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The Moppet And The Annoying Kid Get On A Boat

By TK | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (31)

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I’m in a relative minority, I suspect, in that I actually enjoyed the first two Chronicles of Narnia films. The first one is a good bit stronger, primarily due to the always fantastic Tilda Swinton as well as James McAvoy’s Mr. Tumnus. Prince Caspian was a little too melodramatic, but I still got some enjoyment out of them. Maybe it’s because I absolutely adored the books as a child — they were basically my introduction to fantasy writing, and a major contributor to making me the gigantic nerd that I am today. Seeing them on the big screen, as flawed as they were, was pretty sweet.

As for the actors playing the Pevensies, I always felt that Susan (Anna Popplewell) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) were the strongest, so it’s a shame that Susan isn’t present in the next chapter, but that’s how it was in the book, and I’m glad to see they didn’t try to shoehorn Peter and Susan into it (although there appears to be a bit of flashback/dream sequence with them). Also, Swinton’s White Witch seems to make an appearance, and she’s not in the novel either. Hmm… Regardless, the first two were minorly enjoyably films, so I’ve been a bit curious about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

However, they haven’t reached expectations, box office and audience-wise, so for a while it looked like the series might be dead in the water. In fact, it briefly was — after disputes over budgets, Disney balked at the proposed $140 million budget and dropped the property, and Fox (gulp!) swooped in and snagged it. The effects in this newest trailer seem to reflect a reduced budget, so we’ll have to see how that worked out. Fox also hired Michael Petroni to rework the script — Petroni also wrote the screenplays for The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys and… um… Queen of the Damned.

Shit.

Well, whatever. It’s got Bill Nighy as Reepicheep, and that alone puts me in the theater.Here’s the trailer.

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(Source: Slashfilm)









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Comments

I couldn't make it through the books, so I'll skip the movie. There's just no consistency in the stories. Characters are introduced and then dropped. Magic presents are given and then never used, and never mentioned again, ever. The mix of various different mythologies and Father Christmas just really didn't work for me. The whole horse and his boy thing put me to sleep. I couldn't even get through the Dawn Treader or Prince Caspian.

Posted by: BWeaves at June 17, 2010 9:13 AM

I enjoyed the first movie and was really disappointed by the second. In fact, I don't think I've made it all the way through the second one yet after several attempts. But, the books were a big part of my childhood so I'll give Voyage of the Dawn Treader a chance....on DVD.

Posted by: Kiddo at June 17, 2010 9:28 AM

It’s got Bill Nighy as Reepicheep,

Not for nothing, but I'm fairly certain that's Eddie Izzard. Leastways, it was in the last film.

Posted by: coveredinbees at June 17, 2010 9:46 AM

I attempted to finish the series as part of my Cannonball Read, but it is just not going to happen. The books are just too dry for my taste, and, frankly, a bit dull. I should've finished the series when I was a kid instead of waiting until now, because clearly any magic that could be found in the stories dissipates when you're an adult reader.

I still haven't seen the second movie. Maybe I'll just wait for them all to come out and then do a marathon or something.

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at June 17, 2010 9:50 AM

I've spent the last 25 years thinking this book was called the Dawn TRADER. It wasn't until I heard the last words of this trailer that I realized it was trEAder. I've been living a lie.

Posted by: i'm not dyslexic at June 17, 2010 9:55 AM

Ugh, I just can't stand the sound of English children. Liam Neeson's Aslan makes them all sound like a bunch of pantywaists. Same reason I can't sit through Harry Potter.

Posted by: Jonzo at June 17, 2010 10:33 AM

Well thank god they finally realized that it needed to be a CHRISTMAS movie. Geeze.

Seriously, Prince Caspian was unfortunate, but it could've been salvaged moneywise had they released it on or around Christmas like they did the first one. But MAY?

Although... on the other hand, I think these "cheaper" special effects are 80 million times better than the plastic CGI abominations from the first two movies, so maybe it's not all bad.

Posted by: Nat Kittyface at June 17, 2010 10:40 AM

It will be interesting to see what happens when they completely diverge from the plot of the books. The book is a relatively straightforward quest---Caspian fulfilling his oath to find the seven lost lords, adventures ensue---but the movie is clearly taking a different path. The White Witch is around (again)? How did I miss that? Sounds about right for the guy who wrote Queen of the Damned. Much as I adore that movie with all the idiocy of my teenage years, it's ... less than great.

Posted by: harlequin at June 17, 2010 11:00 AM

I loved the first two. I saw Prince Caspian in theaters six times. Admttedly, it was because there's nothing else to do in my hometown when you've just graduated from high school and aren't into the action-packed sport of Parking Lot Loitering.

Anyway, I'm so glad they're continuing. Because even though they kinda suck, they're prettily imagined and feature sword-weilding characters. And that is all it takes to make me happy.

Posted by: esme at June 17, 2010 11:01 AM

This was really the only one of the books I really liked, so this might actually be a lot of fun. And it doesn't look so bad from the trailer! Much less childish than the first two seemed to me, anyway.

Posted by: figgy at June 17, 2010 11:18 AM

I was enjoying the trailer until the announcer gets all epic-y with the "EPIC MASTERPIECE" bullshit. These books aren't fucking EPICS! They are wee little 125 page fairy tales for kids! SON OF A BITCH, HOLLYWOOD! Ugh. Just make them charming! Why does everything have to be the next "LOTR" or "Harry Potter"? WHY?

