Movie Review: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"

Rated: PG for some frightening images and sequences of fantasy action
Starring: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, and Ben Barnes
Released: December 10, 2010 (US)

Synopsis
Siblings Lucy and Edmund Pevensie were once queen and king of a magical land called Narnia, but, while being stuck at their aunt's house with their annoying cousin Eustace, it's seemingly a mere memory.  When they notice a Narnian-looking ship in their aunt's house, it ends up being a portal to the land where they once reigned, and they immediately meet up with their old friends Prince Caspian and Reepicheep, the latter of which is a sword-wielding rodent.  Eustace is along for the trip, much to his chagrin.  Together, they travel to various islands, meet strange creatures, and reunite with the famed lion Aslan!
Based on the book by C. S. Lewis.

The Good
All of the production values were outstanding.  The special effects were spot-on; the acting was wonderful; the scenery was very realistic; the music was well done; the action sequences were great; in all technical areas, it was superb.  A lack of profanity, sexual content, nudity, and drug use helped matters a bit.  There were also positive elements, such as Lucy learning her own value, and Eustace gaining courage.  It was also nice to see the other two Pevensie children have a brief appearance. Unfortunately...

The Bad
It all got ruined by the dumb story.  Instead of a coherent narrative, this movie simply bounced from one plot to another, almost like the various levels of an old-school video game.  A more minor complaint: Some of the creatures--particularly the sea monsters--were disturbingly ugly.

Conclusion
This third outing didn't live up to its predecessors.  Word online is that there are currently plans for a fourth Narnia movie; I sure hope it's better than this one.  Despite the amazing production values, I found The Voyage of the Dawn Treader hard to finish.  Sure, the special effects were great, but, for me, it takes more than that to make an enjoyable movie.  Here's hoping that any future projects based on C. S. Lewis' allegorical works will be better.

Score: 2.5/5