THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER

RYAN: It’s not the biggest deal at the box office, but after enjoying the first two I was at least mildly looking forward to the new Narnia movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

CAROLINE: I couldn’t really deal with seeing this movie with you. I didn’t see the second one either, so I really didn’t have anything invested in the third.

RYAN: You didn’t need to see the second to follow the third. And right away, for the record, this movie is sooo much better than the second one.

CAROLINE: How so?

RYAN: Well, the second one was basically just a civil war in Narnia and this one is much more of an adventure or a pirate movie. It’s great.

CAROLINE: And it’s in 3D too.

RYAN: Yeah, and not the worst 3D I’ve seen. It’s not Avatar 3D, but still decent.

CAROLINE: I wish they wouldn’t make 3D movies unless the quality was great.

RYAN: I agree. This movie really just focuses on two of the four kids from the last two films. And they’re joined by their cousin played by little British actor Will Poulter, who I found completely obnoxious and irritating but that’s the whole point of his character, I guess. And by the end, I was impressed with him. His voice is so peculiar and mature though, it’s very unsettling.

CAROLINE: A random child.

RYAN: [laughs’ Completely. The talking animals are all there and great; of course, there’s the big lion, Aslan, voiced by Liam Neeson. And yet again, he is rife with Jesus and Christian metaphor.

CAROLINE: And was Tilda Swinton back again?

RYAN: Very briefly. But it was cool to see her as the White Witch.

CAROLINE: Is this one more for the kids?

RYAN: I think it will appeal to all audiences who like fantasy, that is. If anything, there are some scary moments so probably not best suited for the very young.

CAROLINE: A scary kids movie?

RYAN: Just some moments but I actually laughed out loud a lot too. The script is pretty good and the effects are amazing. And listen, you just can’t go wrong with Ben Barnes in 3D.

CAROLINE: He plays Prince Caspian?

RYAN: Correct.

— BOTTOM LINE —

RYAN: Better than the first sequel in the franchise and a truly enjoyable adventure with a moral to the story for those who care. I was happy to get swept up into Narnia for the duration of the film. It’s fun.

— RATING —