Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
MPA Rating:
for some frightening images and sequences of fantasy action.
for some frightening images and sequences of fantasy action.
Reviewed by: David Criswell, Ph.D.
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Good |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Family Teens |
| Genre: | Action Adventure Fantasy Family Kids Sequel |
| Length: | 1 hr. 55 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2010 |
| USA Release: |
December 10, 2010 (wide—3,500+ theaters) DVD: April 8, 2011 |
Relevant Issues
Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
Review: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
INTERVIEW—Behind the scenes of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”
lions in the Bible
ROYALTY of the Bible: kings / queens / princes
SPIRITUAL WALK—What advice do you have for new and growing Christians? Answer
How do I know what is right from wrong? Answer
Forgiveness
How can I be (and feel) forgiven for what I’ve done wrong? Answer
If God forgives me every time I ask, why do I still feel so guilty? Answer
The story of God’s promise for all people—told beautifully and clearly from the beginning. Discover The HOPE!
Evil
If God created Satan, and Satan is evil, is evil God’s fault? Answer
War
What is the Christian perspective on war? Answer
Kids
Kids! Discover Kid Explorers—our fun site with animals and the rainforest—where you can discover answers to your questions, play games, activities, on-line movies and more.
Teens
Teens! Have questions? Find answers in our popular TeenQs section. Get answers to your questions about life, dating and much more.
| Featuring | Simon Pegg (Reepicheep), Tilda Swinton (The White Witch), Liam Neeson (Aslan), Ben Barnes (King Caspian), Skandar Keynes (Edmund Pevensie), Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie), See all » |
| Director | Michael Apted—“Amazing Grace” |
| Producer | Fox 2000 Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Walden Media, See all » |
| Distributor | Fox-Walden |
“Return to magic. Return to hope. Return to Narnia.”
“Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is the third in The Chronicles of Narnia series and the first directed by Michael Apted, who directed the great film “Amazing Grace” as well the Bond film “The World Is Not Enough.”
One will quickly be stricken by the differences in “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” and its predecessors. Most obvious is the human element. “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” focuses much more on human characters and human emotions than the previous films. Except for Reepicheep, every one of the central characters are humans. This allows the viewer to identify better with the human element.
In the third chapter of Narnia, Prince Caspian sets sail to find seven swords scattered across the kingdom. In each case, one or more of the characters falls prey to temptation. Whether lust for wealth, greed, power, or vanity, all must face their sins in order to emerge victorious. Their journey takes them across the seas to the end of the world, but no comparisons to a certain pirate movie are applicable.
Of the original crowd, only Lucy and Edmund return. The older children can no longer return to Narnia. Since this pattern would continue into the next story, Lewis introduced Eustace, a spoiled child who makes the young Edmund look like a spiritual giant by comparison. Eustace will, of course, return for the “Silver Chair,” Narnia’s fourth installment (and one best suited to be translated into a film). Here, he is introduced as the young immature brat who undergoes a life transforming event.
Spiritually speaking, the story focuses on temptations and how they hamper our spiritual walk. It shows how the enemy uses our own selfish desires to take our focus off of God and our true purpose in life. We become embedded in our own selfish aspirations and neglect those which we should be promoting.
Morally, there is nothing offensive, except that very young children will be exposed to magic and some mild bloodless violence. The magic element is one which is controversial, but has been dealt with previously. Anyone familiar with C.S. Lewis’ stories is already well aware that magic plays a crucial part in the films. There is “dark magic,” and then there is the power of Aslan, but there also appears to be a sort of “neutral” magic in the film which is not developed. There are scenes where incantations are used without any negative connotations, nor any glory to God (Aslan). Parents who have issues with magic might take offense at this, but it is also a good opportunity to discuss these issues with your child. One can look at it as a teaching opportunity.
In reviewing a film like “Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” one is invariably struck with comparisons to the previous installments and questions as to which is better. The truth is that there is no answer. The first film was strongest in terms of its spiritual allegory. “Voyage…” is strongest in its human application. The fantasy world of the first film still encompasses the third film, but there is less emphasis upon fantasy. Does less CGI mean a better film? Some will definitely say “yes.” To be sure, there are still plenty of fantasy creatures and special effects, including a dragon and a sea monster, as well as mysterious mist which appears with evil. “Voyage…” is no less a fantasy than the other films, but it is a movie which explores human frailties. I offer no opinion as to which film is the best, but I assure the reader that The Chronicles of Narnia remains on firm footing with the apt direction of Apted, and a human script.
