The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian parents guide

The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian Parent Guide

The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia only to discover a fugitive prince, a usurping king, and...no sign of Aslan.

Overall A

One year in earth time equals over a millennium in Narnia time--or so Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley) discover when they again have an opportunity to return to the magical world. However, things have not gone well in their absence. An evil king (Sergio Castellitto) has usurped the throne from Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), so it is up to the Pevensie children to restore the young ruler and bring peace to the land. But can they help another prince to a throne that used to be theirs?

Release date May 15, 2008

Violence C-
Sexual Content A-
Profanity A-
Substance Use A-

Why is The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian rated PG? The MPAA rated The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian PG The MPAA has rated The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian PG for epic battle action and violence.

Run Time: 150 minutes

Parent Movie Review

By the time the doors of the wardrobe close in the first installment of The Chronicles of Narnia , the Pevensie siblings, Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) have been crowned as royalty in Narnia and grown to adulthood. But while chasing a wild stag through the forest, the four of them come upon a lamp post that seems vaguely familiar. Pushing their way through the thicket behind the lamp, they find themselves tumbling out of the wardrobe and onto the floor of the English country house where they have been sent as children to avoid the World War II bombing raids.

As the sequel begins, the four of them are once again school children in England, wearing uniforms and relegated to anonymity among the throng of displaced students. However, for Peter who ruled Narnia as the High King, the adjustment is a difficult one and his demand for respect from his peers frequently finds him on the wrong end of a fist.

Then one day while waiting in the subway, an unscheduled train screams through the station, tearing away the brick walls and opening a passageway back to the idyllic shores of Narnia. Frolicking in the crystal clear waters, it takes a while for the children to realize that more than a thousand years in Narnia have passed since they left the land and that the ruins atop the cliff are all that remains of their castle home.

Peace has also fled from Narnia. Years earlier, the Telmarines invaded the tranquil empire, driving the land’s fabled creatures deep into the woods to avoid extinction. Within the walls of the Telmarine castle, treachery is afoot. When a son is born to Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) and his wife Prunaprismia (Alicia Borrachero), the ambitious lord claims the throne as his own and conspires to dispose of the rightful heir, his nephew, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes).

Escaping into the enchanted forest, the prince discovers the magical beings he thought existed only in his mentor’s (Vincent Grass) stories. Uniting with them, he proposes a plan to dethrone King Miraz and restore peace. However, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy’s arrival imperils the efforts of the young prince who finds himself vying with the High King for leadership of the Narnians.

Embracing all the epic splendor of the first film, the sequel utilizes a fair amount of creative license to cut to the core of C. S. Lewis’ story and present a polished, well-paced account of intrigue and human foibles. Along with the talking animals and legendary beings, the script also introduces a calloused, sardonic dwarf (Peter Dinklage) who considers the realm’s savior, Aslan (voice by Liam Neeson) to be nothing more than myth. Ramping up the suspense and the intensity of the clashes between the Narnians and the Telmarines, the conflicts involve weapons, catapults and intense hand-to-hand skirmishes similar to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. During the fray, numerous secondary human and animal characters are killed by arrow, sword or decapitation, some of which are seen on screen. Yet many struggles are fought in the hearts of the young royals as well, as they attempt to overcome pride, stand up to evil and believe in their own talents.

Enhancing and escalating the classic tale without losing the essence of the author’s message, Prince Caspian’s account is an engaging escape to a magical world best suited for older fans of C.S. Lewis.

Starring Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell. Running time: 150 minutes. Theatrical release May 15, 2008. Updated

Watch the trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian
Rating & Content Info

Why is The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian rated PG? The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian is rated PG by the MPAA The MPAA has rated The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian PG for epic battle action and violence.

Based on the imaginative, meandering novel of C.S. Lewis, this tale intensifies the depictions and the amount of violence between the Narnians and Telmarines. Swordplay, impaling, hand-to-hand conflict and epic battles are often intense. A wild animal attacks a child. Characters, including animals, are shot with arrows, clubbed or slashed with swords. One man is decapitated. Numerous other individuals are killed. The characters also deal with human challenges of revenge, pride and fear. Bare chests of men and a child are seen. A brief scene of childbirth is shown.

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The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian Parents' Guide

What challenges do each of the children face when they return to Narnia? Why is Lucy able to see Aslan when the others are not? What individual talents do each of them develop?

Many of the creatures in Narnia no longer speak because they have been treated like dumb animals. How can the treatment of a person or animal affect the way they behave?

What does Prince Caspian learn about nobility and honor? How is his own honor challenged?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

The Pevensie siblings have their first adventures in Narnia in CS Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. They return to Narnia in Prince Caspian. Caspian’s further adventures are told in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. And we learn about Prince Caspian’s son in The Silver Chair.

Readers who enjoy CS Lewis’ world building in Narnia will likely enjoy the works of his friend and fellow academic, JRR Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings remains a classic novel for everyone who wants to get lost in a world of adventure involving hobbits, elves, dwarves, trolls, evil sorcerers, wizards, and kings. The Hobbit, which precedes The Lord of the Rings, is more suitable for younger readers.

Kids who get a kick out of Reepicheep and the fighting mice can turn to Brian Jacques’ Redwall. The first in an extensive series, this novel tells the story of the mice of Redwall Abbey who must organize to fight the vicious rats from the outer world.

Usurpers and a stolen crown come to the fore in Jennifer Nielsen’s The False Prince. The royal family is dead and their youngest son presumed dead after a shipwreck four years ago. Lord Conner decides to purchase and train a group of orphans and place one of them on the throne. Will he succeed or will the rightful prince return?

Another royal fights against a usurper in Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl. In this tale, a princess’s lady in waiting attempts to kill her on the journey to her royal marriage. Fearing for her life, the princess works as a goose girl while she plans how to reclaim her identity.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian movie is December 1, 2008. Here are some details…

The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian releases to DVD on December 1, 2008.

Related home video titles:

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe introduces four young children who discover a secret passage in a wardrobe that leads to the land of Narnia. This movie is followed by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Peter Dinklage who plays a dwarf in this film also stars as a mad scientist in Underdog, an unscrupulous reporter in Penelope and a grumpy author in Elf.

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