The Pevensie family has returned for another exciting adventure in the land of Narnia. But this time only Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) are invited because Peter (William Moseley) and Susan (Anna Popplewell) are now too old. Along with the two siblings, their obnoxious cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) is also along for the ride.
Three years have passed in the land of Narnia since their last visit. Caspian (Ben Barnes) is now the ruler and all the land is finally at peace. After rescuing the three from the ocean, he informs them that he is in search of the seven lords his father had trusted most. During the war they had fled to a distant island near the edge of the world, and now it is time to bring them back home.
When they arrive at the island they find that it has been overrun by slave traders. Not only are they taking victims for sale, but they are also sacrificing them to a mysterious green fog. Rescuing the inhabitants from the traders, the crew of the Dawn Treader set sail to find the source of this fog and to see what became of the lords who went before them. Along the way they will face invisible monsters, a wizard, a dragon, a sea serpent, and must come face to face with their greatest temptations as the ultimate evil tries to stop them from completing their quest at all costs.
In this third film of the popular fantasy adventure, it’s nice to see Lucy and Edmund growing into adults. No longer is Edmund just following in his older brother’s footsteps. He is becoming his own man and has made great strides since his falling prey to the White Witch. Lucy has become a bit more self-conscious as she wants to be more like Susan, but ultimately discovers that the best thing she can be is herself.
The story is quick paced without a lot of extraneous exposition, and moves from one confrontation to the next. The special effects are of excellent quality just as the other two films were and add to the believability of the world and help with the audience immersion in the quest.
The only negative aspect of the film is the character of Eustace. Never has there been a more annoying and obnoxious character in a film. After just a few moments on the screen, you are left with the question of why his parents didn’t drown him at birth. But unlike a similar fantasy series featuring a hero with a lightning bolt on his forehead, the annoying cousin develops as a character and actually makes a contribution to the adventure. And by the end, he’s even likeable.
The only special features on the DVD are a Director’s Commentary and four deleted scenes. The deleted scenes are short and would have had no effect on the film had they been left in.
