Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - 2010

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Director: Michael Apted

2010
Fantasy

Lucy and Edmond now lives with their cousin Eustace and his parents. It’s not a pleasant acquaintance for neither the siblings nor Eustace as they keep getting on each other nerves all the time. Lucy and Edmond talks about their adventures in Narnia but their bitter and younger cousin don’t believe a word they say. But wait, all of a sudden a secret passage into the world of Narnia appears. They find themselves in the water next to a great big ship called the Dawn Treader and get rescued from drowning by Prince Caspian himself. The journey goes onward to the unchartered waters in the kingdoms outskirts, towards the land beyond the sea – the land of Aslan.

I don’t think there is anyone who can claim that the first part of the series – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe isn’t the most famous and widely spread story of the all. I say the first sine it was the first to be published even if The Magicians Nephew takes place first. That’s a story I’d be happy to see made in this new context. But this is the third part of this new film series and the third book to be written too actually. Unfortunate I don’t think it hold up to the same standards as the two previous movies, It’s more or less ok, and it’s adequately made and all that put it misses something I just can’t put my finger on. It feels like a “lighter” fantasy adventure than the previous two movies but there was undeniably potential to make it really exciting wit undiscovered unknown world. It could have been compared to the journeys made by Odysseus or the adventure of Jason and the Argonauts. It’s very similar to a Greek story but without the tragedy that usually ends them.

The film itself, or rather the story, holds no big surprises. It’s fairly obvious that the relationship between the cousins are about to take a drastic change on the journey. It’s also obvious why the other two siblings aren’t along for the ride this time – they’ve grown too old for the fantasy land Narnia. It’s a kingdom only available through a child’s open mind for imagination.

There is nothing to complain about as far as the visuals are concerns really, but I guess you’re so spoiled these days, with various Harry Potter films that really try to make the most of it, that you can’t help but feel that something is missing. You could say that the filmmakers make it a little too easy for themselves or perhaps underestimates the audience a bit. At least if the audience is a bit older and have somewhat stricter demands that the inexperience of youth.

It's a nice movie when it comes to entertainment values and it has the right kind of humor to fit the feeling of matinee. It’s a nice family movie that doesn’t complicate things too much. Perhaps there’s somewhat of a religious statement somewhere in the background and as I am totally hooked on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner I can’t see a bird flying around a boat without thinking it's an albatross – a sign of hope and a good sign. But it's probably just med analyzing too much again…