2008's "Chronicles of Narnia" sequel, "Prince Caspian" had a comparatively disappointing turn-out, making less than half what it's predecessor had ($141 million to the original's $291). So I must admit I was a little surprised to see Walden Media had decided to go ahead with "Voyage of the Dawn Treader".
This installment, the third in the 7 book series, begins 1 year after the conclusion of "Prince Caspian". The world is still at war, and the youngest Penvensie siblings, Edmund and Lucy, have been sent to Cambridge to stay with family while their mother and older siblings have followed their father to his assignment in America. While discussing their wish to return to Narnia, and especially to escape their unpleasant cousin Eustace, Lucy notices a painting on her wall. Within moments, the painting comes alive, and pulls Lucy, Edmund, and the horrid Eustace into the water. The three are soon rescued by their friend Caspian, now King of Narnia. Three years have passed, in Narnian time, and Caspian has brought peace to most of Narnia. He recruits Edmund and Lucy to help find the seven lost lords, who have not been seen since before the death of Caspian's father years earlier. Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems in Narnia, and before long the children are on a quest to reunite the lords' magic swords and save Narnia from a mysterious evil.
While this film is definitely more action packed than the previous installments, it remains essentially a character driven film. With heavier material, it is not unusual for young actors to stumble their way through a performance. Georgie Henley and Skander Keynes, returning as Lucy and Edmund Penvensie, have happily avoided this pitfall. For Henley, especially, this film brings a higher level of emotional depth. Lucy, previously portrayed as a naive, though brave, child is growing into a young woman. The 15 yr old actress deftly handles the emotional ups and downs of a teenage girl fighting extraordinary circumstances while dealing with the very average concerns of self-image all girls face. I look forward to seeing more of Henley.
The failing of this cast seems to be Will Poulter, portraying Edmund and Lucy's annoying cousin Eustace. Poulter appears to be much younger than his 17 yrs, both physically and in maturity. It is difficult to tell if the problem lies in the character, or Poulter's portrayal. Each time he appears on-screen it is difficult to focus on the story, as I was continually distracted by what appeared to be a bad case of over-acting. As the film progresses, Eustace undergoes several changes, both magical and otherwise. In his later scenes, he appears to have found some realism in his character. It's just a shame it took an hour and 20 minutes to accomplish.
The film, shot in Queensland, Australia, is beautifully shot, truly taking advantage of the wonderful locations. What it lacks, however, is the utilization of the full potential of Real-D 3D technology. This does not feel like a film shot in 3D, rather it appears to have been hastily added in post-production. Scenes at the beginning and end of the film, the entrance to and exit from Narnia, are breathtaking. The rest falls quite flat, no pun intended. This is the kind of film 3D technology is made for. Fantastical creatures, fierce battles, and magic could have all benefited from being presented in 3D. In "Narnia", these elements are virtually ignored.
At 1 hour and 52 minutes, this is by far the shortest of the "Narnia" films, coming in a full half hour less than "Prince Caspian". This is truly a blessing, as it manages to avoid the dragging feeling so evident in the first films. Over all, I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable film. Given the chance, I would recommend it be viewed in traditional format. But the plot is strong, the characters are generally well developed, and even the religious references so common in all of Lewis's works are kept to a minimum. For Narnia fans, this could absolutely become a quick favorite.
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