NOTE : This review is based on the 2D film and not the 3D version.
Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Minor / Sex/Nudity: Mild
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
Positive
Positive—I have never read the books, so I wouldn’t be able to compare “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” to the book. However, I can honestly say that I was pretty impressed with the third installment of this movie. The story was definitely interesting, and I even chuckled a little (Eustace was funny). I wasn’t sure how the moviemaking quality was going to be since Disney decided to ditch the project and Fox 2000 made this installment. Again, I was impressed and they stayed in sync with the first two movies. Objections? Well, the violence was a little heavy. Not as much as Prince Caspian, but it was still there, so parents beware if you have young children. Other than that, an excellent film and one truly worth my DVD collection when it comes.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Alexander Malsan, age 20 (USA)
Positive—This is a great movie! It shows the danger of temptation and encourages us to look to Christ. I would not recommend it for very young children because of the amount of violence, but all others would enjoy a clean entertaining story that honors the Lord.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
C. Nelson, age 50 (USA)
Positive—Saw this movie on Sunday of opening weekend with my wife and 16 year old son and 13 year old daughter. Overall, we liked it. Although it generally followed the major events of the book, it was the variations that threw me off a bit. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high. None of us thought the 3D was worth the extra money.
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4
Bruce, age 52 (USA)
Positive—I saw this movie at the 12:01 Friday morning showing. I read the book this past week, and I was really looking forward to the movie. The movies does highlight the presence of evil in our daily interaction with others and as we move throughout our day, but the movie hardly matches the order of the book at all. That was odd to me how much the movie almost reversed the order of events from the book. I suppose it was to keep the movie shorter, but they definitely took liberties in making the scenes more appealing. If you also read the book, you would certainly know the aspects of which I speak. I may have been confused/disappointed by the out of sequence scenes, but the creators of the movie certainly highlighted the message of being light in the presence of evil…in allegory form, but still clear enough for the average movie goer. It would make many ask questions about the direction and standing before God in their own lives, and I am proud to see a movie of that caliber. …
No offensive language, nudity, but there was a vast increase of violence from the book. Not gory violence, just suspenseful violence to enhance the depth and severity of the presence of evil.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 3½
No offensive language, nudity, but there was a vast increase of violence from the book. Not gory violence, just suspenseful violence to enhance the depth and severity of the presence of evil.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Joshua, age 27 (USA)
Positive—Before seeing the movie, I had two concerns:
1) The book lacked a thread of continuity between each adventure, nor did it work towards a dramatic climax, which is OK for a book but not for a movie, and
2) Wondering if they would ruin the spiritual themes of the book.
Watching the movie, my concerns would put to ease. I found the additions to the movie created that thread of continuity as well as to provide for a dramatic climax. Although it caused an alteration in their adventures, the spirit of the story was still maintained. I appreciated how their struggle with sin (called “inner darkness” in the movie), its consequences, and how they overcame was brought to the forefront, enabling the viewer to engage in the characters’ struggles. I personally felt as if I was walking in Lucy’s shoes with her.
The theme of Aslan was preserved. As with the book, Aslan stopped Lucy from reciting a damaging spell the first time but not the second (although they altered what happened with the second making it a repeat of the first and occurring later in the story); ripped off the dragon skin from Eustace (although with some alterations, the principle was maintained); and told the children at the end he exists in this world but with another name (no alterations there!).
Additionally, Lucy calling to Aslan to save them amidst the darkness was preserved. The only elements missing were his appearing after the revealing spell and his breaking the spell of Goldwater. Although sad to see the adventures condensed, I can understand they were done to fit the book into a movie (else the movie would have been incredibly long). For having to condense things, I thought they did a good job maintaining the heart of the story even though eliminating a few side messages. Unlike Prince Caspian there were no major scenes that did not take place in the book, which I appreciated. Only the order of some events were altered. I plan on seeing the movie again!
