After two film adaptations of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Disney jumped ship. Yes, it did jump ship, and now Fox has the keys to the Kingdom. And with a change in directors to Michael Apted, the third Narnia movie, subtitled The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is definitely different than the last two.
And not just because of the optional 3d showings which I skipped out on.
While their siblings are studying in America, the two youngest Pevensie kids, Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) have to live with their obnoxious cousin Eustace (Will Poulter). Eustace refuses to believe that Narnia exists, even when a normal-looking painting starts flooding the room, leading them aboard the titular vessel.
The Dawn Treader’s captain is the Narnian King Caspian (Ben Barnes), who has set out on a quest to find the Seven Lost Lords of Narnia. That’s because only their magical swords can lift the evil mist threatening to swallow the world. Of course, the only thing threatening our heroes is our heroes themselves.
Unlike the last two films, this one clocks in at 110 minutes, rather than 2 ½ hours. On screen, this results in the most concise and fast-paced of the Narnia franchise. Sometimes, it felt a bit too fast-paced, but thanks to the young stars, it does hold the attention span more often.
While I skipped out on the 3d, quite a lot of the effects look suited for the format. In fact, the effects here were quite expectantly good. My favorite effects were for the one-legged hopping Bigfoot dwarves called the Dufflepuds.
The next Narnia book, and likely next Narnia film, has the unimpressive title of The Silver Chair. Yet, this current Narnia film is impressive enough that it’s good for fans and neophytes alike.
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