Synopsis: Lucy and Edmund return to Narnia for a voyage with Prince Caspian on the Dawn Treader.
Release Date: December 10, 2010 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Children and Family, Drama
Film Review
Production
On the third adventure to Narnia, Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) travel without their two older siblings as they have grown up and moved to America. Lucy and Edmund have been left behind to live with their aunt and uncle as well as their obnoxious cousin Eustace (Will Poulter). When a painting of the sea and a ship comes alive in Lucy’s bedroom it is her and Edmund, along with Eustace, who get swept into the current and taken to the sea of Narnia, and placed upon Prince Caspian’s (Ben Barnes) ship. Before long the reason for their return is made apparent as they must assist Prince Caspian in discovering the location of an evil green mist that has been collecting Narnian’s in order to fuel its evil. So the adventure begins on the high seas but it never reaches a charged high. There are an array of visuals that are outstanding but the grounding story of the film does not rouse the viewer. The characters are all dealing with their own obstacles to overcome, be them the desire to be someone else or letting go of their demons from the past, but it is all vacant of actual substance and it does little to add a layer of depth to the film. Whether or not they succeed on their mission is trivial as one never feels they are in any large amount of danger as the stakes are never raised and the momentum of the story never grows. The film itself is pleasant to watch and easy to get through as the minutes pass but it is also completely forgettable once over. Lucy and Edmund have grown up and with that they have lost much of the childish awe that enticed them in Narnia; and so have the movies as they draw to a close with this final installment in the Franchise.
Special Effects
Impressed? Very. From the talking Minotuar or the sword wielding rat the characters of Narnia are exemplarily conceived and rendered. You could even go so far as to call them real because your eyes will never tell you different. The most impressive creation of all is the Dragon. Eunice comes under a spell and is turned into a dragon for a good duration of the film. He may have been a real boy but it is the realness of him as a dragon that is amazing. I would even go so far as to say this is by far the best animated dragon I have ever seen in a live-action picture. I for one could not stop looking at the scales and admiring how the depth of them made me feel like I could reach out and touch one and it would feel like we imagine the tough scales of a mythical dragon to feel like. The fanciful imagination of this adventure story only really exists from the mythical creatures it introduces us too, and does so well. The realness the effects team has been able to achieve is beyond reality on screen for it breaks the line between what your eyes know to be real and what they know to be fake. Narnia remains a magical place of wonderment for the eye to behold.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Michael AptedPhilip Steuer
- Producer(s): Christopher MarkusStephen McFeelyMichael Petroni
- Screenwriter(s): Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie)Skandar Keynes (Edmund Pevensie)Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian)
- Story: Will Poulter (Eustace Scrubb)
- Cast: Tilda Swinton (The White Witch) Rick ShaineDante SpinottiBarry Robison
- Editor(s):
- Cinematographer: David Arnold
- Production Designer(s):
- Costume Designer:
- Casting Director(s):
- Music Score:
- Music Performed By:
- Country Of Origin: USA