So I decided to choose a movie that is still in theaters...the most recent Chronicles of Narnia movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
I saw this with a couple of girlfriends and enjoyed it so much! It exceeded my wildest expectations and thus pleased me immensely.
Let me give you a little piece of advice-if you are looking for a Narnia movie that follows the book really well, VoDT will not be your pick. It definitely strays from the book, but it has other redeeming values that save it. The first movie certainly is the best at following the book.
So why do I like this movie so much? First off, the children have grown so much-it's really quite stunning. I talked to some other friends and they recognized the same thing. Lucy in particular has grown so much since the first movie! It's pretty great to see glimpses of her and think "Aw, it's little Lucy!" (or Georgie, as the case may be.) And then there's Reepicheep. He is certainly the most adorable mouse ever seen on screen. You will be constantly amused by his playful jabs at Eustace and love him for his kindness to the same character, although Eustace is (understandably) a jerk.
Next, the cinematography is amazing. The ship is absolutely beautiful. Although some may argue that it looks as if it was just pulled out of a parade, that's what makes it so great. You see the Dawn Treader in all her glory.
The character of Eustace is just perfect. Will Poulter succeeds in making himself the jerkiest person he can possibly be, as Eustace should be. However, he's so rotten that when Eustace finally changes into a genuinely kind person, you are immediately entranced. I can't wait to see him in The Silver Chair.
And finally, the ending was played out so well. Although I would have liked to see some of the Baptismal significance that was in the book and some of the obvious things pulled out of the Bible that were in the book...directors' must be given some grace. At least they kept in the part where Aslan says, "I have another name in your world. You must learn to know me by that name." That has some obvious religious significance and it's great that they kept it in there. Bravo!
Although some parts are a little...well...interesting, such as the fact that Reepicheep's coracle is right there, like someone had actually purposely set it there (such as the person who set the scene?),the ending is the perfect finale. Lucy, Eustace, and Edmund all cry and they are such real tears! I cried with them...after all, in the book, Lucy is about my age when she leaves. It's really quite heart-wrenching to see anyone leave that beautiful land forever. When I told one of my friends that I cried, he quickly responded, "They...grew...up! Whoop-de-doo! It's not something to cry about." Well, the way it is done...it really is. It certainly pulls at your heart strings. As you can tell, I give The Voyage of the Dawn Treader a five-star. It was my favorite Narnia. What about you?
In XC,
Cady
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