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
1) The book lacked a thread of continuity between each adventure, nor did it work towards a dramatic climax, which is OK for a book but not for a movie, and
2) Wondering if they would ruin the spiritual themes of the book.
Watching the movie, my concerns would put to ease. I found the additions to the movie created that thread of continuity as well as to provide for a dramatic climax. Although it caused an alteration in their adventures, the spirit of the story was still maintained. I appreciated how their struggle with sin (called “inner darkness” in the movie), its consequences, and how they overcame was brought to the forefront, enabling the viewer to engage in the characters’ struggles. I personally felt as if I was walking in Lucy’s shoes with her.
The theme of Aslan was preserved. As with the book, Aslan stopped Lucy from reciting a damaging spell the first time but not the second (although they altered what happened with the second making it a repeat of the first and occurring later in the story); ripped off the dragon skin from Eustace (although with some alterations, the principle was maintained); and told the children at the end he exists in this world but with another name (no alterations there!).
Additionally, Lucy calling to Aslan to save them amidst the darkness was preserved. The only elements missing were his appearing after the revealing spell and his breaking the spell of Goldwater. Although sad to see the adventures condensed, I can understand they were done to fit the book into a movie (else the movie would have been incredibly long). For having to condense things, I thought they did a good job maintaining the heart of the story even though eliminating a few side messages. Unlike Prince Caspian there were no major scenes that did not take place in the book, which I appreciated. Only the order of some events were altered. I plan on seeing the movie again!
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Deanna, age 40 (USA)
Positive—Haven’t been to a movie in a while where the audience gave a hardy ovation after the credits rolled. I dunno, but thought I saw (clapping in the back rows) an older gentleman, receding hairline, his gold cufflinks flashing CSL.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Joe Lacy, age 52 (USA)
Positive—I hate to say it, but apart from Avatar, this is by far the most beautiful digital menagerie I’ve ever seen, and I think that’s fitting given the minotaurs, the dragon, ol’ Nessie, and a plethora of other creatures. But I’m also talking about the wind ruffling through Aslan’s fur. The ocean cascade separating Narnia from Aslan’s world. Etcetera. There are some beautiful shots in this movie, and that alone is almost enough to merit an $11.50 3D ticket. The green screening is on point, too, something I was woefully distraught over with the newst HP film. It’s 2010 folks. Epics, blockbusters, yadda yadda oughta have top of the line effects, not my brand of backyard Adobe moviemaking.
But that’s not what draws me this newest film in the Narnia franchise. See all »
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
But that’s not what draws me this newest film in the Narnia franchise. See all »
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Mega Tron, age 24 (USA)
Positive—My one wish regarding “…Dawn Treader” in particular and the entire Narnia film series in general is that the producers would take the time and energy they have focused on elements NOT in the books and concentrate on elements that ARE in the books. That being said, I would still recommend the film. The books have been life-long favorites of mine because they a) stir up a hunger for Christ and b) cause one to reflect on their own spiritual condition. The movie does this as well—at least a bit—and so is worth seeing. The last ten minutes or so especially do the book justice. My one caution would be to parents of very young children—the climactic battle with the sea serpent might be too dramatic for the little ones.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Chris, age 47 (USA)
Positive—“The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is truly a magnificent film. With magic and violence the only thing that could be considered by some, it is a movie I think everyone will enjoy. While the first two movies were made to be epics, this film takes a different turn and becomes more of an adventure film. I will admit, I did not enjoy it as much as the first two, it still made me say, “Wow!” The special effects, the characters, and the cinematography is amazing. Some CS Lewis fans might be disappointed because the movie adds a lot to make the plot move more in a linear fashion. The book is more episodic with the characters moving from place to place. I highly recommend this film for viewing. It is fantastic, and I doubt you will be disappointed.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Jacob Airey, age 21 (USA)
Positive—It’s a good movie and very visually pleasing. I thought the story was well presented. It was somewhat difficult to understand the characters, because of the accent. Eustace was particularly difficult, because his accent was heavy, and he spoke very rapidly. It is definitely worth a view, and absolutely nothing in it is offensive. Good kids’ movie, except for the battle of the sea creature near the end. That could be a bit frightening. 8 years and up would do fine.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Joe, age 62 (USA)
Positive—Wow, am I glad I went to see this movie! I am a fan of the previous 2 films, and even though I had heard this latest installment didn’t live up to its predecessors, I was excited. My expectations were more than paid for—this film isn’t as good as the first, because nothing can beat the first experience of Narnia—but I thought it was better than the second.
