The BBC adaptation of Prince Caspian is a shambles. CS Lewis' brilliant original story is barely intact. The direction is amateurish. The fight and battle scenes are worse than laughable. The special effects are awful - even by the standards of 1989. The animal costumes are ridiculous. Jean Marc Perret, who plays the prince, is particularly bad, and the rest of the acting is poor. The lion Aslan is supposed to be fearsome, but just looks like a big plush toy, and has a voice that would lure you to sleep. If you have not read the book, you will have no idea what happens at the climax of this mess of a movie.
Obviously, Prince Caspian was intended for a young audience, but today's children are too sophisticated for this production. The novel, while a children's story, is quite readable for adults. A decent adaptation would be watchable for adults too.
The DVD release also includes The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is a much better film. (Okay, it's not a film - it was videotaped.) Dawn Treader is about two hours, Prince Caspian is half that.
Obviously, Prince Caspian was intended for a young audience, but today's children are too sophisticated for this production. The novel, while a children's story, is quite readable for adults. A decent adaptation would be watchable for adults too.
The DVD release also includes The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is a much better film. (Okay, it's not a film - it was videotaped.) Dawn Treader is about two hours, Prince Caspian is half that.