‘Prince Caspian’ | 3 stars

< Previous page

Among new faces are Peter Dinklage as the dwarf Trumpkin, a surly unbeliever who slowly warms to his new human friends while retaining his ironic sense of humor. Dinklage’s may be the single best performance in the film.

Barnes’ Caspian doesn’t really have to do a whole lot more than look good, but he does that so well one can safely predict that his face soon will be peering down from the bedroom walls of millions of preteen girls.

(For some reason Caspian is fair-skinned and sunny-haired, while his fellow Telmarines, the villains, have the dark locks and complexions of Renaissance Italians. What can you say? Lewis was a jingoistic citizen of an imperialist state.)

The cast of fanciful creations is led by Reepicheep, a swashbuckling computer-generated mouse (voiced by Eddie Izzard) whose braggadocio is way out of proportion to his tiny form. (Look for him to have a bigger role in the next “Narnia” installment, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”)

The Christian subtext that Lewis brought to his yarn is present here as well. While her older sister and brothers believe that Aslan (the series’ Christ figure) will never return and that they’ll have to martial through on their own, the childlike Lucy keeps catching glimpses of the great lion. Her innocent faith ensures his return in the last reel. (Once again Liam Neeson provides the voice.)

On a more worldly note, a rivalry develops between Peter and Caspian, both alpha males determined to be in charge, and there’s a suggestion of a love story between Caspian and the blossoming Susan.

None of this is earthshaking, but “Prince Caspian” is a largely satisfying experience — not too serious and not too silly with just the right “wow” factor.

< Previous page