This film is very exciting and has a lot of action (that sea serpent was pretty scary too!), and I really like the spiritual content. I was happy to see Hollywood didn’t dumb down the message of the story. Near the end, when Aslan says, “In your world I go by another name, learn to know me there,” I almost jumped up and clapped. Christ IS a lion, the king of kings!!
Lastly, how about that 3-D? Wow, this film had a lot of depth and the images really popped out at me. Very impressive indeed. This is my second go-around with Real D 3-D—my first being disappointing—but now I realize that was the movie’s poor use of 3-D, not the technology’s fault. 3-D is definitely my preferred experience for theaters!! Even without the 3-D though, this film surpasses the second and provides a very strong spiritual message. Can’t wait for the next!
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
This film is very exciting and has a lot of action (that sea serpent was pretty scary too!), and I really like the spiritual content. I was happy to see Hollywood didn’t dumb down the message of the story. Near the end, when Aslan says, “In your world I go by another name, learn to know me there,” I almost jumped up and clapped. Christ IS a lion, the king of kings!!
Lastly, how about that 3-D? Wow, this film had a lot of depth and the images really popped out at me. Very impressive indeed. This is my second go-around with Real D 3-D—my first being disappointing—but now I realize that was the movie’s poor use of 3-D, not the technology’s fault. 3-D is definitely my preferred experience for theaters!! Even without the 3-D though, this film surpasses the second and provides a very strong spiritual message. Can’t wait for the next!
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Benjamin Badger, age 19 (USA)
Positive—I went to see this movie two times. It was great! I was thinking that it would not be very good, since two of the main characters were gone, but it turns out to be excellent. The boy they picked for Eustace was perfect. He played the part well. He was exactly what you would expect him to be like. The only part I found a little annoying was that at the end, when Aslan told them that they needed to know him by his other name, he never tells them what is name is. Other than that, it is a great movie.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Joanna Childress, age 20 (USA)
Positive—We loved this movie! As with the other Chronicles of Narnia movies, this one was full of beautiful scenes and was very pleasing to watch. The moral content was excellent and it keeps you engaged the whole time, with plenty of excitement. A feel-good movie. My children completely understood the moral implications and discussed them afterwards. I wish all movies had a real plot with real content vs. being full of sexuality, rebellion, violence and crude humor. Bottom line: Excellent movie, well worth buying.
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Tari, age 48 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—As much as it pains me to bash a Narnia movie… I was severely disappointed. Although the actor chosen for Eustace was perfect for the part, everyone else just seemed different from the other films. With Prince Caspian, the changes that were made to the story made it better; but with Dawn Treader, many of the changes were just weird. I know there was a sea monster part in the book, but did it have to open up and reveal its shrieking tentacled innards?! What was up with that?! I am greatly mourning the change in directors, and if there is a Silver Chair movie made, I hope it can be saved and brought back up to par with the first two Narnia films.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Kadie Joseph, age 18 (USA)
Neutral—The only version of this movie playing in my area was the 3D. Because this was the film adaptation of my favorite book in the series, I didn’t mind paying an extra three dollars. The effects looked very nice at the beginning of the film, but toward the middle, I hardly noticed them. By the climax, it looked like they’d simply given up; the 3D effects weren’t sticking out at all. I honestly don’t think the 3D was worth it.
Some of the action scenes were intense, and in my opinion, unnecessary. In one scene, even Lucy was punching and beating on attackers, which felt a little strange considering her character’s personality. In another, an already disgusting sea-serpent split down the center, revealing its wriggling innards before trying to engulf people with them. Also, a boat full of people are offered to a creepy green mist as a sacrifice before disappearing in it. Those things seem especially scary and life-like because of the high-quality design; I would not take young kids to see this.
