The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

On Saturday night I ditched the fam and went to the new Narnia movie, Prince Caspian. I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. I remember my mom reading them to us when I was very little. I read them for myself one semester in college when I should have been studying for finals. There are lots of places online to read why you should not go and see this movie. I will tell you why you SHOULD see it.

Of course it is not as good as the book. Of course the writers and directors take some real liberties with Lewis' text. But the story is still amazing. It is a story about Aslan, the great lion. In Prince Caspian, the Pevensie children are swept back into Narnia a year after they left. In Narnia though, more than a thousand years have passed. It is a dark time in Narnia. A race of men from a distant land has taken over and the talking animals, dwarfs and centaurs have been either killed or pushed into the deep, deep woods. Aslan has not been seen or heard of since the kings and queens left. Most Narnians have given up on even believing that he exists.

If this is a story of Aslan, then it is the story of the hidden face of God. How many of us have struggled through difficult times wondering where God is? How many of us have asked the question that Lucy asks in the film, "He must know what he's doing?" Peter, Susan and Prince Caspian all look to take the situation in their own hands. Peter even goes so far as to say, "I think we have waited for Aslan long enough." (Peter is portrayed much differently in the film than the book. He much more sinister and self-absorbed in the film.) Lucy, the always faithful, and Edmund, my favorite character in the books, are still trying to seek after Aslan. In the end, Aslan does show his face and when he does, he tells Lucy that he had always been there. She just needed to trust and look.

I sat in the movie theater and (on the inside) cheered and moaned for these very identifiable characters. Whether you are looking for a connection with the God who often hides his face or just looking for a good movie to see next weekend, go and see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. You won't be disappointed.