2010. Dir: Michael Apted. Starring: Geogie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes, Will Poulter and Gary Sweet. ●●●○○
As a child I positively devoured C.S. Lewis' Narnia novels, expectantly turning each page in a desperate need to find out what happens. I was high on the drama and excitement of the stories, and none more so than The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader which as well as having a proper boy's own adventure plot also tapped into my pre-adolescent desire to sail away into the great unknown. Coming back to the story in some way allows me to relive those heady days of youth, however we cannot go back. To use a biblical quote that no doubt Clive Staples would approve of: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11.
That is not to say there isn't plenty to enjoy in The Dawn Treader, but before we go on we must remember this is a children's film, adapted from a children's book, with themes and allegorical content that work for children but seem heavily laboured for a 33 year old with no children.
As with the last two films (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian) the story revolves around the Pevensie children who are magically transported to the land of Narnia (a mythical world that borrows heavily from Greek texts and Judeao-Christian theology) via an everyday object - this time it's a picture frame. With the two elder siblings safely packed away to Wartime America Lucy and Edmund (Henley and Keynes) are joined by their obnoxious cousin Eustace, played with elan by Will Poulter. Luckily they appear directly in front of the Dawn Treader, a ship carrying King Caspian on a quest to find the seven missing Lords loyal to his father; or at least loyal until they all ran away and some became obsessed with gold, it's a long story.
The quest to find the seven lords, soon becomes the quest to find their swords and use the swords to defeat an evil mist, and then hopefully be close enough to Aslan's kingdom to take a quick peek.
Each of the chapters in the story, various islands fights and other assorted perils nip by, each with their own style and level of menace. Apted does well to keep the pace about right for the youger audiences with the sense of danger appearing acute but never really life-threatening. Some of the islands have more psychological dangers and it's nice to see they aren't shied away from, trusting the audience to get the beast within feel, whilst the sea serpent at the end is very credibly realised and is a surprisingly complex beastie in terms of it's anatomy.
Will Poulter gives the stand out performance as an unlikeable but sympathetic character, especially in his scenes with Reepicheep the 12 inch computer generated rat voiced by Simon Pegg (replacing Eddie Izzard). Poulter, who also excelled in 2007's Son of Rambow, continues to prove himself a fine actor and one to watch out for overs the years to come.
There are the usual cameos for The Lion (voiced by Liam Neeson) and the Witch (Tilda Swinton) although the later is, unfortunately, only an apparition within the mist, and both of them mainly draw attention to how much the first book is more satisfying and more nuanced a story.
The final scene, almost an epilogue, is a perfect example of the dichotemy at the heart of the film. One the one hand we get some beautiful art direction and overall design features including a wall of water and a sea of flowers as well as the functional yet interesting costume design (interestingly in a 1950's design throwback way where regardless of the conditions on board the Dawn Treader and the extraordinary battles they face all of the sailors retain well tailored clean uniforms). One the other there is some appalling handled dialogue about what it means to go to Aslan's land and how he is known by "another name" in our world.
I guess if I were 9 again I probably would have enjoyed this film very much and would certainly recommend it to children of that age, as it is I can only appreciate it from a distance.
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Sunday, 12 December 2010
You Can Check out any time you like (Out this week - 10/12/10)
But you can never leave, but more on that later. Late this weekend - and my excuses for this week are even more pathetic than usual. On Friday night it was our Christmas party and I must confess that yesterday I was horribly unwell, my head throbbing I couldn't focus on the screen for long. Today I'm feeling a little better so catching up.
Did anyone guess the link to this week's film in the title? Well it's from the classic Eagles track Hotel California and probably perfectly encapsulates this week's RLAG film of the Week: Somewhere.