The effects and scenery were overall beautiful and Eustace was portrayed very well. What I take issue with is the plot; in adapting it to film, it jumbled the pacing, seemed to just throw in their moral lessons, and in my opinion, just missed the mark on capturing CS Lewis’ vision for this story. While I was glad to see and hear that one of Aslan’s most important lines “I am known by another name in your world” was put in the film, though the film still seemed shy of Aslan’s character, cutting out other Christ-like references (his appearance to them as a lamb, to name one).
Overall, it was a nice film, and very appealing to watch, but that’s really all I got from it; just another entertaining film, cleaner than most, but still lacking.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Some of the action scenes were intense, and in my opinion, unnecessary. In one scene, even Lucy was punching and beating on attackers, which felt a little strange considering her character’s personality. In another, an already disgusting sea-serpent split down the center, revealing its wriggling innards before trying to engulf people with them. Also, a boat full of people are offered to a creepy green mist as a sacrifice before disappearing in it. Those things seem especially scary and life-like because of the high-quality design; I would not take young kids to see this.
The effects and scenery were overall beautiful and Eustace was portrayed very well. What I take issue with is the plot; in adapting it to film, it jumbled the pacing, seemed to just throw in their moral lessons, and in my opinion, just missed the mark on capturing CS Lewis’ vision for this story. While I was glad to see and hear that one of Aslan’s most important lines “I am known by another name in your world” was put in the film, though the film still seemed shy of Aslan’s character, cutting out other Christ-like references (his appearance to them as a lamb, to name one).
Overall, it was a nice film, and very appealing to watch, but that’s really all I got from it; just another entertaining film, cleaner than most, but still lacking.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Kendi, age 18 (USA)
Neutral—The movie was good in terms of film-making quality (Eustace’s character was particularly well executed), and the overall lesson about overcoming temptations was great, but the movie itself seemed… I don’t know… rushed. It just seemed to sort of crash through the events of the book (in the wrong order, if I remember it right), as if to get to the end as quickly as possible.
Granted, said ending was particularly epic, but I couldn’t help but wonder where the rest of the movie was when it got there. Plus, there were some elements/scenes that I don’t recall being in the book, such as the reappearance of the White Witch and the battle with the sea serpent, but that may partially be because my memory of the book isn’t particularly vivid.
I’m pretty sure the part where the sea serpent splits down the middle after being injured wasn’t in the book (and I could humorously picture an empty “BOSS” health bar on the screen refilling during that scene). I don’t remember if the version I saw was 2D or 3D, which may be because the 3D either wasn’t any good, or the movie didn’t seem like it really needed 3D effects.
Either way, it was a decent movie, but I recommend you rent the DVD for $1 rather than watch it in the theater for around $5.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Granted, said ending was particularly epic, but I couldn’t help but wonder where the rest of the movie was when it got there. Plus, there were some elements/scenes that I don’t recall being in the book, such as the reappearance of the White Witch and the battle with the sea serpent, but that may partially be because my memory of the book isn’t particularly vivid.
I’m pretty sure the part where the sea serpent splits down the middle after being injured wasn’t in the book (and I could humorously picture an empty “BOSS” health bar on the screen refilling during that scene). I don’t remember if the version I saw was 2D or 3D, which may be because the 3D either wasn’t any good, or the movie didn’t seem like it really needed 3D effects.
Either way, it was a decent movie, but I recommend you rent the DVD for $1 rather than watch it in the theater for around $5.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Nathan, age 17 (USA)
Negative
Negative—The moral aspect of the film was great. Dawn Treader was certainly one of the books Lewis wrote with a strong allegorical presence in mind, focusing on the moral ramifications of one’s actions and the temptations of sin. I likened books such as this (and The Silver Chair) to classics like Pilgrim’s Progress. I, however, didn’t truly believe this was a book that would make a compelling or interesting movie, and I believe that Dawn Treader has helped sink the series more so than help it gain steam.
The problems lie both in the production of the film, not necessarily the story itself. The filmmakers didn’t stick to the source material, adding elements and straying from the tale altogether at points. In so doing, they’ve created a random series of events strung together by pure coincidence. What began as an exploration tale has, again, been transformed by Hollywood into an epic, final battle struggle against good and evil. Something that Dawn Treader never really was.
