[6.50/10] The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader [3D] (2010)

The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader [3D] (2010)

Well, first things first, Merry Christmas everyone! My special Christmas review is dedicated to "Narnia" and its third installment, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", where Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship, The Dawn Treader, headed for the very edges of the world. Joining forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that tests their hearts and spirits, the trio faces magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan’s Country can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate. Sadly, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" offers a far less impressive and gripping story than it two predecessors, as the voyage itself is a rather unexciting experience for most part. This installment is also lacking a good villain, which lows the entertainment value vastly, and therefore the story becomes less thrilling and intriguing. On a positive note, the third film in the franchise compensates with fantastic visuals and top-notch special effects that never fail to impress. The CGI are flawlessly-done and thoroughly realistic, with special mention goes to the dragon and its extremely detailed design. The scenes including the invisible Dufflepuds are just as impressive, as the fairy scenery is stunningly gorgeous and the Dufflepuds themselves are uniquely-crafted. Let's not forget about Aslan, who is breathtakingly glorious as always! The 3D effects range from mindblowing to just okay, and fortunately they never feel perfunctory or unnecessary. The action sequences are not as spectacular as those from the previous two films, but well-staged and quite entertaining nonetheless. "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" also relies on its charming young cast, and although they all do a good job in portraying their well-known and likable characters, the audience might miss Peter and Susan Pevensie, since they appear for only a couple of minutes on screen. Georgie Henley is once again incredible as the adorable and charismatic Lucy, and despite her young age, she's capable of carrying almost the entire movie on her shoulders. Having said that, the entire cast (including her) is completely outshined by Will Poulter as Eustace, who steals the show every time he appears on screen. Yes, Eustace is pretty annoying at first, but as the story progresses, his wicked character transforms into the most likable and engaging character of them all. Kudos for him, since this is a very hard thing to do. Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian is million times better, than he was in the previous installment, which was, ironically, dedicated to his character. Why ironically? Because he was dreadfully stiff back then. As for Skandar Keynes, well, he's almost invisible this time around. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" may have lost some of the magic and the adventurousness of the popular franchise, but it's still a fairly gripping and visually-fascinating experience that will satisfy both "Narnia" fans and fantasy admirers.