Editorial
Front Page - Friday, December 17, 2010
The Critic's Corner
David Laprad
When my son was young, we’d play a game in which we’d take turns making up part of a story. Tales that began with, “Once upon a time” would quickly scale the heights of absurdity as my son added one bizarre detail after another. What I remember most about the game, though, was how he’d introduce each plot twist with the words, “And then ...”
“And then the princess jumped out of the tower to escape the witch! And then the prince caught her in his arms! And then they rode off into the forest on his horse! And then some flying monkeys started chasing them! And then the prince sent an email to the Ewoks asking for help!”
The new Chronicles of Narnia movie, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” has the same childlike zeal for aimless adventure. Unfortunately, it lacks a coherent narrative, and its action sequences are hampered by a smaller production budget than the last movie.
Based on the third novel in C.S. Lewis’ series of seven classic children’s novels, “Dawn Treader” sees Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia for another adventure. Although their objective is buried in a muddled storyline, two things are clear: they must find the seven lost lords of Narnia and break a curse that’s holding innocent people captive on a sinister island. Eustace, cousin to the Pevensie children, also gets caught up in the quest.
So, the movie begins with Lucy, Edmund and Eustace staring at a painting of the Dawn Treader, a Narnian ship, sailing across choppy waters. And then the waves start moving. And then the ocean pours out of the painting and fills the room. And then the three children swim to the surface and find themselves treading water in Narnia. And then the crew of the Dawn Treader rescues them. And then they reunite with Reepicheep the Mouse and Caspian, who’s now king of Narnia.
And then Caspian tells them they’re searching for the lost lords. And then they stop at an island and are captured by slave traders. And then they escape. And then they rescue one of the lords. And then they go to another island, where the unpleasant Eustace wanders off and finds a dragon’s treasure horde, and begins to stuff his pockets with jewelry and gold. And then he becomes a dragon who will eventually save the day.
And then they go to another island, where an enchanted pool of water turns everything to gold. And then they go to another island where nightmares come true. And then...
Still interested? I wasn’t. As the crew of the Dawn Treader battled a vague evil and the movie drew closer to a murky conclusion, my interest waned. I did notice how the action was scaled back from “Prince Caspian,” and how the visual effects lacked punch. Although the dragon was well animated, a sea creature the crew fights near the end of the movie was poorly rendered, and the dark confines of the cave in which the battle took place only made matters worse.
Also, the 3D was of no consequence. Evidently, “Dawn Treader” was post-converted to 3D, which means it was shot in 2D and turned into a 3D film after the fact. That’s like paying for pasta primavera at a fine Italian restaurant and being served Ramen noodles instead.
More bothersome was how all of the emotional moments hit the deck of the Dawn Treader with a clang. For example, when Caspian stands before his crew and gives what is supposed to be a rousing speech, I couldn’t help but think of how the scene paled in comparison the scope and feeling of King Aragorn’s pep talks in “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.”
While young children will probably like “Dawn Treader,” and the performance of Will Poulter as Eustace is inspired, the movie holds little appeal for Narnia’s adult fans. The magic and wonder of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” is missing, as is the excitement and large-scale action of “Prince Caspian.” The skin and bones that remain feel episodic, and do nothing to move the series forward.
I’ll be surprised if the studios involved in producing “Dawn Treader” make another Narnia movie. There’s no sense of movement toward a climactic showdown, as in the “Harry Potter” series, and creatively, the series is now limping along. Worse, while Eustace makes an appearance in “The Silver Chair,” the Pevensie children are gone for good, which would be like making a Potter movie without Harry, Ron or Hermione. Ultimately, box office returns determine these things, and with “Caspian” grossing around half of what the first movie did, and “Dawn Treader” delivering disappointing returns last weekend, it looks like the Narnia series is sunk.
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
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