Review: A triumphant return trip to Narnia that for pure imagination and spectacle ought to have your heart racing even more the second time around. It’s a visually stunning film, perfect summer entertainment for any age, young or old.

Story: After making three quarters of a billion dollars the first time around, it was inevitable more editions of C.S. Lewis’ seven book Narnia series would find their way to the screen. So here is Prince Caspian, which jumps ahead 1300 years (in Narnian time) to reveal a very different world than the one portrayed in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. As the press notes correctly say, “The lion hasn’t been heard from for 1,000 years, the white witch is dead and the wardrobe is gone.” Now – as the kings and queens of Narnia (a.k.a. the Pevensies) are transported to the land from a World War II England train station – they discover the magical land just isn’t what it used to be. It has been taken over by an evil and aggressive band of humans called the Telmarines, led by the unforgiving Lord Miraz (Sergio Castellitto). All the talking animals and mythical creatures are now just wallpaper. Just a year (in human time) after their first trip, the four Pevensie siblings find themselves summoned back to help the dashing heir to the Narnian throne, Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), defeat his uncle. With the assistance of a few characters like the dwarf Trumkin (Peter Dinklage) and Black Dwarf Nikabrik (Warwick Davis) – plus the swashbuckling chatterbox talking mouse Reepicheep (voiced by Eddie Izzard) – they set about bringing Narnia back to all its former glory.

Acting: Returning just a bit older and wiser, the four young actors who play the Pevensie brothers and sisters are in fine form with each getting a chance to display their own quirky talents. Georgie Henley returns as Lucy, the only one able to channel the legendary lion Aslan, and Anna Popplewell is back as the proper older sister, Susan. As for the boys William Moseley is on board again as Peter, who summons up the courage to lead the fight against the Telmarines, while Skandar Keynes’ Edmund – despite his betrayal in the first film – finds enough backbone this time to redeem himself. The new human characters are led by British stage actor Ben Barnes, who is commanding as Caspian, the man who would be King but must stave off Spanish film star Sergio Castellitto’s vicious Lord Miraz. The wonderful Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent) is an amusing Trumkin, while Eddie Izzard offers the perfect voice for Reepicheep. And even though it appeared we wouldn’t be hearing from them again, Tilda Swinton’s presumed dead White Witch and Liam Neeson’s eloquent voicing of the Lion, Aslan, make cameo appearances as well. The large supporting cast is too numerous to name everyone, but a special shout-out is also in order for Willow’s Warwick Davis as Nikabrik.

Direction: Shrek director Andrew Adamson proved in the first Chronicles of Narnia – with all its minotaurs, centaurs and other assortment of creatures – that an animation background comes in handy. With Prince Caspian, he confirms that promise, displaying nifty live-action skills, particularly in the battle scenes. The full force of his abilities are put to test in the ultimate confrontation with the Telmarines and what he gets on screen can be favorably compared to something straight out of Braveheart. The stakes in the story this time have been ramped up and so has the fighting. It’s probably safe to say that after 140 minutes of this stuff you will come out with serious battle fatigue, but it’s all thrilling to watch with some breathtaking special effects that, for lack of a better description, are awesome. With all the hardware, effects and CGI on view it would be easy for the characters to get lost in the mix, but Adamson clearly knows where the heart of his story lies. If this sequel proves anything, it’s that the magic, fun, unforgettable people and creatures are the reasons we will keep coming back to Narnia.

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

Review: David Mamet takes his singular style into the rarefied world of jiu-jitsu, but the combination of his hard-bitten dialogue and the very UN Rocky-like milieu of this particular martial arts arena don’t really produce satisfying results.

Story: Mike (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a true purist, a master Jiu-jitsu teacher who, along with his wife Sondra (Sonia Braga), operates a rundown academy. At great cost to himself, Mike is not a sellout but his refusal to train his students for the more commercial aspects of the mixed martial arts game leads him into trouble after a freak accident: A wacked-out lawyer (Emily Mortimer) accidentally shoots a cop’s gun at the window, sending his life and business into a tailspin. When he coincidentally meets and bails out movie star Chet Frank (Tim Allen), the grateful guy offers him a big job and some expensive bling, an act that actually sends him further into debt and into the unwelcoming arms of some very shady dudes including a loan shark (David Paymer) and a fight promoter (sleight of hand artist Ricky Jay). This leads to something he once thought untenable – an invitation to return to the ring for a quick $50 grand and financial salvation.

Acting: You can never go wrong with Chiwetel Ejiofor (Talk to Me), one of the leading young actors of his generation who obviously jumped at the opportunity to do Mamet on film. His commanding presence as this stoic but conflicted character makes Mike’s increasingly desperate situation human. Ejiofor is totally convincing as a master of Jiu-jitsu, a sport with legions of fans who could easily spot a phony but won’t be able to tell the actor apart from the real thing. It’s also nice to see Sonia Braga back on screen with a role that has meat on its bones. Reliable pros like Emily Mortimer, as the hyper lawyer, Paymer and Mamet regular Joe Mantegna – who turns up working for Chet – all add color to the proceedings, as does Mamet’s real-life wife Rebecca Pidgeon playing Chet’s wife. Oddest casting would seem to be Tim Allen, but he blends right in as a film star who has been around the block a few times.

Direction: The most accomplished David Mamet screenplays such as The Untouchables, The Verdict, Glengarry Glen Ross and Wag The Dog have been handled by other directors. But Mamet’s own coolly detached directorial talents have been used to good effect on fine efforts like 1987’s splendid House of Games (his debut) and 10 years later on the fascinating The Spanish Prisoner. Others like Spartan, Oleanna and Heist had problems. So does Redbelt. Here, again tackling his own script, he’s certainly right at home in the Jiu-jitsu world and hard-core fans will probably be enthralled, but the detail and clear devotion he has for the sport may actually have the effect of distancing the rest of audience from his film. He’s a little TOO into this stuff. It ain’t Rocky or all 900 of its imitators and its not meant to be, but the rooting factor just isn’t there, despite Ejiofor’s fine work. You watch at arm’s length. Certainly aspects of his gritty story probably reflect Mamet’s uncompromising personality, his own view of the world. That’s admirable, but it’s not enough to make this well-acted movie anything more than a nice try.

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 2 stars.