Director: Andrew Adamson

Without the hype of Lord of the Rings, without the anticipation of Harry Potter, and without the marquee names of The Golden Compass, a worthy sequel has arrived.

Those who loved The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as well as those who missed it, are going to enjoy Prince Caspian for its stunning imagination, compelling storyline, a refreshingly stark look at palace intrigues and a cast of children and teens who remain as in awe of the world of Narnia as they first stumbled out of the cupboard.

Adamson picks up quite nicely from where he left off the last time, giving you an idea of the life of the Pevensies post-Narnia and the life of Narnia post-Pevensies before they rediscover each other. And while 1,300 years have passed in Narnia, time in real world for the Pevensies as well as for us seems to have hardly moved.

The Pevensies — who are the kings and queens of Narnia — return from London to find it under the threat of a new despot, King Miraz. Miraz is determined to kill the real claimant to the throne ¿ his nephew, Prince Caspian (Barnes), an honourable but naïve boy. When Caspian realises that he has been only fed lies about the Narnians, and that his uncle has been cruelly killing them, he decides to end it by winning his crown back.

Peter (Moseley), Susan (Popplewell), Lucy (Henley) and Edmund (Keynes) Pevensie rally the Narnians around him. However, with the brave Aslan nowhere around, they are a handful against the mighty army summoned by Miraz, who helpfully speaks in an accent that could pass of as French.

Adamson plays on the rivalry between Peter and Caspian, both looked upon as leaders at a tender age, and hints at a romance between Susan and Caspian. For the three of them, the film is a coming-of-age tale, where they discover what they are capable of, and what they aren’t. And that, with age, comes responsibility.

There are hints about this theme of the film at various stages, especially when Peter and the others wonder why Aslan doesn’t appear to help them. It’s Lucy, the youngest, who never loses hope or faith. When Peter says in despair that he wished Aslan would show them some proof that he still existed, Lucy tells him: “Maybe this time he needs proof from us.”

While the film is a little long at 147 minutes ¿ quite a bit of it devoted to a battle that is value for money — by the end of Prince Caspian, the Pevensies no longer need to prove themselves. If there are worlds to conquer at the end of a railway tunnel, they would know they could go about it.

shalini.langer@expressindia.com