Before I read all the other reviews, I will add my own--with an overall impression of the film, together with a list of observations of the Forgivable and the Unforgivable.
First off, as a film in general, it was quite enjoyable. I was disappointed that many of the animals (the Cats, for instance) had less-than realistic quality in their graphic design. When they set this film back for such a long time, I had assumed it would be so that they could get the CGI more perfect. The Centaurs were pretty cool, though not at all how Lewis described them (with flowing beards etc.) The Satyrs, Fauns, Minotaurs etc. were alright. Overall, it was pretty fun. The Gryphons were awesome, though they lacked that certain life-quality in the movement of their spines as well. (That's my problem with their cats--a real cat, Big or Small, has a very elastic spine. As they walk their spine flexes and their body elongates, which is how they achieve that attitudy-saunter. Somehow, after all these years, the CGI artists have apparently failed to observe or reproduce this, thus their cats move like puppets.)
My favorite of all is Reepicheep and his Mice--he was done very well, and the mouse-movement was perfectly captured. I thought he was adorable, despite the strangeness of an adult human male voice (I still think he should have had a Mousier voice.)
In all, despite my problems with some of the CGI, it was very enjoyable, surprisingly long, and I think the masses will like it very much.--I'd say it is worth watching at least once, I may go see it again, and I will definitely buy it, if only because it would be wrong to skip One of the Seven movies.
1) The age of the Children. I really do have a problem with the fact that, though the Pevensies are supposed to have aged a year in between trips, they are so very much older. It's been three years at least, and especially in Edmund and Lucy's cases, there is an unrealistically dramatic maturing that has gone on. Even in the movie they say it has been a year. It would have been a small thing to speculate that a side-effect of having grown up in Narnia and then returned to our world as children might cause the maturing process for a child here to speed up, thus they developed faster than their peers. This could at least be a way to explain the change in them from "last year" and allow the viewers to accept the changes that defy normal.
Still though, as the movie got into swing, it was relatively easy to dismiss this inconsistency, and move on. I love the kids, and they did a fantastic job (at what they were directed to do).
2) Caspian--Dark haired, Spanish accent, and far too old! Again, the book describes Caspian as a boy at this point, 12 or 13 at the oldest, and yet here he is between 18-20. It's not the biggest deal in the world, and the Spanish angle actually makes sense, considering that Lewis himself said the Telmarines drived from Pirates. This was actually a rather clever interpretation and a forgivable deviation, though the Kissing Scene was not necessary. Ben Barnes did a great job, and proved a very pleasant young King with his sharp features and dark eyes.
3) Minotaurs with the Narnians. I've always had a problem with this concept, but I suppose it worked okay. It's not like there were werewolves and hags among the ranks of the Good Guys.
1) The Blowing of the Horn. Obviously this couldn't have been more different from the book, and it changed how the Pevensies met Caspian as well. It changed Trumpkin's quest to Cair Paravel. It took out the council where they all decided when and how the horn was to be blown.
2) The power struggle between Caspian and Peter. This was absurd, though I will admit it was not as blatant as I had feared it would be. The very character of Peter, and the fact that he had grown up in Narnia a High King, would have realistically meant he had the wisdom of the High King that he was, and he would understand that he was not meant to stay here--thus no need for the power struggle. Not to mention the fact that, as High King, he is king under Aslan, over all kings of Narnia, therefore again, he would have no need to feel threatened by another king's presence. He himself had been co-regent with Edmund and it was not a problem. I felt sorry for Caspian, who almost literally got shoved to the side so many times it is a wonder he got to be a king at all!
3) The castle Raid. This was a complete waste, with little purpose and little organization. Though it provided an entertaining struggle that lengthened the film by about 20 minutes (possibly a reason why it was introduced to begin with?) it was a worthless and foolish thing. Again, Peter, having been High King in the past, would understand what is important, he would understand good strategy, and would never endanger Narnians needlessly, as he so foolishly did in this unforgivable deviation. There was plenty of peril for the Narnians with Miraz' army bearing down on them without a foolhardy, testosterone-laden night raid on the castle. Peter would not have behaved in such an honorless and wasteful way.
The only thing it accomplished was the saving of Dr. Cornelius, and in the book he got away on his own anyway, and so even this was useless and unnecessary.
4) The Single Combat between Peter and Miraz. In the books, this was a very big deal, and it was important how they chose the representatives to go with Edmund to issue the challenge, as well as the choosing of the Marshalls of the Lists (and the controversy over the Bulgy Bear's hereditary rights and the Sucking of the Paws and all)--all of this was left out, leaving the whole thing simply a little challenge and a duel. The fight scene was pretty intense, and well done. But without all the pageantry and drama surrounding it, it loses half its majesty. This one scene is where Peter the High King proves himself once again as High King before all Narnia, with no need for that power struggle mentioned above. Yet it loses its significance without the pomp of the challenge and the Marshalls.
5) Was Aslan even IN this movie?! I hardly noticed. True, Aslan was less active in this story (in the books), but he WAS there, and should have been shown. They cut out the scenes where the children, one by one, began to see Aslan. They should at least have allowed Edmund to see him. They butchered the whole section from the Bear to the march to the river and back to the gully where Aslan had originally tried to lead them.
He had a token role in the end, but they left out the frolicking of the Trees, the Feast, and Baccus. This also leads to my next unforgivable:
6) No triumphant journey through the Telmarine city (cities?) One of the highlights of the book is when Aslan and all the reveling Narnians go through the place and free oppressed and sick people, bust up the Human order, and bring joy (or mayhem) to the town(s). It is here that Caspian's old Nurse is healed, the schoolboys are turned into pigs, and the entourage grows and grows with rejoicing animals (both Talking and Dumb) and people. The only thing we see in the movie is a parade led by Aslan through Miraz' capital city, which makes no sense--why would a defeated people line up and cheer their defeators, who had just attempted a murderous night-raid on their palace? There is no reason to this parade, and so the whole thing feels very shallow and poorly done. The spectacle is great, but there is no reason for it.
I have other observations and there were definitely lots of good and bad things about it--but I have to get ready for church. In all I really did enjoy it, so far as I was able to separate myself from the book. If this movie accomplishes an interest in kids to read the books, then it will be worth it, and they will be exposed to the proper Stories. I'm glad I saw it, and though it definitely could have been better, I did enjoy it. I'm sure many Wardrobians have similar mixed feelings. I did think that the first movie was more true to that book, and far more satisfactory in general. I hope Dawn Treader is not only quick in coming (I suspect it will be more promptly produced than this one was) but more faithful to the book. Who knows? With Adamson OFF the helm, it could possibly fare better.
"If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself."--St. Augustine of Hippo