You know you're not worth saving when the House of Mouse gives up on you. Disney never turns down a chance to make money, but they threw in the towel after the substantial returns for their first outing in C.S. Lewis's apparently beloved Chronicles of Narnia series (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe) failed to continue through the burgeoning franchise's second outing, Prince Caspian. That left Walden Media to find a new studio suitor -- and somehow, they conned Fox into footing the bill this time around. While Voyage of the Dawn Treader definitely benefits from the change in production house, it's a very modest improvement at best.
As before, it's World War II and the bombing of London is in full swing. Riding out the Blitz is Edmund Pevensie (Skandar Keynes), and his sister Lucy (Georgie Henley), the only members of the original clan capable of returning to the magical realm of Narnia. Unfortunately, they are currently stuck in England with their priggish cousin Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter) who enjoys making their lives miserable. One day, a seascape painting in their bedroom comes to life, whisking the trio back to help Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) as he pilots the ship The Dawn Treader on a quest for the Seven Swords of the Seven Lords. With trusty "mouse"keteer Reepicheep (voiced by Simon Pegg) by their side, they will try to locate the ancient talismans while keeping the evil Dark Isle from destroying their beloved land.
For many if not most, The Chronicles of Narnia films will always be Lord of the Rings Lite. They come across as cynical cash grabs from executives still kicking themselves over turning down J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth epics. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will not change that impression. In fact, with the numerous modifications made to Lewis's original tale, many may feel that this film is even less like its predecessors, for good and for bad. The main focus with the first two Narnia films was a desire to balance religion and fantasy -- never an easy juxtaposition. Here, director Michael Apted (perhaps best known for his Up! documentary series) ditches most of Lewis's profundities for a lot more derring-do, the result being a slightly more enjoyable time. Of course, when we get to the finale and a visit to Aslan's Island, we're bogged down by the Bible once again.
More annoying are the individual trials our characters are given. While Ms. Henley is never going to be a supermodel, her envious descent into beauty issues is legitimately laughable. Similarly, the return of Tilda Swinton's pointless White Witch does little except force young Master Keynes to prove how pathetic his Edmund really is. While the unconscionably annoying Eustace gets a grand comeuppance (being turned into a dragon can do that to a little British snot), almost all of the epiphanies are sappy and uninspired. They don't add up to anything truly significant. Instead, they function as staid stepping stones in a mandatory move from one overblown objective to another.
While better paced and more "popcorn-oriented", The Voyage of the Dawn Treader still suffers from being part of that nonsense known as Narnia. No matter the eventual box office, this series will always be a gamble that barely, if ever, pays off. There's just not enough life in this languid tale to engage the viewer. Experiencing these routine religious allegories on the page is one thing. Your mind can fill in a lot of the blanks. On the big screen however, the Chronicles of Narnia always seem to be stuck somewhere between the Hobbits and Harry Potter. As usual, it's not a pleasant position to be in.
As before, it's World War II and the bombing of London is in full swing. Riding out the Blitz is Edmund Pevensie (Skandar Keynes), and his sister Lucy (Georgie Henley), the only members of the original clan capable of returning to the magical realm of Narnia. Unfortunately, they are currently stuck in England with their priggish cousin Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter) who enjoys making their lives miserable. One day, a seascape painting in their bedroom comes to life, whisking the trio back to help Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) as he pilots the ship The Dawn Treader on a quest for the Seven Swords of the Seven Lords. With trusty "mouse"keteer Reepicheep (voiced by Simon Pegg) by their side, they will try to locate the ancient talismans while keeping the evil Dark Isle from destroying their beloved land.
For many if not most, The Chronicles of Narnia films will always be Lord of the Rings Lite. They come across as cynical cash grabs from executives still kicking themselves over turning down J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth epics. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will not change that impression. In fact, with the numerous modifications made to Lewis's original tale, many may feel that this film is even less like its predecessors, for good and for bad. The main focus with the first two Narnia films was a desire to balance religion and fantasy -- never an easy juxtaposition. Here, director Michael Apted (perhaps best known for his Up! documentary series) ditches most of Lewis's profundities for a lot more derring-do, the result being a slightly more enjoyable time. Of course, when we get to the finale and a visit to Aslan's Island, we're bogged down by the Bible once again.
More annoying are the individual trials our characters are given. While Ms. Henley is never going to be a supermodel, her envious descent into beauty issues is legitimately laughable. Similarly, the return of Tilda Swinton's pointless White Witch does little except force young Master Keynes to prove how pathetic his Edmund really is. While the unconscionably annoying Eustace gets a grand comeuppance (being turned into a dragon can do that to a little British snot), almost all of the epiphanies are sappy and uninspired. They don't add up to anything truly significant. Instead, they function as staid stepping stones in a mandatory move from one overblown objective to another.
While better paced and more "popcorn-oriented", The Voyage of the Dawn Treader still suffers from being part of that nonsense known as Narnia. No matter the eventual box office, this series will always be a gamble that barely, if ever, pays off. There's just not enough life in this languid tale to engage the viewer. Experiencing these routine religious allegories on the page is one thing. Your mind can fill in a lot of the blanks. On the big screen however, the Chronicles of Narnia always seem to be stuck somewhere between the Hobbits and Harry Potter. As usual, it's not a pleasant position to be in.
