The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is far and away my favorite film of the Narnia trilogy. C.S. Lewis masterfully continued his Narnia novels by marginalizing the older original characters, Peter and Susan, to make room for Lucy “(Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) Pevensie, and their vexing cousin, Eustace (Will Poulter). Feeling bored with their confinement, and depressed by the War, Lucy and Edmund begin reminiscing about their adventures in Narnia. Edmund is depressed because in the “real” world, he is an ordinary boy, while in Narnia, he is a King of Kings (sorry Percy B. Shelley; I am a devotee of “Ozymandias”). Meanwhile, Lucy notices their painting looks suspiciously familiar. While trying to unravel the mystery of the undulating canvas, Eustace enters the room. Eustace is a feckless, freckled, spoiled, young English brat full of scorn and spite for his overly-imaginative cousins. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is as much Eustace’s tale of entering manhood as it is anyone’s.

Suddenly, and without warning (or a wardrobe), the watery contents of their painting inundate the locked bedroom, and all three or the main characters are carried away by the Narnian currents. Fortunately, the ship Lucy noticed moving in the painting turns out to be the royal vessel belonging to now King Caspian (Ben Barnes). Once rescued from the water, Lucy, Edmund and Eustace are brought aboard the Dawn Treader. It turns out that since they left, Prince Caspian and his armies have secured most of Narnia for a reign of peace and prosperity, thus officially making Caspian their king. All that remains is for Caspian to reach beyond Narnia to free slaves, explore new lands, and to unite the entire world (as he knows it). Having Lucy and Edmund return is a boon and a threat, all at once. There are many temptations they will have to face, and new challenges they will need to overcome in order to help Caspian.

Onboard the Dawn Treader is a stout Minotaur, a sword-wielding mouse, a stern captain, and a host of other mythical and magical creatures. Without them, the Dawn Treader and its many adventures would not succeed. Caspian’s first stop is to an ostensibly abandoned island. Once inside the eerily quiet main compound Caspian, Lucy, Eustace, and Edmund are attacked and imprisoned. Once incarcerated, by coincidence, Caspian and Edmund meet an old Narnian and friend of Aslan (the eminent Liam Neeson). The beaten and forlorn Lord explains to Caspian his quest to restore order by bringing the seven swords of Aslan to the table at the lion’s fortress; only then could all of Narnia and the surrounding lands finally be united and safe. The Dawn Treader’s crew rescues our mainstays so they may follow the Lord’s quest with the aid of his sword, one of the seven necessary to activate Aslan’s magic.

Rather than parroting Lewis’ novel, it is better for readers to enjoy a highlight reel of sorts to whet their appetites for this picture. As with any naval voyage, there are sea monsters that may very well jump out of the screen and bite audiences! Eustace is transmutated into a scaly fire-breathing dragon; it is as a dragon that his character ceases to be a whiny impediment, and becomes a heroic warrior. The kingdom of Aslan is beautiful, albeit an awful lot like the Round Table from Arthurian legends. The most satisfying visuals occur when the maligned green mist looks into the minds of our protagonists to detect their fears and make them a reality. So much of this adventure is about temptation and suspicion. The White Witch’s (Tilda Swinton) likeness often reappears to torment and tempt Edmund to betray Caspian and to become her king. The White Witch even offers Edmund a Turkish breakfast (I mean Turkish Delight) to sweeten the deal. The treasures that Edmund and Eustace are offered are boundless and magnificent. I myself would venture to Narnia to extract billions of dollars worth of gold artifacts. But alas, nobody is allowed to remove possessions from Narnia.

If I was obliged to complain about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I would proffer two comments; the first is about the lack of danger faced by the lead characters, and the second is about the Jesus Christ overtones supplied by Aslan. Despite the many perils Lucy, Edmund, Eustace and Caspian, face their lives never seem to be threatened; their survival is an almost foregone conclusion. This drains any suspense, but it does lend to the experience of enjoying The Chronicles of Narnia in 3D. Although the 3D effects are not groundbreaking, they are a perfect complement to the action onscreen. The stunts and special effects are bolstered by the 3D element. It is revealed at the end that Aslan is really Jesus Christ, and that which lies beyond his kingdom is heaven. To quote Hamlet, it is “The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns”. I have read about Lewis’ predilection with apocalyptic theology, but this is a bit much for a young adult’s film. Overall, despite harboring reservations about Eustace, Director Michael Apted beautifully teases out his growth as a person. Eustace begins as a wise-acre naysayer, yet turns out to be a real mensch. The growth of the characters is everything to the franchise, especially if we are in store for a fourth adventure. I say bring it on, just please, forget about the second film, as it is a snooze fest. Pardon my snoring and enjoy the show.