A particular regret is the extent to which the film waters down Lucy's moving encounters with the Christ-like Aslan, who is also somewhat sidelined in Prince Caspian. In the book, he reproaches Lucy for not following him and sends her to tell her brothers and sisters that she has seen him again. This time she convinces them to follow her and as her siblings reluctantly obey, one by one they are able to see Aslan again too. Sadly, the clipping down that this important scene received in the film robbed it of everything meaningful it had to say about faith and trust over reason and self-reliance.
That particular irk aside, however, the movie does still retain enough spiritual substance to ensure that it is a lot more than an action film and where it differs from the book, the changes work well within the context of the film.
A perfect example of this is the rivalry between Prince Caspian and a much changed and far less noble Peter. It's a notable difference from the brotherly respect they share for another in the book but one that helps draw out one of the film's key messages: that true victory comes from working together, not apart.
There is also an interesting juxtaposition between Peter's pride - and its ultimately fatal consequences for innocent Narnians - and the humility and insecurity of Prince Caspian. Whilst Peter is confident that he deserves to be a High King of Narnia, Prince Caspian, on the other hand, nervously tells Aslan, "I don't think I'm ready [to be King of Narnia]," to which Aslan replies, "It's for that reason, I know you are." The difficult relationship between Peter and Prince Caspian is certainly an interesting one that invites further self-reflection and discussion.
For all the sword-swishing and personal struggles, however, the film remains a journey of hope, not only because Aslan pops up reassuringly here and there, but ultimately because we know that the Pevensie children and Prince Caspian, for all their fallibilities, are good people who deep down want to do the right thing. The hope lies in the conviction that they will eventually get it right. It is a classic good-wins over-evil story, which in itself is a message that cannot be repeated too many times.
Again, stronger dialogue would have given Prince Caspian the emotional warmth and personal relationship with the characters that made Wardrobe a more touching and engaging movie. Such shortcomings should be embraced in the spirit of opportunity, however, as they ironically provide the perfect opportunity for deep and meaningful discussions on some of Christianity's core values, not to mention the fact that they should awaken a desire in audiences to read CS Lewis' book, if they haven't done so already.
Therefore, Prince Caspian is not recommended (nor, obviously, intended) as a stand-alone evangelistic tool. But it can still serve as a very useful resource in helping believers look afresh at the all important links between faith, values and actions - and in an utterly entertaining, well-crafted and universally appealing way.
