I Was in Narnia This Afternoon

C.S. Lewis's classic masterpiece, The Chronicles of Narnia, never ceases to amaze its reader young and old alike. In December 2005, we were invited to the wonderful land of Narnia with the Pevensie siblings through the first movie, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. In May 2008, the Pevensie siblings are back in the splendid adaptation of the second book, Prince Caspian.

The movie was simply magical; it treats your imagination to an exciting adventure in the land of Aslan. It was so charming, I might as well say that I was in Narnia this afternoon. To begin with, the book itself was praised, and now this movie deserves those praises too. The movie really brought us to experience the magic of Narnia and the struggle of its characters. Well done indeed!

I'd like to praise the writers who took the liberty to improvise. In effect, there are several differences in the movie compared to the book but that didn't hurt either one of them. Instead, it strengthened the story in the movie. We get to see more emotions in Peter and Caspian, including a slight rivalry between them. There are also more action to enjoy. In addition, I also like the idea of "liberating" Susan. In the book, she was kinda passive, which sometimes make people think of Lewis as a sexist. After much consideration, the writers gave Susan a more exciting role in the movie, she even got sent into the battlefield with her brothers. She was one heluva fighter.

The scenes are beautiful and strong at the same time. The Cair Paravel ruin, shot in New Zealand, is majestically gorgeous. I'd like to go south there some day. Miraz's stone castle, shot in Prague, was very suitable for the throne usurper. Aslan's How, also in Prague, was set in a prairie in the middle of the woods. It serves as a backdrop to the final battle scenes, which is totally awesomerrific.

My verdict: a MUST WATCH for everyone. You don't have to be a Narnia fan to appreciate the movie. Some may take pleasure from the story, some the scenery, some the action, but most will certainly enjoy all parts of their adventures in Narnia. The movie is a magical adaptation of a powerful masterpiece.