Then Came the Dawn (Treader)

Watch the trailer, then read on:

Overall, I think the trailer looks great, though I wish it would have featured more scenes that were actually in the book. I would love to have seen a glimpse of the dragon or the sea serpent (I will be utterly disappointed if those scenes are left out of the movie), the reunion with Caspian, the altercation between Eustace and Reepicheep.

Peter and Susan's cameos... okay, if necessary to snag fans of the first two movies.

But the White Witch tempting Edmund as she did Peter in Prince Caspian? (Another scene not in the book.) Please. It was a bit contrived before, but at least it fit somewhat with a scene in the original story. She has no place in Dawn Treader. The witch is dead. This story is about Caspian's search for his father's exiled friends, Reepicheep's quest for Aslan's Country, and the redemption of Eustace. DT is an epic adventure of exploration and discovery. Fabricating new personal struggles for established characters can only distract from necessary character development for the real key players in this story.

I want to hear from Aslan things he actually said in the book, not just shallow platitudes from a run-of-the-mill fantasy. Aslan is not some wizard or fairy, he is one of the most brilliant literary depictions of the character of God ever devised, and some of deepest meaning in the entire series is conveyed in this book.

As for the Dawn Treader itself, the ship looks fantastic and I think they did it justice. What 3D could really do for this story is to show how the painting of the "Narnian-looking" ship changed from appearing flat to looking real. Imagine the depth of the image slowly emerging - it could be one of the best applications of 3D effects yet.

But the trailer's focus on fabricated plotlines is disconcerting. As I've said before, I prefer Michael Apted to Andrew Adamson as a director, so I will temper my reservations for now.

I hope this trailer was merely designed for Narnia newbies, FX junkies, and gushing girls dying to see the Pevensie boys again. Maybe the next trailer will be for serious C.S. Lewis fans like me.

A Touch of Crass

In the tradition of the potty-mouthed LBJ, President Obama again makes presidential news unfit for family listening. Peeved at the suggestion his administration is not doing enough to solve the gulf oil spill, he says he is looking for a Democrat to kick.

Yes, his stated scapegoat is a synonym for donkey, the symbol of his own party.

Surprise cameos in "Dawn Treader" film promo

My calendar is marked for the December 10, 2010 release of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (hereafter "VDT"). Today's Google alerts featured a promotional display for the movie that has begun appearing in theater lobbies. It includes the major characters from the story, and also some very puzzling additions.

First, it's interesting to see how Caspian and Lucy have changed. Caspian looks six years older as he should, with a beard befitting a seasoned seafaring king. Lucy should look only one year older, but alas, they grow up so fast.

Those who know the Chronicles will wonder what Peter and Susan are doing in the display, since they are nowhere in this story. Am I wrong? Good catch. There is in fact a Susan cameo in VDT [those who haven't read the books and don't like spoilers, skip to the next paragraph] on the island of the dufflepuds, in a "vision" Lucy sees through the magician's book, where it comes out Lucy has been a bit jealous of Susan. But Peter was not in that vision, so I'm not sure what the moviemakers are up to.

I suspect the elder Pevensies are in the display for the benefit of those who do not know the books and are maybe concerned about continuity now that FOX has assumed the Narnia franchise.

My greater concern about this liberty with the story is that in VDT we get the first hints at what feminist critics of the Chronicles call "The Problem of Susan," which is more fully revealed in the seventh book, The Last Battle (LB). [Those who don't like spoilers, just stop reading. I can't keep dodging these topics.] In LB, Susan is grown up and no longer believes in Narnia. She has been seduced by vanity and has lost any sense of wonder or imagination. Those who don't understand Lewis and his faith read misogynist undertones in his treatment of Susan. More jaded cynics infer other perverse ideas, and to them I simply say please get your mind out of the gutter, you've got it wrong. The "Problem of Susan" is simply the pursuit of youth and glamour and the demise of childlike faith, as summed up in LB, "She has spent her entire childhood rushing to be the age she is now, and will spend the rest of her life trying to stay that age." I hope Susan's presence in VDT supports Lewis' intent and not some inauthentic reinterpretation.

As an aside, I've read elsewhere regarding voices in VDT that more than Edmund's have changed. I was very happy to find that Reepicheep will be voiced by the classier Bill Nighy rather than the foul-mouthed comedian cast in Prince Caspian. Reepicheep deserves better treatment than merely Shrek's Puss-in-Boots with a change of fur. Also, Caspian is dropping his clumsy Spanish accent in favor of a more authentic Narnian British accent.

Back the VDT display, the big question is what in the world is the White Witch doing on it? Is there something in Tilda Swinton's contract that they have to contrive a cameo for her in every film? The witch is dead (ding dong). We don't want to see her again until the prequel, The Magician's Nephew. I hope the screenwriters haven't fabricated some silly excuse to bring her in because of the lack of an arch-villain in VDT. It could be a detrimental distraction from the profound underlying plot in the story: Reepicheep's quest for Aslan's Country.

All said, I have high hopes for VDT, largely because I trust director Michael Apted to have a better appreciation and respect of Lewis' themes than the comparatively shallow Shrekker Andrew Adamson.