So once there was this guy named C.S. Lewis, and he wrote this amazing series of novels about a magical land called Narnia. One of the most amazing of these seven stories is called The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The framework of the story is a sea voyage, but the themes are deeper themes of personal development and . . .
. . . the new movie based on this book touches on some of them, and they get in most of the key episodic elements, but I kind of feel like they missed the overall point. Also, somebody in Walden Media is clearly a Lost fan. I don't really think mini green Smoke Monsters were exactly what Lewis had in mind. Somehow. I dunno. There was also something highly reminiscent of a hatch moment, some "Others," eerie whispering voices, and some sort of nameless evil that had to be overcome by a more or less arbitrary action which, in the end, didn't seem to answer any questions or have much to do with anything.
Also, not related to Lost, the undragoning of Eustace was pretty disappointing . . . although not as disappointing as I was afraid it was going to be.
I think if you don't know the story, it was probably a decent movie as far as entertainment goes. But I just threw in a spoiler so . . . maybe not. Heh.
8 comments:
I thought it was a little disappointing compared to the first two movies but when Reepicheep crossed over, it did make me Home sick.
I don't think I'll see it. The casting of Caspian in the second movie ruined it for me, along with he and Susan's ridiculous KISS at the end. And no movie rendition of Narnia I've ever seen can manage to cast Lucy right. Some things are better left to the imagination. There's no good way to get Lewis' running commentary into the action scenes of a movie and without that, plot alone can seem flat. I love those books too much...
Well the unknown whispering is legit though with the hufflepods(sp?) because they did hear them before they could see them...if that is the part where it happens (haven't seen the movie yet).
But it doesn't sound like you absolutely hated it and I'm glad (it's my very favorite Narnia book!).
http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/a-voyage-to-avoid
Btw I really like your new design!!!
My favorite too! The key is to have not read it for a very long time and then see if you enjoy the movie... :) No movie can ever come near the book, but it could be a nice movie? Anyway, if I'm going to see it my husband will get to know the story - I tried to read this one to him but he didn't have the patience.
Rightthinking--yeah, I'm not sure how I cried at the end, because I think all the elements that made it such an incredible book were too mucked around with, but that part was kind of touching. Although I agree with internet monk in the link ChrisE that the theology got totally trodden on, and what the heck does nobility of heart really have to do with Aslan's country.
Jenne--yeah, don't bother. You're right about the running commentary. I had steeled myself against seeing it, but when my friends wanted to go to the movies last night, there wasn't much else I was interested in seeing. But yeah, read the books.
Stacey--I didn't ABSOLUTELY hate it, but you should probably read the link ChrisE posted, because he did, and I tend to agree with most of what he pointed out. I think if you have any kind of love of the book at all, it's probably a mistake to see it. (The dufflepuds don't whisper. They're not classy enough. ;)
ChrisE--yes.
K.--I haven't read that book in YEARS, and I still feel like the movie didn't begin to do it justice. I can see how maybe your husband wouldn't get into the book, but he still won't from the movie--it's really not anything like it, when it comes right down to it. The focus becomes self instead of Aslan, and as we all know, in the books, Aslan is the point.
As a further reflection - perhaps the films succeed in inverse proportion to the subtlety of the theology in the original books.
So Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe works well, as does the Last Battle (unless they really push the Calormenes as Islam parallel, in which case it won't bare thinking of), which means we are probably in for a real doozer in 'The Silver Chair' - and we won't even get to 'The Horse and His boy', as the making of each film is contingent on the continued success of the franchise.
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