That’s not to say Dawn Treader wasn’t filled with action, it simply wasn’t in the manner they portrayed it. To add to the problems, the acting in this was stilted and simply terrible. The script is mostly at fault here. The character of Eustace was literally the only saving grace across the board.
I don’t know if they will pursue another film, and at this point I’m not certain that they should. Silver Chair would be the next logical book, but I just don’t see how it could possibly do any better without a huge overhaul that is just not in the budget. The films aren’t grossing enough money, but that is not because people aren’t willing to go and watch fantasy films such as these. The genre itself hasn’t lost it’s luster, it’s Narnia that has, and that is mostly the fault of those producing the films, not C.S. Lewis.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 2½
The problems lie both in the production of the film, not necessarily the story itself. The filmmakers didn’t stick to the source material, adding elements and straying from the tale altogether at points. In so doing, they’ve created a random series of events strung together by pure coincidence. What began as an exploration tale has, again, been transformed by Hollywood into an epic, final battle struggle against good and evil. Something that Dawn Treader never really was.
That’s not to say Dawn Treader wasn’t filled with action, it simply wasn’t in the manner they portrayed it. To add to the problems, the acting in this was stilted and simply terrible. The script is mostly at fault here. The character of Eustace was literally the only saving grace across the board.
I don’t know if they will pursue another film, and at this point I’m not certain that they should. Silver Chair would be the next logical book, but I just don’t see how it could possibly do any better without a huge overhaul that is just not in the budget. The films aren’t grossing enough money, but that is not because people aren’t willing to go and watch fantasy films such as these. The genre itself hasn’t lost it’s luster, it’s Narnia that has, and that is mostly the fault of those producing the films, not C.S. Lewis.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 2½
Mark BC, age 23 (USA)
Negative—This is probably one of the most harmful movies ever released to children and adults alike. WHAT!?, you ask. Yes. Harmful. Why? Because it promotes an artificial Christianity that is actually anti Christ, in nature. In the Scripture, Christ assures us that His is the victory, and He will fight for us; all we need do is pray and be obedient to His will and act in accordance with His exhaustive example, left to us in the Gospels. This movie, however, teaches us to take up arms against God’s enemies, because He needs help to defeat them. This movie promotes the small “g” god, not my God who overcomes all.
It is the Antichrist who takes up arms to squash his foe, not Christ. Christ loves His enemy and wins his heart over. When Christ comes in, he does a sin-endectomy and saves the patient, but Aslan’s forces execute their perceived enemies to the tune of; “The operation was a success, doctor, but the patient died.” The ideology of this film is synonymous with the beast power’s in the Book of Revelation, not Christ’s ideology. Christ overthrew the Pharaoh’s empire during the Exodus, because it was absolutely necessary for the growth of His people, Israel.
See all »
Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
It is the Antichrist who takes up arms to squash his foe, not Christ. Christ loves His enemy and wins his heart over. When Christ comes in, he does a sin-endectomy and saves the patient, but Aslan’s forces execute their perceived enemies to the tune of; “The operation was a success, doctor, but the patient died.” The ideology of this film is synonymous with the beast power’s in the Book of Revelation, not Christ’s ideology. Christ overthrew the Pharaoh’s empire during the Exodus, because it was absolutely necessary for the growth of His people, Israel.
See all »
Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jay, age 47 (Canada)
Comments from young people
Positive—For fans of Narnia, a great movie! For religious people, very morally uplifting, and gives a good point. The movie’s moral theme is based on temptation and strength of faith. Throughout the movie, certain characters were tempted with things they’ve always wanted, like beauty, acceptance, riches, popularity, etc. You have to be able to fight those demons if you want satisfaction and peace. The movie was really great.
