When I started to see the ads for this film, it confused and concerned me that Jadis, the White Witch, was making an appearance. I remember thinking, "Oh, my goodness, they're going to mess with the book, aren't they?" Having now seen Prince Caspian, I can say that yes, they did certainly change the book, but some of the changes really do work in this adaptation.
Prince Caspian was written as the second book in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. (It's the third book if you're using the chronological order of the stories.) It is the story of Caspian, prince of the Telmarines, who must escape from, and later defeat, his evil uncle Miraz to gain his rightful throne over both Telmar and Narnia. He is helped by the Pevensie children, who have once again been brought from our world into the world of Narnia to help set everything right; a group of exiled Narnians whom the Telmarines have, in the past, attempted to exterminate; and Aslan, the Lion who ultimately rules the Narnian lands, though his presence is not always known.
As a film adaptation, Caspian is not nearly as faithful to the original book as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was. Several liberties are taken with the order of the story, as well as expanding the battle sequences, adding a minor romantic subplot, and the previously-mentioned appearance of Jadis. Some of these changes work better than others. I honestly wish there had not been an attempt to inject romance into this story; it is not at all in the spirit of Lewis' writings, especially in the Narnia stories, to attempt puppy love. Other changes, such as the appearance of Jadis, are much more effective and really add to the story as the film tells it. The battle scenes are truly stunning, even more so than those in the previous film.
Despite the license taken with the story, Prince Caspian is a very good film; I would almost say that it is a better film than Wardrobe. If you are a fan of the book series, as I am, it is best to think of this as a separate entity from the book; that is probably how it would be best enjoyed.
Prince Caspian was written as the second book in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. (It's the third book if you're using the chronological order of the stories.) It is the story of Caspian, prince of the Telmarines, who must escape from, and later defeat, his evil uncle Miraz to gain his rightful throne over both Telmar and Narnia. He is helped by the Pevensie children, who have once again been brought from our world into the world of Narnia to help set everything right; a group of exiled Narnians whom the Telmarines have, in the past, attempted to exterminate; and Aslan, the Lion who ultimately rules the Narnian lands, though his presence is not always known.
As a film adaptation, Caspian is not nearly as faithful to the original book as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was. Several liberties are taken with the order of the story, as well as expanding the battle sequences, adding a minor romantic subplot, and the previously-mentioned appearance of Jadis. Some of these changes work better than others. I honestly wish there had not been an attempt to inject romance into this story; it is not at all in the spirit of Lewis' writings, especially in the Narnia stories, to attempt puppy love. Other changes, such as the appearance of Jadis, are much more effective and really add to the story as the film tells it. The battle scenes are truly stunning, even more so than those in the previous film.
Despite the license taken with the story, Prince Caspian is a very good film; I would almost say that it is a better film than Wardrobe. If you are a fan of the book series, as I am, it is best to think of this as a separate entity from the book; that is probably how it would be best enjoyed.