The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Directed by: Michael Apted
Starring: Georgie Hendley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes,
Liam Neeson (voice)
Rated: PG-13 for some frightening images and sequences of
fantasy action.
Starring: Georgie Hendley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes,
Liam Neeson (voice)
Rated: PG-13 for some frightening images and sequences of
fantasy action.
As a reviewer, one often tries to put personal ties and opinions aside when considering a movie. However, this film I am going to make an exception. There is no franchise that is as tied to me, personally, as the Narnia franchise. With the exception of Superman, the Narnia series are the oldest childhood stories I remember reading, watching, and playing as a kid. I remember fighting off invisible Calormen with sticks as a kid, and sitting in my second grade classroom, trying to finish my assignments quickly so I could read Dawn Treader while the other kids worked. Narnia is in my blood. It brings me back to my childhood.
I believe it was my love of Narnia that kept me from seeing the new Dawn Treader film for so long; I had a bad feeling about it. However, I recently broke down I watched the latest (and perhaps last) of the Narnia films. After a strong start with the ever-popular The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe film, the franchise received a setback with the not-so-popular (yet best film in the series) followup, Prince Caspian. When the film failed to deliver the revenue expected, Disney dropped the franchise, the director of the first two installments moved on, and the series seemed to be in trouble with the toughest adaptation ahead of it; Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Eventually, the project became a reality, but I'm not sure it was for the best. Despite being the toughest adaptation, the Dawn Treader film doesn't just sink; it never leaves the dock. Michael Apted, president of the Directors Guild and fresh off the solid film Amazing Grace doesn't seem to get the themes of the story right, the performances are stale, and the film is extremely rushed. (The kids are back in Narnia within the first seven minutes of the film; no setup here.) While I'm hardly a book purist (which especially shows considering my love for the Caspian adaptation), Dawn Treader almost feels more restricted by the book, as if the film they wanted to make was forced to follow the path the book. The film doesn't have any sense of style, themes, or messages that the first films had, either. Despite having several returning characters, we don't seem to care for any of them, because they're all uninteresting. It's like a bad Masterpiece Theater adaptation, where a beloved story becomes a boring and meaningless film shot on sad handheld digital camcorders. This multi-million dollar film isn't even as good as the 1980s BBC version.
The end of Dawn Treader was always heartbreaking for me, because it's the "last" in the series with the Pevensies, Reepicheep, and pretty much with Caspian. As Lucy and Edmond see their friends from Narnia for the last time in the film, I suddenly felt some emotion. It was sadness, but it was not evoked from the story. I was sad because I felt that these pivotal characters in Narnia deserved a greater send off then the movie they were given. Ever since Walden took over the Narnia films, I always thought that it would be great to see all the books adapted to the screen. After Dawn Treader, I realized maybe that isn't the best thing. Perhaps the journey should end here, and save us fans the heartbreak.
I believe it was my love of Narnia that kept me from seeing the new Dawn Treader film for so long; I had a bad feeling about it. However, I recently broke down I watched the latest (and perhaps last) of the Narnia films. After a strong start with the ever-popular The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe film, the franchise received a setback with the not-so-popular (yet best film in the series) followup, Prince Caspian. When the film failed to deliver the revenue expected, Disney dropped the franchise, the director of the first two installments moved on, and the series seemed to be in trouble with the toughest adaptation ahead of it; Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Eventually, the project became a reality, but I'm not sure it was for the best. Despite being the toughest adaptation, the Dawn Treader film doesn't just sink; it never leaves the dock. Michael Apted, president of the Directors Guild and fresh off the solid film Amazing Grace doesn't seem to get the themes of the story right, the performances are stale, and the film is extremely rushed. (The kids are back in Narnia within the first seven minutes of the film; no setup here.) While I'm hardly a book purist (which especially shows considering my love for the Caspian adaptation), Dawn Treader almost feels more restricted by the book, as if the film they wanted to make was forced to follow the path the book. The film doesn't have any sense of style, themes, or messages that the first films had, either. Despite having several returning characters, we don't seem to care for any of them, because they're all uninteresting. It's like a bad Masterpiece Theater adaptation, where a beloved story becomes a boring and meaningless film shot on sad handheld digital camcorders. This multi-million dollar film isn't even as good as the 1980s BBC version.
The end of Dawn Treader was always heartbreaking for me, because it's the "last" in the series with the Pevensies, Reepicheep, and pretty much with Caspian. As Lucy and Edmond see their friends from Narnia for the last time in the film, I suddenly felt some emotion. It was sadness, but it was not evoked from the story. I was sad because I felt that these pivotal characters in Narnia deserved a greater send off then the movie they were given. Ever since Walden took over the Narnia films, I always thought that it would be great to see all the books adapted to the screen. After Dawn Treader, I realized maybe that isn't the best thing. Perhaps the journey should end here, and save us fans the heartbreak.
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