The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion

I wanted more information on Narnia/Prince Caspian and I found it in this book. The book has individual sections dedicated the actors who played the characters, which I love. And even better, it has "the inside story" about the making of Prince Caspian. There are many big glossy pictures and they are fantastic. I can pick it up at my leisure and reread this again and again.

This soundtrack is so amazing! Harry Greggson-Williams has the remarkable ability to write music that reminds you of just what was happening at each part of the film: Caspian's escape from the castle, the children discovering their old treasure room, the incredible castle raid, and so much more. This soundtrack has it all: the music is adventurous, dreamy, wistful, powerful, awesome, inspiring! I always considered the first soundtrack to be spectacular and this one is no different. I would recommend this soundtrack to all Narnia lovers out there. Even if you weren't all that wild about the film, the music still has the ability to transport you to another place. Allow yourself to be swept away into the world of Narnia! You won't regret it :).

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion helped in preparing me for the movie. I enjoyed the first movie and couldn't wait to see how the Pevensie children had grown (I mean the young actors and actresses who played them, of coure). I'm fascinated in the behind the scene information on movies like this one and to learn more about what went on before seeing the movie made it more enjoyable after finally seeing it. Knowing that more of the same will be added to the DVD, I can't wait to buy it.

How many times have you watched a movie and then asked yourself, "How did they do it?" Filmmaking can seem like a mystical task to the average movie viewer. What flies by in two hours on the screen could have taken two years to produce. While we were raving about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 2005, Director Andrew Adamson, Producer Mark Johnson and their vast team were already hard at work on its sequel, Prince Caspian. And author Ernie Malike had probably already started writing this book, a look at the making of Prince Caspian. If you read the official movie companion for the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe you have an idea of the visual and textual delight awaiting you in the companion book for the latest Narnia movie. Think of it as a 4 disc DVD collector's edition, only on paper. Which is better in many ways. You can take your time reading and feasting your eyes on the behind-the-scenes and on-the-set photos. Between the leaves are the nuts and bolts of making installment #2 of perhaps the largest movie franchise ever. Kicking things off is a Foreword written by Andrew Adamson, Douglas Gresham (step-son of C.S. Lewis), and Mark Johnson that whets your appetite for the meat to come. And then we're off! Chapter One, titled "The Journey", sets the scene and explains Adamson's approach. "This time out," Adamson says, "I wanted to do it better." For those unfamiliar with C.S. Lewis' book Prince Caspian (first published in 1951), Malik summarizes the story and includes numerous movie stills. The "Chronicles of the Chronicles" sidebar takes on the question, "Is Prince Caspian Book Two or Book Four?" of the series, a sticky wicket for some. So far the movies have followed the "by publication" route thus far to take advantage of the natural aging of the actors playing the Pevensie children. Next we're shown what exactly goes into a screenplay, storyboarding, and previsualization. We also tackle the schedule, editing, and much more. Then we embark on an exhaustive trip through the beautiful locations of the film. From New Zealand to Poland to the Czech Republic, we learn of the difficulties filming outdoors and of the nasty critters who haunted the crew (snakes, ticks, sand flies, etc.). All of the sections are fascinating, but I'll bet most of us will find "The Cast" chapter the most entertaining. How have the actors who played the Pevensies grown up? What have they been doing between films? Here many of our questions are answered. William Mosley (Peter) talks about his chance to do some of his own stunts and how he particularly relates to his character in Prince Caspian. Anna Popplewell (Susan) is now a freshman at Oxford's Magdalen College, the same college at which C.S. Lewis spent much of his career. "When I picked that college, I didn't know that," Anna says. Skandar Keynes (Edmund), now 16, has grown probably the most notably of the cast physically, though he apparently hasn't lost his youthful, daredevil ways. And twelve-

With the movie adaptation of Prince Caspian hitting the theaters in May, I jumped at the chance to receive a review copy of the illustrated companion. I didn't think it was possible, but this book made me even more excited to see this classic children's story brought to life! There are behind-the-scenes insights, interviews, and gorgeous photos to accompany everything about the movie. Director Andrew Adamson discusses the changes he made to the movie screenplay from the original story. There are interesting interviews with the entire returning and new cast of characters. There is even a section dedicated to the development of the brave mouse, Reepicheep, a favorite character and a lead in the next book/movie - Voyage of the Dawn Treader. With gorgeous photos on location in the exotic locales and fabulous sets, it looks that the backdrop for Prince Caspian will be just as visually stunning as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, if not more. And there is even a section on the music and auditory elements of the film, which was one of my favorite things about the previous movie - the incredible score. The talented visual artists that bring the creatures to life have special sections detailing the special effects, make-up, costuming, weaponry, etc. The book is so chocked-full of information, photos, and other interesting tidbits, that I haven't even listed them all. This fantastic companion would be a wonderful addition to any Narnia fan's collection.