Voyage: A Review

Husband and I went to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader yesterday. After reading reviews of the movie, I wasn't expecting to be swept off my feet. But I loved it. I loved the fact that in a fantasy-odyssey, the movie (as does the book) addresses real-life psychological issues with which humans all wrestle.

There was Lucy, learning to accept herself rather than wishing she were some prettier, more attractive person. There was Edmund, learning to put his "white witch" temptation to death yet again, learning to become humble in the face of having to play "second fiddle" to Prince Caspian, as he had to do with his brother Peter. There was cousin Eustace, learning to not be such a [pardon-my-French] butt-headed judgmental pompous boy. And there was Prince Caspian, learning to lay his grief and anger to rest over the long-ago loss of his father, and to pay attention to what he'd been given: a kingdom to rule.

I read speculation somewhere that C.S. Lewis modeled this book loosely on Homer's Odyssey. That would make sense to me. Like the old Greek hero, the voyagers on the Dawn Treader go from one challenge to the next. One reviewer complained that there are no rules to the magic (unlike in the Harry Potter movies) and no continuous thread through this movie. But that is precisely how the Odyssey goes, as well. This movie is not about children gaining power over others, but about them conquering--and reconquering--evil within themselves. It's about how puzzling the world is and how there is One who knows all and understands all. When you are with Aslan, you know you are safe.

Let me add a few observations, in case you're thinking of seeing this movie. First of all, it helps to know the plot either from the books or from the two previous Narnia movies. I suspect the viewer would be confused, otherwise. Second, the movie is not one I would take little kids to see. I found it scary in several parts, and the attack of the gargantuan sea serpent/centipede went on far too long for my tender sensibilities. However, it did succeed in symbolizing the fearsome power of violent Evil. Additionally, the movie, for all its serious themes, also has a sense of humor. For example, I enjoyed Reepicheep the rodent, his witty remarks, his relationship to that nasty Eustace in both boy- and dragon-form, and his earnest quest to reach Aslan's land.

Finally, a viewer who understands the stories and symbols of Christianity will enjoy the movie a great deal more than one who does not. The movie stands well on its own, but the story becomes multidimensional if you understand the religious culture and beliefs from which C.S. Lewis was writing.  Whether he meant the symbols to emerge in the story or not, they are there. And while not preachy, they provide a rich context.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader is one of the only movies we've gone to see in the past ten years that we didn't regret spending time on, after we left the theater. So.That would be two thumbs up!