Book released: 1951
Book written by: C S Lewis
Film Released: 2008
Actors/ Characters: Ben Barnes/ Prince Caspian, Georgie Henley/ Lucy Pevensie, Skandar Keynes/ Edmund Pevensie, William Moseley / Peter Pevensie, Anna Popplewell/ Susan Pevensie, Sergio Castellitto / Miraz, Peter Dinklage/ Trumpkin, Warwick Davis/ Nikabrik, Vincent Grass/ Doctor Cornelius, Eddie Izzard/ Reepicheep, Liam Neeson/ Aslan
Summary: The Pevensie siblings are back to help a prince denied his rightful throne as he gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honour between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world.
Book to Film Review
Before I start this review I am just going to put an extremely controversial point out there- I thought the film was better than the book. I will say I had issues with the film adaptation however as a whole I felt the film was much more exciting and gripping than the book was which is ultimately why I preferred it.
The first 100 pages or so of the book ( which makes up over half of it ) I found extremely dull and slow paced, the story lines were really detached and I felt the story didn't properly begin until the Pevensie children had met Caspian which in the book happened way over half way through. I did enjoy reading and watching the children travel back to Narnia and I thought the magic of the realm was captured perfectly on their arrival in the land once more. Seeing Cair Paravel 300 years in the future was quite haunting but I loved the visual links to the children's coronation in the film when they all stand where their thrones once were. I liked how the film progressed quicker than the book- probably because of allocated time to film, because it meant that the children didn't linger too long in the ruins of their old home but where on their way to meet Caspian in no time at all.
In both the book and the film I adore Prince Caspian, his character is so wholesome and he stands out to me as such a clear hero of Narnia. In the books he is supposed to be far younger and less confident than I felt he was in the film however I feel he needed to be older in the film in order for the Narnians to rally behind him in rebellion against his uncle so I didn't mind that change from the books.
Another character we are introduced to in Prince Caspian is Reepicheep. Throughout the entire Chronicles of Narnia my ultimate favourite character is Reepicheep. Loyalty is a quality I really value in any fictional character and Reepicheep is the epitome of loyalty. He is also a brave warrior despite his size and is admirably not afraid of anything in order to protect others. He is simply a mouse of honour and I adore his character. I really love the moment when Aslan gives Reep a new tail.
I did prefer the film more than the book because I feel like Narnia is such a epic fantasy series that is just perfect for the big screen. Producing a film adaptation is perfect for this series as there are so many brilliant chapters such as the battle scenes that work so well in film. The second battle of Beruna was just as excellent as the first and I love how active the characters are in battle rather than sitting back and letting everyone else do the work. I read that Anna Popplewell requested that her character, Susan, be more involved in fighting in the second film and so she was made a more prominent fixture during the fighting scenes. This is different from the books as Susan does not like to be involved in the violent battles and sit out of them but I thought this change was a welcome one as for me it made Susan more likeable and heroic.
Another change for Susan in the films was her romance with Caspian- also another change that I didn't object to. I thought the develop of their relationship from the books was sweet, even if it was slightly irrelevant. Some may argue the romance was just a Hollywood ploy to draw in more money for the film however I personally had no objection to the affection between the two. Their budding romance added to the sorrow when Susan and Peter leave Narnia forever at the end of the film.
I loved Edmund's character development in this story. When Peter and Susan doubt that Lucy saw Aslan in the woods Edmund is the only one that stands up for his sister. This evidences how he is a changed boy and he is now a kind and compassionate character. Edmund is also one of my favourite characters of the series as he is a genuinely flawed person but he is strong enough to overcome the temptations presented to him throughout the series and become a better person because of it. In the film the moment when he strikes the ice that holds the White Witch was a huge victory for his character as she was his downfall and weakness and in breaking the ice he became a stronger person.
One of the biggest flaws in the film for me was the 'Siege scene'. This scene was totally irrelevant and quite obviously a device used by the producers to add more action and excitement to the film. This was one of the only changes from the book that I thought should've been left out.
I love the end of the book and the film. It is a really bittersweet ending as the heroes have won a victorious battle but are now forced to leave Narnia once more. And to make it worse Susan and Peter must leave for good because they have grown too old. The song used in the film ( The Call by Regina Spektor ) was perfect and added so much emotion to the ending for me.
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