The Chronicles of Narnia: Out of the wardrobe again

The characters of C.S. Lewis' fantasy come to screen again in this newest installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

The adventure continues as producer/director Andrew Adamson teams up with screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to tell the tale of the dashing Prince Caspian who sets out to defeat a tyrannical king who has overtaken Narnia, and secure his rightful place on the throne. One year has passed since the events of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and now the kings and queens of that land have returned to make a shocking discovery.

The characters of C.S. Lewis' fantasy come to screen again in this newest installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

By the childrens' calendars, it has been only 12 months since their last voyage into Narnia, but they are aghast to realize that 1,300 years have passed in the wondrous alternate universe. The Golden Age of Narnia has come to an end, and now the malevolent King Miraz rules over the land without mercy or compassion.

Miraz is determined to ensure that power remains in his bloodline, even if that means killing his nephew Prince Caspian so that Miraz's own son will be next in line for the throne.

The 2008 New Zealand Film Festival opens in Beijing this weekend, giving Chinese audiences a great opportunity to know more about the Pacific nation. The festival will feature 10 pearls of Kiwi cinema, including HBO comedy Eagle vs Shark, family drama No. 2 and Out of the Blue. The latter is based on New Zealand's most horrific shooting case in which 13 innocent people were killed.

A delegate from the New Zealand Film Commission said the festival would not only act as a bridge between Chinese and Kiwi people, but also allow New Zealand to promote its movie industry worldwide. The commission is also discussing joint film ventures with Chinese producers, the official said.

Golden couple Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey are reunited in the treasure-hunting romantic comedy Fool's Gold after their 2003's cooperation in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Directed by Andy Tennant, this adventure story is full of eye candy such as white sand beaches, blue waters and beautifully-tanned stars. A good choice for a summer date at the weekend.

D-War, or Dragon War. In a film reminiscent of Ed Wood's oeuvre, Imoogi, an unknown and terrible creature, returns to destroy the planet. It is opposed by a reporter and a girl with a mysterious illness, in this action flick based on a Korean legend.

Run Papa Run is Taiwan director and veteran actress Sylvia Chang's first try at a male-oriented story. The joint production between Jackie Chan's movie company JCE Movies and EEG Movies marks Sylvia's return to the director's chair, following her success with 20, 30, 40 in 2004. Featuring Louis Koo of Hong Kong and Taiwan actress Rene Liu, Run Papa Run works as both a gangster and a family comedy.

New "Narnia" film tops weekend box office

New "Narnia" film tops weekend box office

Disney's new "Narnia" film became the second breakout hit of Hollywood's summer season, taking the box office trophy in North America this weekend with an estimated 56.6 million U.S. dollars in ticket sales, preliminary figures released Sunday showed.

However, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" fell short of the early expectations by industry analysts, who have expected the sequel to gross about 80 million dollars in its opening weekend.

Prince Caspian rules the box office

Disney expects the movie, based on the C.S. Lewis fantasy series and co-produced by Walden Media, to attract more family audience through the coming Memorial Day holiday weekend. The first "Narnia" film, "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," was released in 2005 and grossed some 745 million dollars worldwide.

Meanwhile, Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" continued its strong run in its third week of release, as the superhero film slipped to second place after two weeks at No. 1 with 31.2 million dollars, according to Los Angeles-based box office tracker Media By Numbers.

The film, which kicked off the often lucrative summer season two weekends ago, has so far earned about 222.5 million dollars in U.S. and Canadian theaters.

Observers and moviegoers now put their hopes on the latest "Indiana Jones" film by director Steven Spielberg. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," starring veteran actor Harrison Ford, opens on Thursday in time for the Memorial Day long weekend.　

The Chronicles of Nania: Prince Caspian

New `Narnia' is both darker and funnier

More is more in "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," the follow-up to the 2005 fantasy hit "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." It's simultaneously darker and funnier, more substantive and more engaging, more violent and more technically accomplished.

British actors Anna Popplewell and Ben Barnes arrive for the premiere of the Disney film "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" in New York May 7, 2008

Castle Assault

You can't really call it a sequel because it's an adaptation of the second book in C.S. Lewis' series, but seeing its predecessor is a must to understand what's going on - and it'll make you appreciate how much better this movie is.

Flight of the Gryphons

"Prince Caspian" picks up a year after the Pevensie children - eldest Peter (William Moseley), young woman Susan (Anna Popplewell), teenager Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and youngster Lucy (Georgie Henley) - left Narnia and returned to school during World War II-era London. But 1,300 years have passed in the magical land where they once served as kings and queens; now under the rule of the Telmarines, the place is in ruins. The animals have gone into hiding in the forest and the majestic lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) hasn't been seen in a millennium.

The foursome is accidentally summoned back there by Prince Caspian (British stage actor Ben Barnes), whose life is in danger. His power-hungry uncle, Lord Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), and his wife have a newborn son whom Miraz hopes will one day be king - instead of the prince.

The birth sends Caspian fleeing on horseback through the woods and across a treacherous river in the dark of night in the film's thrilling, suspenseful opening. Andrew Adamson, veteran of the "Shrek" movies who also directed the first "Narnia," shot the film with a cast and crew of thousands on location in unspoiled, rustic settings in New Zealand, Slovenia, Poland and the Czech Republic. Weta Digital, the masterminds behind the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, are among the special effects experts giving the movie its spectacular appeal.