The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

Whatever magic the first film managed to cull from the fabulous source text was all but used up by the time the second film moved into production. The kids are whisked away to what appears to be the Caribbean, where they fumble around with talking animals—straight off the set of Dr. Doolittle. The director was going for a Lord of the Rings feel, but fell way short. I'm done with this franchise.

Rating: D-

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

I read the books so long ago that the story was still a surprise for me. Great casting with the children. The littlest girl is amazing in her role. While I'm sure many things differed from the book, it's still a good film on its own.

Rating: B-