Yet back in Narnia, 1,300 years have passed and the land of dancing trees and talking animals is now a mere shell of its former glory. The human Telmarine race has spent centuries exterminating the Narnians. Those wily enough to survive, like Trumpkin the dwarf (Dinklage) and Trufflehunter the badger, are hiding in the depths of the forest waiting for the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve (the Pevensie children) to return and save them.

But their initial savior actually turns out to be the exiled heir to Telmarine, Prince Caspian (Barnes). Having just barely escaped the clutches of his power-hungry uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), Caspian ends up in the forest and, in a moment of panic, blows a horn that magically sweeps the Pevensie children back to Narnia.

Devastated by the ruined state of their former home, the Pevensies band together with Caspian and the surviving Narnians to wage what looks like a hopelessly lopsided war against the diabolical King Miraz and his epic army for the ultimate fate of Narnia. Their only hope is that the Pevensies' faith in the wise lion Aslan, their former subjects and themselves can sway the tides of war.

Restoring a fantasyland

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is one of the rare sequels that actually improves upon the original, not because of a superior storyline, but rather because the maturity of this production gives this film more resonance. Director Andrew Adamson wisely moves away from the gleam of the overly CG'd first film and instead uses the grandeur of actual location shooting from all over the globe to ground Narnia in reality. The kingdom feels real now, and that does wonders in connecting the audience to Narnia's peril. Plus the production design is jaw-dropping, with massive sets, including castles and Aslan's rock-faced fortress, which set the stage for impressively choreographed battle sequences.

And action is most certainly the focus of Prince Caspian, as Adamson tinkers with Lewis' narrative to quickly set up intersecting storylines that allow him to get right to the business of preparing for the war against Miraz and the Telmarines. And while the battles can be overlong in some sections, they are energetic, creative and blissfully void of any gore or blood, which makes the film safe for families.

The other great strength of Prince Caspian is the cast. Barnes, with his Inigo Montoya-inspired accent, is everything an earnest, handsome prince should be, and he has sweet chemistry with the other characters—especially Susan (Popplewell). As for the Pevensie kids, the years between films have been good to young actors Henley, Moseley, Keynes and Popplewell. They all come across more assured this time around, whether they're having heart-to-hearts with CG critters or racing into battle, and the film is stronger because of them. The supporting cast is also winning, including Dinklage's soul-weary Trumpkin and Eddie Izzard's charming voice work for the swashbuckling rodent Reepicheep. While overall the themes are darker and the ending is as bittersweet as the first, Prince Caspian evolves the Narnia mythology without disappointing.