Preview: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

Synopsis:

The third film in The Chronicles of Narnia series finds the kids returning to Narnia to help save the kingdom once more, this time upon the royal ship The Dawn Treader.

• Poster: C- (E); B; C-; B- (4)

Review:

A big lion and a small mouse. What's the point? A portrait of the ship on the sea of flowers would have been more tantalizing. This is just bland and lacking in excitement. (Excised)

The Dawn Treader is an appropriate choice for the poster and certainly better than the awful Aslan/rat image on the first poster.

That this franchise is being advertised with the primary focus of the lion's image is a complete disservice to the plots which barely have anything to do with Aslan. This is a story of growing up, but you wouldn't know that from these cheap posters.

The three characters on display for these posters suggest that we may be getting more character posters in the near future, since none of the child cast is depicted. As for the fourth poster, it embodies much of what I liked about the other three posters and the first Dawn Treader poster that featured the ship alone.

• Trailer: B-; B

Review:

I saw this originally in its 3D version and lamented at yet another "made for 3D" family film to continue the tedium. The scenes do paint a vivid portrait of a handsome film, but with the history of the previous two films, one shouldn't expect too much.

It's one heck of a new trailer. Although the Biblical allegory is getting a bit heavy-handed, the design elements are quite impressive, but I am certain this film does not need to be seen in 3D. Matter of fact, if I have to see one more film where someone throws a scroll towards the camera to unravel it, I think I'm going to scream.

Oscar Prospects:

Technical categories are always possible as this series has gotten a few nods, but I can't see it getting more than Art Direction, Costume Design and Visual Effects at this point.

Release Date:

• December 10, 2010

Full Review Synopsis:

I have not seen this film.

-Wesley Lovell (July 20, 2010) Original

-Wesley Lovell (August 3, 2010) New Poster

-Wesley Lovell (November 2, 2010) New Poster

-Wesley Lovell (November 16, 2010) New Trailer

-Wesley Lovell (December 6, 2010) New Posters