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.