6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
The characters of C.S. Lewis's timeless fantasy come to life once again in this newest installment of the "Chronicles of Narnia" series, in which the Pevensie siblings are magically transported back from England to the world of Narnia, where a thrilling, perilous new adventure awaits, battling alongside a new ally: Prince Caspian.
Starring: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley (I), Anna PopplewellAdventure | 100% |
Family | 83% |
Fantasy | 70% |
Epic | 32% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
BD-Live
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember.
Despite grossing nearly $142,000,000 during its early summer box-office run, The Chronicles
of
Narnia: Prince Caspian failed to recoup its budget via domestic earnings. Perhaps even more
amazing is that the film almost feels lost under the deluge of mega-hits that defined the 2008
summer movie going season. With films like Iron Man, The Dark Knight, Wall●E, and Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom
of
the Crystal Skull steamrolling the competition and lingering in theaters through most of
the summer months, Prince Caspian seems almost like an afterthought. While not quite
up to par with either the competition or its predecessor, Prince
Caspian is nevertheless a
quality film, one that bodes well for the continuation for the franchise, and proves that
Andrew Adamson, returning once again as director, is perhaps one of the most gifted talents
working in the film industry today.
The Pevensie children -- Edmund, Peter, Susan, and Lucy.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian travels onto Blu-ray with a reference-grade 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. The level of detail as seen throughout the movie is extraordinary, noticeable from the very beginning of the film. The intricacies of the birthing room and the castle interiors in general are amazing, as is the fine detail on clothing. While the few London scenes in chapter two look marvelous, with the interior of the train station in particular looking real, worn, and well-used, it is when the children arrive in Narnia that the image begins to truly take form. Previous Narnia scenes depicting the birth of Miraz's son were bathed in a blue, dark light, with barely a hint of color, the same scheme that will light the "castle raid" sequence later in the movie. Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy arrive on a Narnian beach that offers stunning depth. Once they ascend to the ruins of Cair Paravel atop the cliff, the greenery, the vistas overlooking the wondrous blue sea, the detail and intricacy of the stone ruins, and the visible and sharp depth of the sequence is breathtaking in its reproduction. Look at a scene on chapter eight as the children observe the construction of a bridge and hide behind a stack of logs. The scene looks great, but the tree trunks that serve as their cover exhibit exceptional visible detail. Other scenes, such as a nighttime campfire scene later in that same chapter, show such attention to detail that practically every blade of grass on the ground stands out as an individual and organic entity. Likewise, viewers can almost always make out the individual strands of hair atop character's heads, particularly Susan's and Lucy's long, dark, flowing hair. Like the previous Narnia film, this disc features excellent detail in the chain mail and armor worn by the film's combatants, particularly that of Peter and Miraz as seen during their duel in chapter 16. The disc's undeniable strength, however, is its fantastic color reproduction. Bright and bold but never too harsh or over-saturated, the colors are always pleasing, realistic, and accurate. Flesh tones appear to be spot-on as well. Grain is retained over the image, noticed particularly over the film's darker scenes. Black levels are nothing but rock-solid. Disney once again has a masterful, reference-quality transfer on their hands with Prince Caspian, and home theater owners looking for a bright, highly detailed, naturally-colored transfer to show off their 1080p displays need look no further for the perfect disc.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian makes its Blu-ray debut with a most impressive DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless surround sound presentation. With rarely a dull moment to be heard, Prince Caspian offers listeners a robust, satisfying experience that is never too forceful or reserved, finding a happy medium that creates a practically seamless listening environment. Every speaker is put to great use throughout the movie. Arrows whoosh through the soundstage; the film's majestic score, again courtesy of Harry Gregson-Williams, spreads out effortlessly across the front with fine rear-channel support; ambient and environmental effects lend a sense of realism to the track. Bass rattles throughout the movie; hooves beat over stone walkways and across fields in chapter one, and the accompanying percussion section of the score pounds through with perfect clarity. Much of the soundtrack features a nonstop barrage of activity across the entire soundstage. The speeding train in chapter two that signals the return to Narnia sounds, and feels, as if it were passing through the listening area with incredible power. There are several scenes in the movie that feature sound design and reproduction so real that listeners may find themselves taken aback that it is part of the soundtrack, not something happening in their own room, the cracking of a branch in the back speakers that snaps Lucy from a dream in chapter eight serving as one example. The sounds of combat are also impeccably rendered here; the clanking of metal-on-metal, for example, during the duel between Miraz and Peter, is superb. Each blow reverberates throughout the soundstage and rumbles the gut with each forceful impact. An attack by catapult signaling the beginning of a major confrontation between Telmarines and Narnians in chapter 17 is nothing short of an awesome experience as each impact reverberates with almost frightening, Earth-shaking power. Dialogue is also reproduced with reference-quality precision. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian offers nothing short of a first-rate soundtrack.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian arrives on Blu-ray with a plethora of bonus
materials, all of which are presented in high definition and spread across two discs. A
feature-length commentary track featuring director Andrew Adamson and actors Ben Barnes,
Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, and Anna Popplewell serves as the cornerstone
of this supplemental package. Like the cast track as heard on the Blu-ray release of the first
Narnia film, this track is light and lively, mixing serious insights and observations with
plenty of lighthearted bantering between the participants. Definitely one for the fans, the track
moves by rather quickly despite a few moments of dead air, not to mention the film's 150 minute
runtime. Circle-Vision Interactive: Creating the Castle Raid, presented in 1080p, begins
with a brief (2:01) introduction to the hard work that went into the creation of this crucial
sequence. Through this unique feature, users will be able to witness the production of this
sequence using Blu-ray's powerful interactivity and High Dynamic Range
Imaging, or HDRI, the same technology that the production team utilized to create this
sequence. Many of the options include behind-the-scenes footage and interview clips while users
navigate around the entire 360-degree set. Also included is a Disney Blu-ray promotional piece
(1080p, 0:55), an advertisement for Disney Movie Rewards (1080p, 0:20), and 1080p trailers for
Pinocchio (1:27) and
Earth (2:06). Finally, this disc is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) enabled, allowing users to
access "a community suite of online content that enhances your movie-viewing experience." The
BD-Live network page for this film was unavailable at time of writing.
