WHAT a dreary franchise Chronicles of Narnia is turning out to be. Prince Caspian was supposed to be a bit grittier and more action-packed than its limp, oddly over-praised predecessor, yet aside from the addition of Ben Barnes to make the girls go g
ooey, this is still wetter than a weekend in Wales.
Blame those pesky Pevensie children. Despite the title, screen time is heavily slanted in their favour and because the returning cast haven't progressed much as actors, it just exposes its insipidness in an ever more glaring light. The story this time revolves around Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy's return to Narnia after being back in London for a year after their previous escapades. Soon discovering that 1,300 years have passed since they left, the land is virtually unrecognisable thanks to an evil king whose reign has wiped out their legacy. "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember," Peter Dinklage's disgruntled dwarf tells them. If only.
Director Andrew Adamson takes an age to unite them with Caspian (Barnes), a fugitive and rightful heir to the throne, and then expects us to "ooh" and "aah" at all the bloodless CGI battle scenes he's created.
The full article contains 226 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
