By Matthew Burgoyne
Staff Writer

On May 16, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" was finally released. I may be 21, but my favorite movies are the children’s fantasy movies. I guess I am trying to hold on as long as I can. Having seen both of the "Narnia" flicks, I thought it was appropriate for the two films to go head-to-head to see which is more deserving of my $8.50. I should offer this disclaimer: I have not read the books, so my opinions are based solely on what I saw in the films.
1. Story - Like I said, I enjoy the land of make belief. I love movies that are completely fiction and take you to places only the imagination can dream of going to. The first film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," showed us how the film’s four major characters (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) discovered the mythical land of Narnia and defeated the evil White Witch. "Prince Caspian" came in at a disadvantage because the first movie was  tough act to follow. Plus, sequels normally aren’t as good as the originals. However, "Prince Caspian" was just as good. In the second film, the four siblings return to Narnia, where time has destroyed the peaceful land. With Prince Caspian, the foursome again defeat the evil in Narnia and restore happiness. In terms of story line, I would have to say the two movies tied.
2. Special Effects - Normally, the more recent a movie is, the better the special effects are. The "Narnia" films are the exception. The first "Narnia" installment had much better special effects. Though both movies have awesome computer animations added, the effects in the first film seemed more difficult to create. I decision came down to the battle sequences. The first film’s battle scene was much more intricate. I guess because ice was involved. The special effects round goes to "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe."
3. Romance - This category is probably biased since the only “romance” in the first film was between Lucy and Mr. Tumnus, the Faun. In "Prince Caspian," much of the humor came from the budding romance between Susan and Prince Caspian. It added another layer to the movie allowing it to age with its audience. The love story added a little spice to the film, giving it a little extra something in the theaters. The love round goes to "Prince Caspian."
4. Overall - The winner of better film comes down to overall film. After weighing the individual categories, the two films are tied. In the end though, I left the theater liking one film better than the other. And the winner is . . . "Prince Caspian." Why? I am a fan of watching people grow up and this film allowed me to do just that. We got to watch as the four siblings developed and became better adults. We even saw two of the characters out grow Narnia. Both movies are great, but "Prince Caspian" was just more entertaining (Edmund was funny in this movie, which also helped in the win).
If you haven’t seen either "Narnia," go rent the first one and then go see the second one in theaters. It is worth the time and the money.