Three and 1/2 stars

At one point in "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," one character confesses to another, "You cannot do the same thing twice."

This is a sentiment the makers of "Prince Caspian" appear to have taken to heart in making their follow-up feature to "The Chronicles of Narnia."

For although "Prince Caspian" represents the second cinematic chapter in C. S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia," it is a sequel that has a distinctly different tone from its predecessor. Which doesn't necessarily mean it's a lesser film or a carbon copy of "Narnia."

It just means that it's different. Good, but different.

Having completed their time as royal figures in the mythical kingdom of Narnia, the four Pevensie children -- Peter (William Mosely), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) -- have returned to their prep-school lives amidst the Nazi air raids on London.

It is while waiting for a train in one of London's underground tunnels that the children suddenly find themselves whisked back to the beautiful and fantastic paradise that is Narnia.

Or was. For although the Pevensies have been in London only a year since their last adventure, in Narnia, 1,300 years have elapsed since their last visit.

Now, a ruthless race known as the Telmarines has come to power, forcing all talking animals, dwarves and mythical beasts to seek sanctuary in the nearby wood.

Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), the rightful heir to Narnia's throne, has also fled into the wood to save himself from his uncle, the evil and cunning Lord Miraz (Sergio Costellito), who has usurped Caspian's throne for his own megalomanical ambitions.

It is Caspian who unknowingly summons the Pevensies back to Narnia to help him reclaim his crown and bring peace to the land.

This is where director Adam Adamson and his writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, break ranks with the first film, as well as with the spirit of Lewis' series. For in a shift in perspective, "Prince Caspian" plays out as a story more of swords than of sorcery.

Adamson and company downplay the magicks and enchantments that made the first film so engaging. Instead, they opt to ratchet up "Caspian's" battle sequences and political intrigues.

Remove the centaurs, minotaurs and talking rodents, and the film has a stronger kinship with Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" than it does with the mythology of Lewis. Even so, Adamson and company make this shift work.

"Prince Caspian" is a sweeping adventure, told on a grand scale that will captivate children and adults.

The production design is nothing short of sumptuous -- with breathtaking, if not otherworldly, locales from the Czech Republic, New Zealand and Slovenia -- as the special effects, though jaw-dropping, compliment the film as opposed to upstaging it.

The youthful ensemble is not only photogenic, but talented as well. None moreso than the young Henley, who makes Lucy child-like in her innocence but steadfast in her trust and faith.

Adamson may inject his film with a darker tone and greater sense of urgency, but he never fully loses sight of his source material.

Its allegorical qualities may be lost, but its message of hope and humanity remains intact.

As sequels go, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is admirable because it is not willing to do the same thing twice.

Whether or not this is what its fan base has been waiting for the last two years remains to be seen.