A nostalgic ride on 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'

The most difficult thing about watching a film is having read the book. You really can’t help but note the alterations to the story, the new faces worn by beloved characters, the strange plot twists, sometimes even the completely new setting. Sometimes these shifts distract you so much from the film adaptation and you’re so busy listing what’s absent that you fail to see the wonders before you.

That was my problem last week, with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. As a child, I had read CS Lewis’ chronicles over and over, and Dawn Treader was my absolute favorite. I loved the thought of a journey with a brave talking mouse and a handsome young king, aboard a beautiful ship crossing strange seas, with only rumors and hope guiding the crew. I don’t know how many times I reread the book. Only the inconveniences of grown-up life kept me from revisiting Narnia more often.

You can imagine my excitement when I heard about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie. To keep from going overboard with excitement, I avoided all spoilers and movie news. I stayed away from any production news, allowing myself to read only articles I stumbled upon. I resisted the urge to look at production stills, despite the fact that Ben Barnes (who plays Prince Caspian) makes me swoon like a hormonal adolescent. I managed to make myself forget that the movie was coming out at all!

I was successful until about a week before the screening, when I received the invitation. Just before the screening, my husband and I tossed our things in the car, as mobile phones and all other electronic gadgets were not allowed in the theater. I was about to leave my purse when my husband said, “Bring tissue."

“Why?" I retorted, worried that we would miss the start of the movie.

“It’s your favorite book. Trust me," he argued. I relented, and grabbed the pack of travel tissue. I did not regret the decision.

As expected, I was fixated on how different the film was from the book. If you’ve read the book, then you have your favorite chapters and you’ll wonder how your fondest memories will translate onto the big screen. I wondered how the Dufflepuds would look, and the sea nymphs, and the dark island. I wondered what parts of the story they would change. I wondered if the script would fabricate some magnificent battle for the dashing young king to fight, as they did in the Disney adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. As the film progressed before my eyes, my friends and I kept muttering to each other, “Was that in the book?" “Wait, where is so and so?" “Isn’t he supposed to be something else?" “Who’s that?!"



To the film’s credit, the parts that were retained made me very happy. Will Poulter was a perfect Eustace, petty and disagreeable till his enchanting transformation. His squabbles with Reepicheep (voiced by Simon Pegg) were just as adorable and exciting as they were moralistic for both the crabby boy and the reader/viewer. Pegg’s valiant mouse was spot on. Not once did I feel that he belittled or patronized Reepicheep, as I felt the Prince Caspian film did.

While in the book I favored no particular character, in the film adaptation I loved Eustace and Reep the best, as separate characters and as crew members who became friends. To me, the trust and mutual respect that grew between them is one of the highlights of the film. I will never forget the sight of the tiny mouse scolding the cowardly dragon, atop whose nose he stood, benevolent and determined to teach Eustace a lesson. And the touching farewell between them at the end brought forth more tears and sniffles than I had tissue to mop with.

The Dufflepuds were also a delight. Before I even saw them I already loved them, with their vocal remonstrances of their own ferocity and fearful appearance, and their hyperbolic faith in their Chief, played with such excellent timing and candor by Roy Billing.

And then there’s the Dawn Treader herself. Who could not love such a beautiful ship? But for a missing chicken coop on deck, I would think the prop used in the film was built based on plans drawn up by illustrator Pauline Baynes herself! Everything was accurate and beautifully executed, from the dragon’s head and tail on the bow and the stern, from the single mast to the purple sail, from the carving of Aslan’s head in Caspian’s cabin to the spot in the dragon’s mouth where a sailor could keep watch. I think I had always been fascinated with the ship herself, and the film just leveled up my infatuation with her.


These things delight me now, but during the screening I was too busy nitpicking to enjoy the movie. Why all the changes, I muttered in annoyance. It took a second viewing to make me realize that the changes made by the writers and the director served to make a more coherent film. Perhaps the biggest change was the presence of a villain, or rather, a villainous phenomenon, which unified the story and gave the mini-adventures on each island a purpose.

My best friend, who had never read the book, commented, “It’s like a D&D campaign! There’s a party of adventurers, with fighters, and a healer. There are monsters. There’s a quest, and there are lost lords and stars and magic weapons. It’s awesome!" To say that he loved the film would be an understatement. It took me two viewings to make me realize that I loved many things about the film too, and Ben Barnes isn’t even on top of that list.

I give it 4 out of 5 dueling mice. Bring a handkerchief. - GMANews.TV

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is distributed by 20th Century Fox, and is now showing in Philippine cinemas.