I've already vowed to only show my children the BBC version from the 80's. Lucy's buck teeth bugged, and it was hilarious that Mr. and Mrs. Beaver were the size of adult human beings, but it worked for me as a kid.

Posted by: HB at June 17, 2010 11:41 AM

My only question is how the hell are they going to pull off The Last Battle, where everybody, spoiler alert, dies in good ol' Christian allegory fashion. I have no idea how that will translate into a kid's movie.

Posted by: Ruth at June 17, 2010 11:51 AM

Yep, Eddie Izzard. And not enough Eustace, trailer-wise.

Posted by: Samantha at June 17, 2010 11:52 AM

Note: Eddie Izzard played Reepicheep in Caspian. Nighy took over the role in Dawn Treader.

Posted by: TK at June 17, 2010 12:00 PM

I guess Izzard didn't want the job, because it sure-as-shit is Bill Nighy this time around.

I love the awful BBC versions, too. I just hate that anyone delving into this series seems to lose interest (or funding) after the fourth one. Maybe it is because The Hhorse and His Boy is boring.

Posted by: Alison Brie at June 17, 2010 12:01 PM

Damnit, stupid name thingamabobber...

Posted by: NOT Alison Brie at June 17, 2010 12:02 PM

Aw, I'm actually kind of excited about this. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was always my favorite of the books.

Posted by: ami at June 17, 2010 12:08 PM

i'mnotdyslexic, you are not alone

Posted by: Alarmjaguar at June 17, 2010 1:00 PM

Effin A! You too Narnia? The 3-D craze sucks balls.

Posted by: grizzle at June 17, 2010 3:43 PM

Was this shot in 3D or converted?

Posted by: Brian at June 17, 2010 3:55 PM

It's got Ben Barnes. That alone puts me in the cinema. And then my bunk. What? The guy is hot.

Posted by: Gayle at June 17, 2010 5:01 PM

Actually, The Horse and His Boy is number three and Warbrobe is two. The Magician's Newphew is number one, but it doesn't feature the Pevensies so it probably won't be made. Treader is supposed to begin the transition from Pevensie to Jill and Eustace, though I seem to remember that Edmund and Lucy starred as their grownup selves during their original reign in the flashed-through years at the end of Wardrobe, unless I'm mistaken and I'm thinking of The Silver Chair. I'm pretty sure, though, that Wardrobe and Caspian are the only ones where the Pevensie kids actually travel to and from Narnia. I'd be surprised if The Last Battle gets made because the battles are pretty brutal, which would be a shame because the Narnia-pocalypse at the end was actually very beautifully written. I read that one first because I was 12 and the cover had a picture of a bloodied unicorn on it, which was much more interesting than a fucking chair.

What? Don't look at me like that.

Posted by: Mr. Tusks at June 17, 2010 5:10 PM

No, Mr. Tusks, C.S. Lewis wrote the books in the same order that the movies are being made. I have the first edition of the series, and it starts and ends with the Pevenisies. What you're talking about is the chronological order that the publishers did after Lewis died. Although the original goes out of chronological order, I prefer it because it is the order that Lewis intended for readers and I think the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has a better hook than the Magician's Nephew.

Okay, I just raised the nerd level to the umph level. Hotness.

Posted by: Ruth at June 17, 2010 6:55 PM

Bin Bons is enough to make me see this. Bleh @ the 3-D though.

Posted by: Snrub at June 17, 2010 7:00 PM

i thought the first two films were dull and flat, virtually unwatchable, endless eye candy with no reason to look at it. and i am seriously tired of war movies disguising themselves as fantasy epics.

that said, this trailer looked enticing. maybe slashing the budget helped: they may have been forced to resort to a script and story-telling.

Posted by: idleprimate at June 17, 2010 10:03 PM

The best thing about this movie series is that it spawned this line:

The Chronic(WHAT!)cles of Narnia!

Posted by: Bequafina at June 17, 2010 11:19 PM

Of the seven books, this is the least exciting. It's a long journey on a ship. Full stop. Not much happens. I meant to review the series last year but got bored. Bored bored bored bored. I loved the earlier books, but this one was so flat.

Posted by: Brenton at June 18, 2010 2:29 AM

sense-of-wonder overload.

Posted by: gp at June 18, 2010 12:45 PM

Dawn Treader is the best of the series. That is all.

Posted by: Mick J at June 18, 2010 2:57 PM

@HB....Lucy's teeth still give me nightmares....and giant beavers...not that kind!

As a sidenote: The music in the BBC version was on some random commerical or something during the World Cup...I wigged out at work

Posted by: Luke at June 18, 2010 8:45 PM

The part with the White Witch may be when they're trapped in an area where all their dreams literally come true. Nightmares included. I remember it well, because the whole idea scared the crap out of me. That would mean Edmund's nightmares feature the Witch, which is interesting. And they have Lucy with that book! I loved that part.

C.S. Lewis had so many ideas that fascinated tiny book geek me. So much more interesting than that Beverly Cleary/Judy Blume nonsense going on in that other thread. Who wants to read about having an annoying sister? I experienced that every day. But having an annoying relative who gets turned into a miserable dragon? Much cooler. Even if it did nothing to prepare me for my period.

Posted by: BiblioGeek at June 21, 2010 4:18 AM