Okay, I'm a big C.S. Lewis fan (I've taught about his fiction at Wright State University and have written a book on literary criticism called: Hogwarts, Narnia, and Middle Earth.) In the run-up to the release of Prince Caspian, I was asked to lead a group through the text. This week I'm to lead a discussion on the movie. HELP! (Any relation between the movie and the characters or story in C.S. Lewis' writing is strictly coincidental!)

What can I say? I expect movies to take liberties with the text, but this one has been taken captive by a talking mouse! The irony is that the mouse is NOT Reepicheep.

The adaptation begins with the High King Peter fighting in the Underground with school rivals. Evidently, his life experience in Narnia has made him a misfit in our world, and a bit of a tough. For Lewis, whose fictional work was grounded in the transforming power of faith, Peter apparently missed the point of his encounter with Aslan. Then again, Aslan plays a bit part in this movie. Caspian and Peter vie for supremacy. Susan and Caspian make eyes at each other (oh yeah, Caspian is a hunk in the movie- Edmund's age in the book.) Blood, revenge, and pride eclipse all the nobility of emotion that Lewis wanted to show to his young readers. For those who have not actually read the books, suffice it to say that the epic battle scenes are about three sentences per book. Lewis, a survivor of trench warfare in WWI, had no interest in promoting death and destruction. He did promote loyalty, courage, fidelity, and obedience as a path worth traveling in life. Unfortunately, the movie-goer is spared these in favor of scenes resembling the clone army of Star Wars and the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz.

Lewis would be rolling over in his grave (if he were still there!)