The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Starring: Georgie Henley, Skander Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter, Gary Sweet, William Mosley, Anna Popplewell, Warwick Davis, Tilda Swinton (cameo), Sergio Castellitto, Liam Neeson (voice), Simon Pegg (voice)
Directed by: Michael Apted
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) return to Narnia, this time to help King Caspian (Ben Barnes) track down the source of a mysterious fog abducting people. They sail on the Dawn Treader to the very edge of the world.

Review:

Tim: I was a bit worried about The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The previous film, Prince Caspian caused Disney to shutter the franchise away, only to be picked up by Fox. That film wasn't as good as the original, and I wondered where the franchise would go from here. I'm happy to report that while the third film in the franchise isn't as good as the original, it's slightly better and more memorable than Prince Caspian. It was a flawed movie, but an enjoyable one regardless. I actually felt excited about seeing the fourth film.

What really helps this movie is that it's basically an epic adventure story that takes place on the open sea. This small change makes a bit difference. One of the major flaws with Prince Caspian is that it was far too forgettable. I honestly can't remember much of anything that happened. I don't think that will happen with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This movie featured some memorable action sequences, a cool dragon twist, and some exciting moments throughout the film. This felt like a very different movie than the first two, which was badly needed. It feels like this franchise opened Narnia up to new adventures. I enjoyed that.

The biggest problem with this movie is similar to the first two- the main characters just leave so much to be desired. I am not a huge fan of the Pevensie kids (as characters) or the actors who play them. I never really felt connected to any of them or particularly liked them at all. This is a major flaw. Part of the problem with the previous films is that with four "main" characters we don't get to spend enough time with any of them. I was a bit disappointed at first that Peter and Susan would not be part of this movie, but it helped immensely to spend time with only two Pevensies. We get to identify much more with them because we have more time to get to know them as characters. This is a bit benefit. Unfortunately, we also get their cousin, Eustace, which brings the "main" characters back to three. Still, it's a slight improvement.

I thought Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes were more comfortable in their roles. I never felt like they were completely comfortable before, or made the characters their own. I felt like they were just struggling to keep up. That feeling decreased dramatically with this film, which is good. I also was surprised how much I liked Will Poulter as their cousin, Eustace. Poulter has a tough assignment here, and he pulls it off very well. I am actually looking forward to the future adventures of Eustace in Narnia.

While this film was an improvement over the previous installment, it still left a good deal to be desired. I sometimes feel like the "PG" rating holds this franchise back from its true potential. Everything feels a bit too sanitized. I want a little more danger and blood. That would make the stakes feel higher. So, while I enjoyed this adventure movie, I still wish it had been better. It improves on the 2nd film, but not enough to make that much of a difference. The bigger result is that this film, in small ways, reinvigorated the franchise. After Prince Caspian, I honestly didn't care if they ever made another Chronicles of Narnia film. After this one, I'm actually looking forward to movie #4. I still doubt it'll be particularly great, but I have hopes that it will be another decently good movie. I'm okay with that.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader isn't what it could have been, but it is still a solid movie. I enjoyed the action and the adventure, and I thought the message (particularly at the end) was pretty good. I liked this movie, and I'm excited to see where this franchise goes in the future.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Lord of the Rings trilogy