Disc two of the set contains Behind the Magic, a series of in-depth features that recount
various processes in the making of the film. Inside Narnia: The Adventure Returns
(1080p,
34:45) is a solid, multi-layered feature that begins with director Andrew Adamson discussing his
search for a theme to tie the film together and his reasons for choosing to direct another film in
the
series. Also examined is the scope of the production, the hardships of the shoot, the film's
challenging shooting locations, the multi-national makeup of the cast, the strengths director
Andrew Adamson brought to the production, the integration of special effects into the film, and
more. The feature is intercut with plenty of cast and crew interviews, along with a wealth of
behind-the-scenes footage. Sets of Narnia: A Classic Comes to Life (1080p, 23:44)
presents viewers with a look at the challenges of creating the look for Narnia, and Prince
Caspian in particular. As C.S. Lewis's stories often left much to the imagination, it was up to
the
filmmakers to find just the right shooting locations, build the perfect sets, and fashion the right
props to bring this
imaginative world to life. Each new segment of the feature is introduced by a reading of the
appropriate passage in the novel which sets the stage nicely for appreciating the work that went
into creating all of the film's major set pieces.
Next is Big Movie Comes to a Small Town (1080p, 23:19). The piece begins with a series
of local residents describing the beautiful town they call home, enthusiastically recounting all of
its natural
beauties. Filming in the small Slovenian town of
Bovec, this feature offers a fascinating look at what happens when a major Hollywood production
arrives in a sleepy European town. The piece looks at the construction of a bridge, the creation of
a base camp, movie set versus mother nature, the town's history, and more. Previsualizing
Narnia (1080p, 10:09) looks at the film's extensive use of the technology that brings the
movie to life before the actual shoot, described as an "evolved" version of storyboards.
Talking Animals and Walking Trees: The Magical World of Narnia (1080p, 4:51) features
a look at the people and techniques that brought the film's creatures to life, and the role of
nature in the film. Ten deleted scenes (1080p, 11:15) with an introduction from director Andrew
Adamson, are next. The Bloopers of Narnia (1080p, 3:06) showcases the lighter side of
the production. Secrets of the Duel (1080p, 6:46) takes viewers behind-the-scenes of
the making of this pivotal sequence. Becoming Trumpkin (1080p, 4:48) is a short
feature that looks at the casting and contributions of actor Peter Dinklage. Finally, Warwick
Davis: The Man Behind Nikabrik (1080p, 11:08) features interview clips and a series of
behind-the-scenes footage of the actor's experiences on the set.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian makes for a fine sequel to one of the best films of the past decade. Continuing in the traditions of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian sees the return of the primary cast and crew, making for a seamless transition between films. While this film lacks many of the spiritual undertones of the first film (though Caspian does feature a look at the importance of faith), it is certainly bigger and bolder, more glamorous and action-packed. Anyone looking for a fairly straight retelling of the Lewis novel may be somewhat disappointed. Still, Prince Caspian delivers a strong sequel to an amazing film, following up the story well and continuing the budding legacy of the Narnia novels brought to life. Director Andrew Adamson is perhaps the series' greatest asset. His vision is extraordinary; his directorial style, particularly in these grandiose Narnia movies, is nothing short of awe-inspiring; and his passion for the stories and the filmmaking process, as evidenced by his enthusiastic and intelligent contributions to the supplemental sections of this and the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe release, seems almost unparalleled. Unfortunately, Adamson will not be returning to helm the third film; no doubt he will be missed as director of The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treador'. Nevertheless, he leaves the series in capable hands, and the promised return of several characters -- including Prince Caspian, Edmund, and Lucy -- lend hope that Dawn Treador will again do the series proud. Disney's Blu-ray release of Prince Caspian is, as expected, a first-rate presentation. The film looks and sounds spectacular, and the studio has included a most impressive array of bonus materials, all presented in high definition. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian comes highly recommended.
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