The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The Narnia of this summer's Prince Caspian is a more sinister and dangerous world than the one featured in its predecessor, 2005's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Unfortunately, it is also a much duller place than the inviting, snow-covered land of the previous movie. This time around, the four frustrated Pevensie siblings are whisked from a train platform and deposited on a beautiful beach, where they soon discover that 1300 years have passed since their last visit to this magical world. Since then, Narnia has been conquered by some nasty men known as the Tellmarines, who have nearly eradicated the natives of Narnia.

The Pevensie children soon discover that they have been summoned by the titular hero, who has narrowly escaped the clutches of his evil uncle, the always angry King Miraz. Hurriedly, Prince Caspian and the Pevensies decide to team up and gather the remaining forces of Narnia to go teach Miraz a lesson. And so the stage is set for an epic battle between good and evil.

Or at least that is the intention. Instead, director Andrew Adamson serves up a series of lukewarm fight sequences that feel like something found on the editing room floor of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And therein lies Prince Caspian's downfall.

The movie is certainly not terrible; it's simply a stale rehashing of events and ideas borrowed from better movies. Adamson seems to have exhausted the extent of his directorial abilities during his first visit to Narnia and now he's run out of steam. Content to accept mediocrity, he allows the narrative to limp along blindly, in search of a purpose.

Near the end, impressive effects show up to support an otherwise forgettable finale, and while the technical artistry dazzles, the effects ultimately impress only as visual spectacles independent of the story.

Because the previous journey to Narnia so successfully captured the spirit of C.S. Lewis's original book and brought his voice to the big screen intact, this second time around feels all the more disappointing. The four actors who portray the Pevensies (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley) haven't improved as performers in the slightest and adding charisma-challenged Ben Barnes as Caspian doesn't help.

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the White Witch (portrayed with scene-stealing venom by Tilda Swinton) was a great villain. She was scary and believable and she demanded the audience's attention. This time around, Miraz (played by Sergio Castellito) is a complete bore. Without an intriguing villain for our heroes to face, their fight for survival lacks urgency and excitement. This Narnia may be a very different place than the world of the previous movie, but it is a pale reflection of a cinematic vision seen countless times before.