I was a big fan of the Narnia books when I was a kid, but the latest cinematic interpretation of the series has left me pretty cold. Walden Media’s films feature way too much cheesy CGI, are way too kid-friendly, and completely fail to tap into the historical roots of the story or express the alien weirdness of Narnia. In short, they’re passable children’s entertainment, but nothing that a real fan of the series could sink their teeth into. So, why am I bothering to post the trailer for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the latest in the series?
Because The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is probably everyone’s favorite of the Narnia books and it looks like they may not have massively screwed it up. The CGI still looks lame as all hell—I would have preferred a more realist aesthetic to the film—but they seem to be hitting all of the important story notes. I’m cautiously optimistic.