Arriving at the Empire Cinema in Leicester Square last Sunday I was, perhaps understandably, feeling a little bit ambivalent. The Narnia books had been childhood favourites of mine and although the first couple of films had had a good stab at recreating the magic I enjoyed as a youngling they had somehow fallen short for me. For stories rooted so deeply in spirituality and exploration of the self the films had felt somewhat surface; superficial; in places even callow. I’m pleased to report that The Voyage of the Dawn Treader rectifies all of the wrongs done to me by Walden Media’s previous adventures in the wondrous world of Narnia.
For those unfamiliar with the plot Susan and Peter Pevensie have grown up and gone off on their own personal quests in our world leaving Edmond and Lucy staying with their, rather destestable, cousin Eustace and simultaneously wishing themselves away to the land of Narnia. Their wishes are soon granted as they are transported, via an enchanted painting, back to the land in which furry creatures speak and in which a Liam Neeson voiced CGI Lion watches fondly over you. Eustace is begrudgingly along for the ride and is less than happy about sharing sleeping quarters with a Minotaur.
Unlike its predecessors this film is clever on a number of levels. Firstly it cuts the preamble. There’re no long and confused looks between siblings or unnecessary scenes with disbelieving adults here. The children are almost instantly right where the audience want them to be: on the decks of the dragon-helmed Dawn Treader sailing their way through a quest to find seven sacred swords. Secondly, the casting of the newest member of the kids-on-quests crew: useless cousin Eustace is impeccable. Will Poulter of Son of Rambow fame puts everything he has into delivering clipped dialogue and ill, contorted expressions that perfectly capture the acidic nature of the original Eustace from the book. Thirdly the pacing of this film is pitch-perfect for the most part. Just when it seems the action is going to lull for a little while another twist occurs putting those inadvertantly troublesome Pevensie kids in jeopardy once again.
The real triumph of this picture, however, is the depth it offers in comparison to earlier films in the Narnia series. The director, Michael Apted, takes his time to explore the ideas of temptation, personal growth and spirituality in a manner that appeals to both adults and children. Deep issues are raised about the importance of valuing ourselves as human beings whilst simultaneously understanding and accepting the darknesses within us. When Lucy wishes herself into her sister’s body, the effects at this point are superb, Aslan warns her about wishing herself away and when temptation manifests in physical form Edmond’s old and envy-driven demons with the White Witch once again resurface.
As this film explores the darker side to the, admittedly otherwise insipid, Pevensie children it is undoubtedly more gripping. I understand the need to pitch the Pevensies as the heroes however all that do-gooding does get a little bit tired eventually so it is most rewarding to see them wrestling with the serpents of their conscience a little bit. My only minor gripe about this film is that the 3D elements added very little, if anything to the enjoyment of the story. Unfortunately studios are increasingly using 3D as an unnecessary gimmick to get unwitting parents to hand over their dosh and it, in my opininon, cheapens the experience of their film.
This is a piece that is well-paced and well-acted. One that touches very subtle depths and one that had me coming out of the cinema wishing I had a CGI lion of my very own to follow me around. Why oh why would a film like that need 3D to pull in a crowd?
Despite the poor judgement about 3D this will undoubtedly become a festive classic, it might even replace Disney’s Dumbo on a Christmas morn. Given that the TV stations have been airing Dumbo for the last thirty years or so without fail, however, I’m not going to hold my (dragon’s) breath on that one.
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is out in UK cinemas 10th December.
Director: Michael Apted
Cast: Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Will Poulter, Liam Neeson, Simon Pegg
Runtime: 115 min
Country: USA
Film Rating: 