The only thing I do not like about it was the fact that William Mosley (Peter) and Anna Popplewell (Susan) weren’t in it, and made only a few cameos. Besides that, I think the movie was all in all worth watching, and would watch it again. :)
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
The only thing I do not like about it was the fact that William Mosley (Peter) and Anna Popplewell (Susan) weren’t in it, and made only a few cameos. Besides that, I think the movie was all in all worth watching, and would watch it again. :)
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
DJ, age 16 (Canada)
Positive—Being a life-long Narnia fan, I have been waiting for this film for years. I attended the midnight showing (after taking second in a contest to go to the premier) and was somewhat disappointed. After watching it again at a more normal hour, here is my opinion. The film did not follow the book as closely as I would have liked, but I can understand that due to the very episodic nature of the book. Also, the book lacked a goal to the whole voyage, where they added one in the movie, which I thought was wise.
I was pleased with the visual effects, although they did go for a more fantasy like theme in this film. They could not have found a better actor than William Poulter for Eustace. He was perfect for the role, yet was able to show the change in his attitude at the end. I was a little disappointed that they chose not to use Weta for this film but weapon and costume design was still good.
I was very pleased that they retained many biblical themes in the film, especially the part at the end where Aslan tells the children that he is known by another name (aka “God”) in their world and that he brought them to Narnia so that they could learn to know him here. They also explored how we can be tempted and how we can only defeat the evil inside us with Gods help. All in all it was a very good movie, definitely better than Prince Caspian, and was a good clean movie for the whole family. Violence was minimal and there was no language. This is definitely a movie to go to. Further up and further in and on to the silver chair!
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4
I was pleased with the visual effects, although they did go for a more fantasy like theme in this film. They could not have found a better actor than William Poulter for Eustace. He was perfect for the role, yet was able to show the change in his attitude at the end. I was a little disappointed that they chose not to use Weta for this film but weapon and costume design was still good.
I was very pleased that they retained many biblical themes in the film, especially the part at the end where Aslan tells the children that he is known by another name (aka “God”) in their world and that he brought them to Narnia so that they could learn to know him here. They also explored how we can be tempted and how we can only defeat the evil inside us with Gods help. All in all it was a very good movie, definitely better than Prince Caspian, and was a good clean movie for the whole family. Violence was minimal and there was no language. This is definitely a movie to go to. Further up and further in and on to the silver chair!
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4
Levi Leckrone, age 16 (USA)
Positive—Fantastic! Just saw the film this afternoon with my mum and sister, and really had a great time. Laughed a lot, cried at the end—highly recommend it. It fulfilled my years of waiting for its release! Go have a good time :)
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Ian, age 17 (USA)
Neutral—I believe this film was good, but I hate to say this I was disappointed in it. Anyone going to see this that has read the books will notice the major changes in it. This should not weigh on your decision to see it though because overall it was good. I think it was a bit hurried in the beginning but the ending was very, very good. I felt myself tearing up at the end, because you will not see Edmund, and Lucy again until the last movie. I felt though that this did not live up to the first movie and that something needs to be done in order for The Silver Chair to be as good as the first one.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Carlie, age 15 (USA)
Neutral—I think that, being a teenage boy, I would of like to have more violence, but that probably wouldn’t be good for younger audiences.
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Robbie, age 15 (USA)
Positive—I love this movie!!!… Although some of the scenes were in a different order than portrayed in the book, I liked it. The movies before were awesome, but this one was by far the best. It sends a great message to girls and guys about being satisfied the way God made you, when it shows Lucy and Edmond wishing that they were as pretty or respected as Susan and Peter. It covered some of the 7 deadly sins, such as Greed, Gluttony, Lust and a couple more. I would highly suggest this movie for people of all ages. The acting and effects were amazing.
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4
Victoria, age 14 (USA)
Positive—As all Narnia movies have been, “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is very clean, thrilling, and Christian morals and lessons can be found somewhere. In other words, this film is definitely a “Go see!”
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Emily, age 12 (USA)
Neutral—I thought they did very well with this movie, it was very different with the book Michael Apted took lots of liberty in the film’s making, but they did have some Christian points in it, for one they exaggerated the temptation as green mist, that wasn’t in the book, but that wasn’t necessarily bad. At the ending of the movie, Aslan tells Lucy and Edmund that He lives in their world but goes with a different name. The movie was quite different from the first two, the characters seemed different from the first two movies, but I think it was in a better way. I really like this movie, because it was more adventurous and just so magical; I think this is a great family movie!
