Prince Caspian: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion (The Chronicles of Narnia Film Tie-In) (The Chronicles of Narnia)

by Ernie Malik

The ultimate visual companion and keepsake to the making of the stunning fantasy film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, based on the beloved classic by C.S. Lewis.

This book will be the ultimate visual companion to the second movie in the blockbuster Narnia series, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. One year after the incredible events of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, the Kings and Queens of Narnia find themselves back in that faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1300 years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct, Narnia has been conquered by the Telmarines and is now under the control of the evil King Miraz, who rules the land without mercy.

The four children will soon meet an intriguing new character: Narnia’s rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian, who has been forced into hiding as his uncle Miraz plots to kill him in order to place his own newborn son on the throne. With the help of the kindly dwarf, a courageous talking mouse named Reepicheep, a badger named Trufflehunter and a Black Dwarf, Nikabrik, the Narnians, led by the mighty knights Peter and Caspian, embark on a remarkable journey to find Aslan, rescue Narnia from Miraz’s tyrannical hold, and restore magic and glory to the land.

This behind-the-scenes guide, written by the on-set publicist, includes riveting accounts of how the screenplay adaptors and storyboard artists brought C.S. Lewis’s story to graphic life, where the movie was filmed, an update on the four child actors from the first movie and how the overwhelming success of the first movie affected their lives, a look at the new main characters, details of the special effects, costumes, makeup and more. Four-colour throughout, this book also includes still shots from the film, photos of the production, conceptual art and design, anecdotes from cast and crew, and much more.

• ISBN13: 9780007270590
• Publish Date: 5 May 2008 (first published 1 April 2008)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 17 October 2023
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperCollins
• Edition: Film tie-in edition
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 224
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[thepunktheory]

Book vs. Movie:
First the novel. C. S. Lewis spent a lot of time describing who the kids felt back in Narnia and what happened on their way to Caspian. In fact the whole back story and preparations make up more than 2/3 of the book. The battle itself is actually only a rather small part.
So due to this you get very detailed info but at some point it becomes annoying and the story seems to drag on before it finally can pick up speed again when the battle begins. All in all the novel is a decent read although it didn't excite me as much as the first part.
However, the characters are very likable and it's easy to follow the story and care for them. Although the story may become a bit boring at some point, you really want to know what happens next. Almost impossible to put the book down!
Let's move on the film. Here the priorities shifted. While the battle only made up a small part of the novel, the movie almost solely consist of fights. They even added in another huge battle. I actually was grateful that big chunks of the Pevensies poking around in the woods were left out as those were really not necessary to follow the story at all. Having so many fighting scenes was a bit irritating at first but it makes for a very exciting movie.
However, a point I wasn't pleased with is Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian. This character was depicted very different from what it was supposed to be in the novel. For me the Prince Caspian on the paper was not only more likeable but also felt smarter despite his younger age compared to the movie. His decision felt more thought through, while the movie characters seems a bit impulsive and intemperate. That really gave me a bitter aftertaste.
Furthermore, a few things in the film were confusing. Due to the lack of explaining scenes (that were provided in the book) a bunch of things, especially concerning Aslan's return, seemed weird as there was no context.

So summing up I have to say that Prince Caspian is a decent adaptation, although it is by far not as good as the first installment!