Prince Caspian promises you that everything you know is about to change. (Forever!) Certainly this must refer to Narnia, indeed a changed place since our last visit in 2005’s The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Disney’s life-action, big-budget adaptations of C.S. Lewis’s classics of children’s literature also reach for an more mature audience this time ’round. It’s extensive battle scenes and deeper themes will likely attract the Lord of the Rings crowd and fans of high fantasy as intended.

Before we catch up with the Pevensie children, we meet the titular Prince Caspian as he flees from his castle, that of the Telmarines. He is rightful ruler of this race of humans, but the throne is usurped by his uncle, King Miraz. Actor Ben Barnes claimed he based his Spanish accent on that of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, and the prince would speak truth telling Miraz, ” You killed my father! Prepare to die!”

As a villain Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) is no White Witch, and doesn’t quite capture the sneaky treachery required of a King Claudius type. Nonetheless, his family has butchered the mythological creatures of Narnia for over a thousand years, to the point of extinction - or so they believe. But Caspian discovers talking animals and dwarves hiding underground in the forest, and through Susan Pevensie’s magic horn, has summoned Narnia’s “Kings and Queens of Old.”

These rulers turn out to be kids, since after returning to Earth from decades of ruling Narnia, their youth is restored. But Narnia has aged 1300 years since their last visit, and its people cry out for hope and leadership. The children have changed somewhat themselves after a year in 1940s wartime England: Peter (William Moseley) gets in fights, unhappy at being a regular teen after being a King; Susan (Anna Popplewell) must deflect the attention of geeky boys asking for her name; Edmund (Skandar Keynes) has become less foolhardy and resents his brother’s rashness; and Lucy (Georgie Henley) finds the others no longer experience wonder as she does. The four gain humility, self-confidence, and faith as the adventure unfolds.

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Starring: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell

Directed by: Andrew Adamson

Written by: Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Prince Caspian and the Pevensies meet after some journeying and agree to lead the Narnians against Miraz’s considerable forces. Memorable among the Narnians are the Red Drawf Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage) and the quick-witted and -bladed mouse Reepicheep (Eddie Izzard), clearly modeled on Puss-N-Boots (Narnia director Andrew Adamson also helmed the first two Shrek movies).

The battles comprise most of the running time. The scenes in which the creatures storm the castle are most novel and exciting. The final battle is more standard and the Narnians can count on deus ex machina for victory.

Throughout the film, it’s expected that Aslan will return and in Lucy’s words, “come roaring in to save us.” It’s simply a matter of when and how. It’s here we run into the central problem with battles in the fantasy genre. In real life, according to no less an authority than Napoleon, ” God is on the side of the biggest battalion.” With rare exception (such as World War II), it’s not clear in the wars of history which side is good or evil, since likely both are out for conquest and power. In fantasy, good and evil are usually clearly delineated for symbolic effect. It takes a rare talent to make a truly exciting and unpredictable series of battles from these elements. (Tolkien manages best but still requires a suspension of disbelief.) Usually evil will seem overwhelmingly strong for the sake of dramatic tension. This leaves the frightened and outnumbered goodlings with no recourse but magic or the divine. In Narnia, they use both.

While the Pevensie children still experience individual moments of bravery and development, their efforts ultimately seem pointless in Narnia, an arbitrary place. In a breath, Aslan can do anything he pleases, and offers pat answers for not abiding requests. In Lewis’s Christian-analogy universe this is more forgivable (God working in mysterious ways and all) - but since the religiosity is toned down in the films, Aslan is frustratingly vague and fickle.

Lucy’s potion restores beloved characters to life before they croak. Edmund wonders if dying in Narnia means dying in the real world. Likely so, but the hint of uncertainty undercuts much meaning in this film. Narnia is a fantastic play land for the children and viewers alike, but what can we take from it that’s lasting if even death doesn’t stick?