and Queens as well as Caspian (Ben Barnes) adds to the effect of the picture. The special effects, such as the talking animals, were very well done and realistic so they didn’t distract too much. Writer/Director/Producer Andrew Adamson outdid himself with this one. If his work on the first Narnia was good, and this one was better, I can hardly wait to see what’s in store for us on the next episode which he is signed on to do. This series could really catch on and be almost as big as Lord of the Rings or, dare I say, Harry Potter . . . I dare, I dare.
Movie Review By Cine Marcos
DVD: Walt Disney Home Entertainment included close to 2 hours of special features in this 3 Disc Special Edition. Features like “Inside Narnia: The Adventure Returns”, “Sets of Narnia: A Classic Comes to Life” and “Big Movie Comes to a Small Town”, take viewers beyond the making of the film. This edition also includes a couple of features about Peter Dinklage who plays Trumpkin in the film and another one about Warwick Davis who plays Nikabrik. A short but interesting featurette was a “Secrets of the Duel”, which takes viewers behind the making of that scene. Viewers will be abel to find about 10 deleted scenes with commentary by director Andrew Adamson. It also includes the digital copy. Complete list of features are listed below.
Release Date: December 2, 2008
