Casey Phillips: Narnia fans, rejoice, “Prince Caspian” is everything you wanted in a sequel. It retains all “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’s” high points — a riveting tale, vibrant setting and flashy special effects — while heaping on the action and presenting a more mature storyline. By now, most people are familiar with Peter Dinklage’s line, as the dwarf Trumpkin, in the film’s trailer that, “You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember.” While that might not please the Narnian Visitors Bureau, it does sum this film up beautifully.

Holly Leber: While Casey is well-versed in the world of C.S. Lewis, my last exposure to Narnia was in 1988 and I intentionally went into “Prince Caspian” blindly, to see if the film could be appreciated on its own. Appreciated, yes. Perhaps “enjoyed” would be more accurate. Understood — well, to an extent. Watching “Prince Caspian” without context was akin to watching a foreign film in a language that you can speak on a traveler’s level. I made note of particular lines I felt would carry significance to the story or characters. The scenery and costumes, however, required little context and those were fairly spectacular.

Casey: “Prince Caspian” is certainly enjoyable, but Lewis fans will note some significant discrepancies between the movie and the source material, most noticeably a greater emphasis on battle scenes. Parents needn’t be too concerned, though, there aren’t fountains of gore — this is more Errol Flynn than “Braveheart.” These epic confrontations between the armies of the titular prince (Ben Barnes) and his uncle, Regent Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), do provide ample opportunity to show off the makeup and animation work. One shining example of the latter is the mouse Reepicheep (voiced to great effect by comedian Eddie Izzard), whose combination of chivalry and a serious Napoleon complex is strongly reminiscent of “Shrek’s” Puss in Boots character.

Holly: Reepicheep reminded me of a joke that would be unladylike of me to repeat, but the punch line is “take it all.” While I was slightly appalled by the talking animals at first, they grew quickly endearing. Still, I preferred the more quietly affecting humans, especially those playing the Pevensie siblings. There was a nice honesty in the relationship among them, particularly between quasi-clairvoyant Lucy (adorable Georgie Henley), the baby of the bunch, and eldest boy Peter (William Moseley), overanxious to become a man. There was a strong protectiveness vibe there that kept the story on a human level, amongst all the fantastical elements.

Casey: Another element to the storytelling that should make “Prince Caspian” more generally accessible is how the allegorical elements are downplayed. This may surprise some avid Lewis readers since the parallels to Christian religious traditions are central to the “Chronicles” novels, but in “Prince Caspian,” those connections are more subdued. As a result, the film can be thoroughly enjoyed as an adolescent “Lord of the Rings,” rather than “Sunday School: The Feature Film.” Having seen “Caspian,” I’m definitely looking forward to film adaptation of the next book, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”

Holly: I guess I can say I’m looking forward to going backward. Fantasy isn’t my genre of choice, but having seen “Prince Caspian,” my interest has now been piqued enough to make me want to rent “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” perhaps read the books as well. But just the first two — reading the book first makes the movie disappointing. Then I’ll resume my summer plan to revisit Jane Austen.

REVIEWED THIS WEEK

Film: “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.”

What it’s about: The sequel to the 2005 film adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” follows the four Pevensie children’s return to Narnia to help return an exiled prince to his throne.

Stars: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Sergio Castellitto and Peter Dinklage.

Rating: PG for epic battle action and violence.

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