Prince Caspian: Review

In my few years of living, this is my first attempt to scribble a thematic review such as this. Perhaps it is good for you to know that I am writing a review on the movie and not the novel. So, there will not be any comparison between the two or mentioning of the novel at all. My review is based on the blockbuster version that we watch and listen rather than the book that we read and imagine.

Kings, Queens, and the Prince.

The movie is about the saga of Prince Caspian, the prince of the Telmarines, who wants to reclaim back his kingdom from his evil uncle who sought to kill him. In desperation, the prince summoned the ancient kings and queens of Narnia to his aid. These kings and queens are none other than the four Pevensie siblings Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy from the first movie.

The movie highlights an illuminating insight on our perception to stewardship through the portrayed conflicts and the diverse ambitions among the royalties. The prince deem himself as the rightful ruler who will restore the co-habitation between the Telmarines and the Narnians. His uncle, Mizar, wanted the Telmarines’ throne and the whole of Narnia. Peter, the eldest sibling of the Pevensie, sought to re-establish the freedom of the Narnians by reclaiming back his sovereignty in the land.

All of them desire to be sovereign over Narnia. All of them think they can rule the land better than the rest. All they could care about is their ambition and achievements. They are driven by what they think they can and want to accomplish. But have they ever stopped to ponder whether does Narnia belongs to them in the first place?

Narnia belongs to Aslan.

Our world belongs to Christ (Col 1:16). When we are driven into accomplishing and achieving for ourselves, we have put ourselves in the shadow of those Narnian kings, queens, and prince.

“Who exactly are you doing this for, Peter?” asked queen Susan. That prompted me to ask, “Who exactly are we doing our living for?” King Peter fought for Narnia until he realized that his kingship is to be a steward of Narnia for Aslan and not to own the land for himself.

Prince Caspian, Mizar, and king Peter did not get this perspective right. They thought that it is only through recognizing their own potential that order can be restored and brought to the land. But Narnia was not designed to work that way. So also is our world. Hence, if we do not to get this right, we failed. Stalin and Hitler did not get it right hence they fell and fail. It is only through recognizing our role as steward ruler that order can be restored.

Aslan’s Absence

Throughout the whole show, we are being given the impression that all the characters, besides Lucy, have forgotten about Aslan. Reason is that he has disappeared from the Narnians for a very long time. Many have thought that Aslan has abandoned them. And it is especially so during testing time such as the nearing war between the Narnians and the Telmarines.

Aslan’s absence signifies the solidarity that we experienced during tough times. These are the times when we are desperate for dependence and divine help. But usually it seems like we do not get the right attention and solution that we wanted. “What is happening?” we might ask. And very often, the reply is a plain cold silent. “Aslan is not here.”

Gradually, we will grow tired of asking. And more gradually, we stop asking altogether. And that is the time when we start to forget about Aslan. That was what happened to the Narnians. When the Telmarines ridding off of them, Aslan was not there.

Was it Aslan’s fault for not being there during testing times? Or could it be that none of the Narnians went to look for him during those times? The story and the attitudes of Caspian, Mizar, and Peter deem to suggest the latter.

It was Lucy who did not forget about Aslan. Eventually she found him, and that ensued the salvation of the Narnians. This tale has much to tell about our expectation of future glory, and our patient for present procrastination.

Within the silence of anticipation, we have to bear in mind Lucy’s incessant affection for Aslan. We do not anticipate for anything lesser than vindication over our own frailty and others’ hostility. Lucy rejuvenates our memory of the child-like innocence that all of us once had. The innocence that is able to empowers us to devote ourselves deeply to our King.

Prince Caspian: Overall Remarks

Though the movie is aesthetically well produced, it lacks the character of being an ‘epic’ as compared to the CG-loaded 300 or the first epic blockbuster of the twenty-first century, the Lord of the Ring trilogy. Each of the four Pevensie siblings and prince Caspian lacks depth and nuance in their character. There is only little character development. For instance, king Peter’s unsettling and wavering attitude was not being brought out well. I was not able to dwell into his character to understand why he reacted or acted in certain ways. In fact, I find that the musketeer mouse Reepicheep has a more forceful, developed, and recognizable character than Peter and Caspian.

Besides that this movie is excessively long. The final scene of the war between the Telmarines and the Narnians are not really breathtaking as compared to other epic movie such as the Kingdom of Heaven. One compliment deserved by this sequel is the CG of Aslan. He was being portrayed as more powerful and majestic than in the previous movie. Overall, despite the plainness of characters, it is still a beautiful and manageable family movie.

(This review was written for the Marketplace Christian Network newsletter)