When it was released in 2005, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" grossed nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars. It sits at number 26 on the list of all-time highest-earning films. I think that it's safe to say that Walden Media has very high hopes for the sequel, which has scared away all competition as it lays siege on local theaters this weekend.

For the most part, "Prince Caspian" lives up to expectations, although it doesn't quite scale the heights set by the original film. The story's not quite as interesting this time around and the villain isn't nearly as deliciously wicked, but the film is certainly a rousing adventure, with some superb fantasy battle sequences and a funny little sword-fighting mouse that will keep the kiddies giggling for hours.

Based on C.S. Lewis' beloved young reader novels, the original film found the four Pevensie children transported to the magical land of Narnia, where they became kings and queens after defeating the evil Ice Witch. A year has passed in our world as the sequel begins, when our heroic quartet are summoned back to their beloved country, only to find it in ruins. 1300 years have passed in Narnia, and despotic kings now rule the land. The young Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) has a claim on the throne, but his uncle isn't going to relinquish his rule without a fight.

The Pevensie children arrive just in time to help Prince Caspian fight the king. Actually, it takes a while to get to the fight, as the characters plod through the backstory and set up the new characters. The problem is that the new characters aren't nearly as interesting this time out. Sure, the mouse Reepicheep (Eddie Izzard) is a hoot, and the Red Dwarf Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage) is a welcome addition, but the main villain, King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) is little more than a stock character with a bad Italian accent. And in the title role, I found Barnes to be a bit too pretty to be effective as the young prince, although I'm sure that there will be legions of adoring teenage fans who find the hot young actor to be simply dreamy.

The last half of the film is dominated by the battle sequences, and they are very well done. Exciting, filled with visual bravura and tension, these battles scenes are every bit as good as the ones seen in the original film. CGI characters fill out the background while the main humans clang swords in front. World of Warcraft fans will be thrilled. General audiences will be thrilled. All in all, this is another memorable trip to the enchanting world of Narnia.

Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published bi-weekly in “The Port Arthur News” and weekly on KFDM-TV. Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kavutv.com.