Band Baaja Baaraat
There are a couple of Bollywood entries this week, the first of which looks like it's going to give it's target audience exactly what they suspected - it's a romatic comedy set at Delhi University she's organised and has her life planned and he's a slob (ish). Sit back and enjoy.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The third Narnia movie, picking up from the financial disaster Prince Caspian is certainly picking up better reviews and at the moment looks highly likely to claim the box office crown. It's all ships and dragons in this installment and I suspect it wil go down well with the kids.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
For Colored Girls
Tyler Perry takes a break from dragging up for his films and translates the seminal 1970's performance poem by Ntozake Shange. Taking the monologues and threading the storylines together has led to some shock from critics but this looks like an interesting mix. Whoopi Goldberg is among the cast.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
In Our Name
This British Iraq drama may just break the mould on PTSD movies, unlike the majority of American looks at the issue it concentrates on the effect of war on a female soldier, played to perfection by Joanne Froggatt.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
No Problem
It's Bollywood film number 2. Poster has gorillas. No really there are gorillas. I no longer care about the plot the poster has gorillas.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
On Tour
The Burlesque film revival begins here and will carry on with Cher and Christina next week. For now it's a little lower key (although certainly more realistic) as Matthieu Almaric directs and stars as a tour manager moving his girls in the day and watching them perform in the night. Don't take a balloon to the screening.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Outcast
British/Irish movie that looks part drama part horror and mother and son on the run find themselves in a sleepy village which is then attacked by a beast.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Somewhere
Sofia Coppola returns to dreamy hotel landscapes, but this time moves from Tokyo in Lost in Translation to the Chateau Marmont. With Stephen Dorff as a famous enough Hollywood actor wondering what to do next in his career.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
The Tourist
This might be OK, but I suspect it's going to be a miss with Johnny Depp and Anjelina Jolie looking incredibly sexy in Venice and trying to capture the breezy chemistry of the 50's spy caper templates that this most resembles.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Friday, 5 November 2010
Tilda Swinton
Happy Birthday to
Tilda Swinton
50 today
Iconoclast Swinton is a uniquely gifted actress, not just because of her icy perfection and multiligual talents but also because of her androgenous quality which has enabled her to shine in gender confused roles such as Constantine and her collaborations with Derek Jarman. Next up is a virtual cameo in Voyage of the Dawn Treader (but I fully expect her White Witch to steal the show as always).
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Tuesday Trailers - The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Disney have a habit of removing trailers as soon as you try to embed them so I don't fully expect this to work (but please do comment anyway). I haven't seen Prince Caspian and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was surprisingly dull. That said I loved the book so I'll definitely be catching up on this installment of C.S. Lewis' childrens series.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is released on 10 December 2010.
Monday, 7 June 2010
Liam Neeson
Happy Birthday to
Liam Neeson
58 today
You've got to admire Neeson. Not just for his braod talent, but for his seeming inability to say no. Over the last year it seems he's gone for any old script that's landed on his desk, including Box Office behemoths like Clash of the Titans and next weeks The A-Team. Both of which look utterly avoidable. I am looking forward to the following trivumulate though: French re-make The Next Three Days, kids adventure The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and civil rights pic Selma.
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Film News (31/01/09)
A couple of new films greenlit, another finds a new financer and an exciting cast coming together, and this is only the news I've picked up on this week.
Chrionicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
So having been dumped unceremoniously by Disney it was thought that Dawn Treader, the 5th of C.S. Lewis' novels, 3rd film, might not happen. Until this week when Fox came up with a package to launch the venture. I realise the last couple have been pretty poor, and this one brings back the insufferable Ben Barnes as Caspian, but it's by far the best book and it all takes place on a boat so what's not to love.
Fully Automatic
Joel Silver is back back back. Just when you thought the buddy cop action thriller was dead Joeal has resurrected the Lethal Weapon series, only with a different name and new actors, and joins them up with a crack group of female vigilantes. Or some such nonsense. Imagine fast cars, witty dialogue and big explosions.
Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman's high successful fantasy novel, The Graveyard Book, will be brought to the screen by Neil Jordan. Surely it should be called the Graveyard Movie? It's all about a boy adopted by ghosts, and it's all being made in Blighty.
A Woman of No Importance
Amanda Seyfried, her of the funny eyes in Mamma Mia!, has joined the already announced Annette Bening and Sean Bean in Oscar Wilde's other classic. I'm not a big fan of Seyfried but at least it's a step closer to seeing Bening in this role.
