“It’s like a Pirates Of The Caribbean rip-off,” my friend whispered to me halfway into the movie. “And a Harry Potter rip-off as well,” he murmured again, toward the end. To all fans of the seven-book series, do not be distressed—I set him straight. “The Chronicles of Narnia came out way before Pirates of the Caribbean or Harry Potter!” I yelled when the credits rolled.
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| PHOTO COURTESY OF 20th CENTURY FOX |
But, I must say, he did have a point.The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third installment in the Chronicles of Narnia series. It sees Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), now King Caspian, traveling the world in search of the seven missing Narnian lords. Unlike the first two movies, the four children have been cut down to two. Only Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes), along with their cousin, Eustace (Will Poulter), have come back to help King Caspian in his quest this time round. Besides battling evil characters on the outside, both Lucy and Edmund struggle with internal demons of self-doubt and self-esteem, being the youngest two of the pack.
From a narrative viewpoint, this didn’t really make the cut. The momentous quest of stopping a great evil seemed as though it was hastily squeezed in just so that it would add a climax to an otherwise dry re-telling of the adventure.
That said, the final fight scene must be commended for its excellent computer graphics. The expertly rendered sea monster, especially if you catch it in 3D, is huge and terrifying—the stuff nightmares are made of. The film would make a great introduction to the Narnian series for kids, but adults like my friend would probably find many scenes lacking the element of surprise or excitement, even with all the visuals and special effects.
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