Newly Released 'Prince Caspian' DVD Takes Movie Fans Behind the Magic

Dec 11, 2008 05:27 AM EST

The second installment of C.S. Lewis’ timeless epic is now available on DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def, bringing the fantasy adventure that has captivated thousands into homes across America in time for the Christmas holiday.

Packed with exclusive featurettes, interviews and deleted scenes, the “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” DVD will delight the entire family.

Picking up one year after their return from the magical land of Narnia, the four Pevensie children – Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and Lucy (Georgie Henley) – find themselves swept back again. However, while only one year has passed in their world, 1300 years have passed in the land of Narnia.

The castle where the Pevensies reigned as kings and queens lies in ruin and the magical talking creatures of Narnia have been driven into exile by humans known as the Telmarines and reduced to mere folklore. The “Great Lion” Aslan, meanwhile, is nowhere to be seen, and ruling over the land is the evil tyrant Miraz, who seeks to kill his nephew Prince Caspian – the rightful heir to the throne.

With the help of underground Narnians, the Pevensie children set off to battle their way to help Caspian retake the thrown and to restore harmony back to the land. And along the way, they find faith, humility, and peace.

For those who are into fantasy stories, “Prince Caspian” is a treat as it brings to life Lewis’ classic with even more groundbreaking special effects and breathtaking action than its predecessor, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

And for those who want to see how Lewis’ classic novel was brought to life, the 3-disc Collector’s Edition is a must-have.

“I think it’s interesting to see what changes are made to bring it (the novel) on to the screen,” says Ben Barnes, who grew up reading the seven novels from Lewis’ Narnia series before being casted to play Prince Caspian.

Included in the Collector’s Edition is special audio commentary by director and actors , a behind-the-scenes interview with the cast and crew, a tour of the film’s locations and sets, inside view of the technology and production behind the movie, bloopers, deleted scenes and more.

Blue-ray Hi-Def exclusives, meanwhile, in addition to all of the above, include an interactive Narnia game, downloadable features, as well as a "circle-vision" interactive, which provides viewers with a 360-degree look behind the scenes of the castle raid sequence.

The DVD of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” has a suggested retail price of $29.99 in the U.S. but is available at Amazon.com for half-price. The Collector’s Edition, meanwhile, is $39.99 (43% off on Amazon), and the Blu-ray disc is priced at $35.99 (31% off on Amazon).

Lewis' seven-book Chronicles of Narnia series is regarded as one of literature's most enduring classics, selling over 100,000,000 copies in more than 35 languages, making it the second biggest book series in the world.