Moviefone asked me to write up a few hundred words for why I feel each of the Narnia movies is better than the Harry Potter films it is up against. I had a bit of fun with it, as I’ve only seen the two Harry Potter films once or twice.
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‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ vs ‘Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’
There are many reasons why Caspian is a better sequel than Azkaban, and three of those are Dinklage, Balin and Neeson. Where else are you going to find Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Ken Stott (Balin, The Hobbit trilogy) and Liam Neeson (Taken, Star Wars) sharing screen time together in the same film? That’s not to mention the rest of the returning cast: Georgie Henley (Lucy), Anna Popplewell (Susan), William Moseley (Peter) and Skandar Keynes (Edmund). Warwick Davis (Star Wars) and Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) also join the cast. The film was written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (Captain America 1 & 2, Pain and Gain).
And with a cast like that, what about the story? Well, for one thing, it doesn’t feature the inclusion of an item that, if used correctly, could have brought an end to even the creation of the primary villain, thus ending the entire story in only three books. The time-turner anyone?
I must also mention the battle at the end of Prince Caspian, which is as epic as it is dynamic. Plus, the trees come to life to help out, in much the same way as author C.S. Lewis’ friend J.R.R. Tolkien has them do in his Lord of the Rings. This film is a fantasy variation of Hamlet, with incredible action sequences, and a warrior mouse called Reepicheep (voiced in this film by Eddie Izzard). What more could you want?
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ vs ‘Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader’
When it comes to great sequels, having a story that makes sense is important. As the end of the saga, Deathly Hallows Part 2 couldn’t deliver the goods. Where were the other schools that played in the Tri-Wizard Tournament when old Voldy was on the hunt? Remember, we’re talking about a movie here, not a book.
In Dawn Treader, we have a trump card, however. A man that captured the imaginations and hearts of all of us in Star Trek and will again in Star Trek: Into Darkness. A big time fan of Star Wars. One of the writers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Yes, friends, I speak of none other than SIMON PEGG. The new voice of Reepicheep, the warrior mouse, whose performance brought tears to the eyes of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth, at the Royal Premiere of the film in 2010.
Plus, we could all enjoy the marvelous discovery of Will Poulter as the Pevensie children’s cousin: Eustace Clarence Scrubb. A boy who almost deserved his name, and is turned into a dragon. The film also featured Australian star Gary Sweet and the return of Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes and Liam Neeson. (With cameos from Anna Popplewell and William Moseley, to boot!)
An amazing Dragon ship and a battle with a giant sea serpent, plus a fun and lighthearted journey that makes you happy for having been on it, it was a fitting finale for the Pevensies as the world awaits a big screen return to Narnia.
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