C S Lewis, the author, wrote the Chronicles of Narnia books. His books were adopted for the cinema screen and have been block buster. With the latest installment The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) which opens tonight (12/10/2010) is hoped to be far more successful story telling than the preceding movies.
Enclosed I have taken an article from decentfilms.com which is authored by Steven D. Greydanus and he talks about as a professional film critic. So, please do go and see the movie.
However, before I have you read Mr. Greydanus’ article, just wanted to give you a brief historical back ground of what The Chronicles of Narina pertain. In the Chronicles we have the lion (direction referrence to the Lion of Judea – Jesus Christ), by the name of Aslan who is the creator of the world of Narnia.A place so dark, one is unable to see any surrounding things. In this dark void, Aslan commences to sing. A sweet sound never heard earlier and not since. This song brings forth light. This light brings a new world.
This new world which Aslan creates is Narnia. Or can we say Earth? Everything is fresh and clean. The animals and people coexist in peace. Aslan gives some animals the ability to talk. He anoints a simple, not rich, human couple as the King and Queen of Narnia.Let’s move onto the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The world of Narnia is in the evil hands of Queen Jardis, the White Witch. She has Narnia, Earth, in a deep freeze. C. S. Lewis takes poetic license.
He portrays the world as freezing cold instead of burning hot.Queen Jardis, the White Witch is a pretender to the throne of Narnia. The number one reason we know is she is not the true leader, is that she leads people by force. During her one hundred-year reign, she does not allow the appearance of Father Christmas. Father Christmas, to loyal Christians, is a reminder of the birth of baby Jesus. If one is so great, why be afraid of people rejoicing in the birth of Christ?
Aslan, the lion, in one of the most moving scenes in the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe gives his life for the sinner, Edmund Pevensie. Here, Aslan portrays Jesus, the savior who gives his life for the sinners of the world. And thankfully, like Christ, he is resurrected.The Chronicles of Narnia books are very well written not only as children stories but as lessons to Christians everywhere. Is it possible that the makers of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader have made the best film in the series to date while charting a course even further from the book? I think it is. Perhaps it’s even because the film diverges from the book to the extent that it does that I’m able to regard the film more for what it is than for what it isn’t. (Greydanus)
Not that incoming director Michael Apted (replacing Andrew Adamson) and his screenwriters have jettisoned the book. There is still a magical painting that transports Edmund, Lucy and their record stinker cousin, Eustace Clarence Scrubb, into the Narnian world. There is still a ship called the Dawn Treader commanded by their friend King Caspian of Narnia, who sails in search of seven missing Narnian lords. The voyage still takes the friends to magical islands where they encounter dragon treasure, invisible Dufflepuds, deadly enchanted pools, mystical feasts, and more. Their journey still takes them to the world’s end, to the threshold of Aslan’s country. (Greydanus)
Thus far the trees; what of the forest? Take the ship’s name, the Dawn Treader: an allusion to its ultimate destination — the utter East, the source of the rising sun, which looms ever larger in the sky until it become blinding. Sun, dawn, east: none of this figures in the film, which depicts the journey to the world’s edge without one shot of the ship sailing toward the dawn, or with the setting sun at its bow. Frequent shots show the sun well to one side, often off the starboard bow. (Greydanus)
That’s one major oversight. I could list others, but this review would quickly become a chapter or even a book (detailed comparison/contrast to come). How does the film stand on its own? Well enough. It’s not the radical departure from the earlier films that fans may have hoped for, but it’s a decent fantasy family film with colorful effects and action, moral themes mixed with Hollywood self-esteem, and sometimes-vague faith with a touch of Providence and grace. (Greydanus)
Reference: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) by Steven D. Greydanus http://www.decentfilms.com/reviews/narnia3
