Once a Narnian, always a Narnian.
There's something so tempting about an alternate reality, especially if it involves being the hero of chatty woodland creatures, messenger trees, enigmatic fauns and centaurs, you can't help but revisit.
And so while the Pevensie kids return to Narnia, even if it's strictly off-screen, so do you.
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Things have changed dramatically since they/we last made a trip. A year (1300 years in Narnian calendar) have passed even as Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Lucy (Georgie Henley) and, especially, Peter (William Moseley) struggle to settle down to a stressful existence in war-time England.
Narnia isn't doing any better. Having been taken over by the menacing Telemarines, its reins now lie in the ruthless hands of the vicious Miraz (Sergio Castellitto plays the aristocratic villain with refined brutality). Even though his deceased elder brother's teenage son, Prince Caspian (Ben Barner) is the rightful heir to the throne, Miraz plans to seize power and orders for the latter to be executed the minute his wife gives birth to a son.
On the run from Miraz's men, Caspian bumps into the seemingly extinct Narnian population, namely Nikabrik-a haughty black dwarf (Warwick Davis gets it suitably nasty), Trumpkin-a grumpy red dwarf (Peter Dinklage illustrates how adept he is at sporting yak-hair beard and portraying a big-hearted little man), Trufflehunter, the thoughtful badger (voice of Ken Stott) and Reepicheep (an utterly delightful vocal tour de force from Eddie Izzard), a swashbuckler of a mouse who makes Remy (of Ratatouille) look like shrimp in comparison.
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Meanwhile, Trumpkin is taken hostage by the Telemarines and Caspian blows Susan's horn to summon the Pevensie rescue squad for help.
But like Aslan (in Liam Neeson's majestic baritone) repeatedly emphasises to a puzzled Lucy, 'Things don't happen the same way twice, dear one'. What remains unchanged though is the glorious and inevitable victory of good over evil.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the second film in the series, after the immensely successful first installment The Lion, the Witch and the Wardobe, continues its tradition of dramatically adapting and ingeniously altering from C S Lewis' Narnian saga. Only this time, grit and combat take precedence over emotion and enchantment.
There's no place to be wonder-struck or wide-eyed in disbelief while the enemy, in an overwhelming number, threatens to destroy everything Narnia stands for. This time, war is the only option. Clearly, the Pevensie comeback is darker than ever. But power-packed, nevertheless.
Director Andrew Adamson orchestrates the proceedings in Narnia with inspiring regard, tweaking the original material at all the right places, keeping the script compact yet allowing it adequate breathing space while encompassing the contribution of all the protagonists, irrespective of their stature in the story.
Role-wise, Pevensie children are in well-defined place, in the second feature. Plus, owing to their naturally disarming disposition, it hardly takes any effort to get reacquainted.
Physically, Keynes (growing into a skillful, expressive, shall we add, handsome, young man) and Henley have grown taller, also the gap between the super-adorable Henley's teeth seems to have disappeared, indicating how quickly young boys and girls grow up. There might be no external change in Poppellwell (radiance and spirit personified) and Moseley's (showing attitude with restraint) appearance but their body language is decidedly more self-assured.
Which is why it is saddening to see the titular hero failing to make any impact. Despite his obvious good-looks, Ben Barnes' weak charisma is terribly overshadowed by the afore-mentioned younglings.
Caspian, himself, seems like a rather passive fella, with the Pevensies and Narnia folk doing most of the groundwork. His tame romance track with Susan, which isn't there in the book, doesn't make any difference to the movie, except allowing Poppellwell to briefly showcase her lip-locking skills.
Deftly shot battle scenes at Aslan's How and Miraz's castle, against Harry Gregson-Williams' dynamic score, brim with compelling action and headstrong rage. A judicious blend of smooth visual effects and detailed art design add to Prince Caspian's bigger and better aura.
Though murky in mood, Prince Caspian is at heart, still a Walt Disney film, about four young heroes with pure hearts and untainted souls saving a magical world from tyrannical beings.
That's what Narnia aims for, anyway -- escape from mundanity, thirst for adventure and in the process learning a thing or two about friendship, honour and compassion. And for that alone, we would like to keep going back -- again and again.
Rediff Rating: 
