Prince Caspian

Darker and edgier than its predecessor, 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' has some Tolkienesque qualities that root it firmly in the tradition of 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy.

It's been 12 months since Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skander Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henly) made their way out through the wardrobe from the world of Narnia to their home in Britain. But while they have only aged a year, 1300 years have passed in Narnia. During this time, an invading force of humans called Telmarines have taken over the world and all but wiped out the Narnians.

Hiding in the forest, the Narnians await the return of Aslan (Liam Neeson) — who in C.S. Lewis' Christian allegory represents Christ — while the Telmarines expand their kingdom under the leadership of the Caspian kings. Prince Caspian X (Ben Barnes), the next in line to the throne, is forced to flee the kingdom when his uncle Miraz (Sergo Castellitto) produces an heir and wants to grab the throne.

Forced into the mysterious forest, Caspian soon encounters the Narnains who he had believed to be nothing but fairytales. In a moment of desperation he blows on an ancient horn — given to him by his bookish professor — and inadvertently summons the kings and queens of old.

Kings and queens who just happen to be adolescents sitting at an underground train station in London. When the Pevensie children eventually meet up with Caspian and the Narnians, they set out to overthrow Miraz and his troops and bring freedom to Narnia.

While Castellitto makes a dastardly villain, he has nothing on Tilda Swinton's White Witch who dazzles in her brief cameo. However, there is more intrigue and complexity to these human villains who backstab each other as they vie for power.

The film is driven as much by the fight between good and evil as it is by the rivalry between Peter and Caspian as both try to prove that they are worthy leaders. The actors and actresses have grown and, as such, put in more nuanced performances.

The Beavers and Mr Tumnus (who have long since perished) have been replaced by the acerbic dwarf Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage) and a 'puss 'n boots' style mouse called Reepicheep (Eddie Izzard).

While the battles — set to Harry Gregson-Williams' soaring score — are more epic and frequent, they have still been toned down so that while there is plenty of action, there is little gore, making the film more PG-friendly.

Once you get past Barnes' dreadful accent and the parallels to the 'LOTR' (warrior trees and raging rivers) Andrew Adamson's second attempt at the Chronicles of Narnia is far more enjoyable than his first.