Prince or Pauper?

Two and a half years after The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe became a worldwide hit, the Pevensie kids journey back to Narnia (via a London tube station this time) for another overlong adventure in the land of the bland.

Top notch make-up and effects work notwithstanding, there's not much narrative depth to command the attention. The slender plot, transporting the prophetic quartet back to a ruined land where over a thousand years have now passed, is divided into two distinct halves: meandering around looking confused, dashing about killing enemy soldiers.

I never read the book, so I'm a little unclear about why all the cast speak with a thick, vowel distorting Euro accent which implies that Narnia is a Mediterranean island.

For the audience, it just makes the many talky scenes seem longer and less convincing. Would you be scared of the ruler of Tambourine? (it's actually Telmarine, though you'd never guess)

That said, some girls may feel the need to set up facebook groups for lead Ben Barnes, the handsome, dimple-chinned Prince. It's yet another recent case of Hollywood choosing photogenic qualities before charisma or ability. Cough... Orlando.

The foursome from the first film are okay, nothing more, but may been preoccupied by their extensive fight choreography. Amongst a largely unknown new supporting cast, it's the little people who makes the biggest impact: Peter Dinklage as sarcastic dwarf Trumpkin and a swashbuckling mouse voiced by Eddie Izzard.

Anyone over pre-teen age may well be bored until the first of two prolonged action sequences – a reasonably exciting night time assault on the evil King's castle. Interest levels continue to rise with a wicked little cameo from the first story (clue: it's a she), an exhausting one-on-one sword fight and the climactic field battle, which boasts some sly tactical decisions and tons of impressive crumbling scenery.

Minus the 'secret doorway' hook of the previous story and a limited role for the majestic Aslan, this is just a mediocre fantasy tale assisted by a blockbuster budget.