Narnia ahoy!
THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
Director: Michael Apted
Cert. PG
Running time: 113 minutes
The third in the Narnia film series follows Lucy and Edmund as they again enter Narnia. Their cousin Eustace follows, and they find themselves aboard the Dawn Treader, with Caspian already midway on a rescue mission.
The structure of the book makes the narrative unavoidably episodic, as the vessel makes its way from one strange island to another. Together with the lightening quick way that the story dives into the action, this might alienate those unfamiliar with the characters, but also has the positive effect of making this a non-stop, thrilling action epic.
The child actors have grown up somewhat, delivering some of the best performances in the series so far. The highlight is newcomer Will Poulter as Eustace, who has no time for his cousin’s tales of a fantastical land, even when he finds himself in it! His outraged antics make him a real crowd-pleaser.
Lucy is the crux of a particularly positive message in the film, as evil tries to use her envy of her sister’s beauty to its advantage. Aslan reminds her not to doubt her own value, and what with unhealthy images of women everywhere, what could be a better message for young girls today?
The Christian parallels of the books make the transition from page to screen largely intact. With lines such as, ‘We have nothing, if not belief’, at least some sense of the Christian message is brought to audiences. Aslan’s presence is more God-like in this film, as he utters the all-important line, ‘In your world I have another name’.
This is top family entertainment. The more who brave the cold to see it the more likely 2011 will bring a fourth film. With its roller coaster plot, cutting-edge effects and uplifting messages, it’s well worth it.