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
David S., age 13 (USA)
Positive—This Narnia was by far the best one of the sequel! It was filled with action throughout the whole movie. It kept my attention from the minute the movie started until the very last minute. There is a lot of violence. There are also some talking animals, including a bull and a mouse. I would suggest this movie to anyone, no matter how old. Overall, this movie is definitely one of my most favorite of all time!
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Ryan, age 13 (USA)
Neutral—Like someone else said I don’t want to bash Narnia, but this was a disappointing movie. What’s up with the evil green mist that eats people? If they took that part out it probably would have been a great movie. The book is so amazing just the way C.S. Lewis wrote it, so why should they fix something that isn’t broken? The first movie followed the book really well, the second not as much, this one was even less accurate. I probably would have enjoyed, if I hadn’t read the books. I hope the Silver Chair is better than this was. There was only one objectionable thing. Someone uses God’s name wrong once; other than that it was clean.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Brianna, age 14 (USA)
Negative—I love the Narnia books! And I loved “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” When “…Prince Caspian” came out, the bad stuff was minor, and the stuck close enough to the book. But with this film… They changed tons of stuff. The evil green mist, with no point of origin? And why does the white witch keep coming back. In my opinion, that undermines Aslan, because of the fact that he destroyed her! It’s not right to have her back again. And the little girl Gale was kind of annoying, was a bad actress, and in the end did not help to move the story along.
The changes from the book bothered me, but the filmmaking also was terrible. I don’t know a ton about moviemaking, but I know some, and I have to say I thought the film felt forced and very disjointed. The time they spent in certain area didn’t feel like it was spent well. By the time the credits rolled around, I was thinking “What exactly did we accomplish here?” Perhaps the brightest part in the movie was Eustace. Will Poulter was well cast, but unfortunately he couldn’t save the movie.
I have to say, my favorite part of the movie was the credits, because of the book illustrations. It’s true that this film is very clean when it comes to content. But Alsan still feels pushed aside, like the last movie. The sea serpent is really scary. I even thought so. I hope they make more films, because I want them to get back on course, after the first one was so good. But after this film, I have a lot of doubts.
Moral rating: / Moviemaking quality: 1½
The changes from the book bothered me, but the filmmaking also was terrible. I don’t know a ton about moviemaking, but I know some, and I have to say I thought the film felt forced and very disjointed. The time they spent in certain area didn’t feel like it was spent well. By the time the credits rolled around, I was thinking “What exactly did we accomplish here?” Perhaps the brightest part in the movie was Eustace. Will Poulter was well cast, but unfortunately he couldn’t save the movie.
I have to say, my favorite part of the movie was the credits, because of the book illustrations. It’s true that this film is very clean when it comes to content. But Alsan still feels pushed aside, like the last movie. The sea serpent is really scary. I even thought so. I hope they make more films, because I want them to get back on course, after the first one was so good. But after this film, I have a lot of doubts.
Moral rating: / Moviemaking quality: 1½
Mgw, age 14
Neutral—I did enjoy the “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” a lot. It was violent [bloody too!] It should be for years 10+. The hero cuts a sea-snake’s ribs and you can see it’s bones and stuff! It will scare young kids, but it’s a Good vs. Evil movie, where the Good overcomes. I couldn’t hear GOD’s name in vain, not even once.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Hannah Olivier, age 10 (Australia)
Neutral—This was a great movie. I liked how they kept the quote from the book at the end: “I am,” said Aslan. “But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” That surprised me, because Disney is not Christian AT ALL! It was good they included that.
I gave it a neutral, though, because it was different from the books. I love the books, and I read the series at least 4 times. They gave the movie a whole different plot, which had to do with destroying a mist. I purchased the movie after seeing it with my friends in theatres, and I love it (the best movie yet), but it was off from the book, which is the reason for neutral.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
I gave it a neutral, though, because it was different from the books. I love the books, and I read the series at least 4 times. They gave the movie a whole different plot, which had to do with destroying a mist. I purchased the movie after seeing it with my friends in theatres, and I love it (the best movie yet), but it was off from the book, which is the reason for neutral.
Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4
Peter, age 14 (Canada)
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 4½