Continuing C.S. Lewis’s compelling book series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) showcases a story of temptation, animosity, magic and victory.
This Walden Media movie, the third in the Narnia series and directed by Michael Apted, was released in December of 2010.
The film begins where the second Narnia installment ends — with World War II still going on. Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley) and her brother, Edmund (Skandar Keynes), are visiting their cousin, Eustace (Will Poulter), and are magically transported to Narnia through a picture of a ship in the ocean.
The trio finds themselves in the ocean, with a ship called The Dawn Treader approaching them. Aboard the ship is Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) and Reepicheep, the mouse (Simon Pegg).
They bring the children on and inform them of a fog which makes islanders disappear. Rumors suggest that the mist comes from an unknown island, so the adventure begins when they set sail for clues all over Narnia to find where the mist lies.
From there, the team embarks on a treacherous journey. The characters encounter both desolate islands and lands of invisible creatures, where evil lurks, seeking to devour life.
While on this journey, each encounters a personal form of temptation. Lucy is tempted with vanity, and wants to be as beautiful as her sister, Susan. Through this, she learns to accept herself and not be envious of others.
When they finally land on the infamous island, Lucy, Edmund and Eustace must fight their way out as their deepest fears come alive and haunt them.
Overall, the acting in this movie was much better than in the previous Narnia movies; there was a much more compelling character emphasis. Poulter did a great job on his acting as a sophomoric child, but Keynes could have improved on his facial and physical acting. He had a straight face all the time and rarely smiled or made expressions, whereas Henley always had a smile on her face.
As for the artistic aspects, the movie was beautiful. The music and orchestras successfully set the tone for any scene, whether it was intense, peaceful or anywhere in between.
One of the best songs picked for the movie was “There’s a Place For Us,” sung by country star Carrie Underwood. Because the movie deals with characters finding their identity, the lyrics deliver the message that everyone has a place in life.
In addition, the costumes were accurate with the time, setting and atmosphere of the movie, bringing the story to life.
A major theme in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader are the temptations, such as self-indulgence, vanity and animosity between companions. One of my favorite aspects of the movie was the way that each character deals with the obstacles and how all the characters unite as a team.
Like in the other Narnia movies, I was expecting more action and suspense — and my expectations were not quite met. Despite the lack of excitement in the first portion, the ending was awesome, filled with the combat and suspense I yearned for.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is far better than Prince Caspian (2008) and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) installments. Its setting of water and islands was a refreshing change, and despite critical reviews, the movie left me with a positive opinion.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is rated PG for some frightening images and sequences of fantasy action. The movie is currently playing at most local theaters. For tickets and showtimes, visit Fandango.
For more movie reviews, read the Jan. 13 article, ‘True Grit’ succeeds despite plot slump.
