My husband says I ripped apart Prince Caspian a bit too thoroughly. That being said, I liked Dawn Treader better than he did. Maybe it's like my sis-in-law says: when you expect less, you aren't as disappointed. After Caspian, I was definitely expecting less.
In my opinion, the movie actually stayed closer to the original story. Not like the first one, of course, but better than the second. Most of the major elements of the book were there, although in a rather unexpected order with odd combinations here and there. I wasn't too excited about the Lone Islands. Governor Gumpas was non-existent, and the weird "everybody go into hiding so you won't be sold into slavery or sent at a sacrifice to the un-explainable green fog out there" town was sort of...well...wierd. (What is with the green fog?)
The dragon was well done, although not well explained, so if you haven't read the book, you'd better do so before watching or you'll never get the dragon part. The end of the world was awesome! Very little was changed about it (except there's no lamb), and I love that Aslan still says he goes by another name in our world. That part kind of made up for some of the other humanistic Disney-ish philosophy Aslan spouts earlier in the movie. (You must conquer the evil that is in yourself, blah, blah, blah).
Speaking of dragons, Eustace was great! I don't think they could have made his character any better for the movie. The ship was good, very Narnian, and I loved the way they had the children go through the picture frame, even though it wasn't quite the same as in the book. Aslan's table and the sleeping lords was very good, but I so wanted to see the birds bring Ramandu the fireberry, and there wasn't even any Ramandu. But Ramandu's daughter is there and she is a blue star that they follow to Ramandu's island, so how does she wind up marrying Caspian?
The Dufflepuds were well done for the most part, but I was not happy with their very short appearance, and there is no humor attached to them like in the book. They could have almost been left out of the movie and you wouldn't miss them. The golden pool was good, and for once there is actually a reason for Edmund's and Caspian's constant antagonism towards each other (albeit through that un-explainable green fog again). (I think it would have been more convincing if they'd been good friends the rest of the time and only went after each other at the golden pool. But in the end, they make their peace, and call each other brother, so I guess all's well that ends well.)
There were a few minor annoyances, like Reep is too small and they didn't quite get his character right (a carry-over from Caspian, I'm sure since I seem to remember absolutely detesting the mice in Caspian). Drinian is overly negative, almost a trouble-maker, and I was quite disappointed with his character (or lack thereof). Caspian again mentions that he's in love with Susan. (Where have we heard that before?) And they have to drag Peter and Susan into the story some way, even though they don't go to Narnia. I guess they have to set the scene somehow, but why can't WWII just be over at some point in time? It's still dragging on here in the third story. Oh, and they have to have some snow, (right?) because it's a Christmas release, so they create some even though there isn't any in the original. And the water people are perfectly pointless, and really kind of confusing.
So much for minor annoyances (I'm sure that wasn't all, but it's a good overview). Now for the big stuff:
1. Caspian sets out to find the seven lords. So far so good. But it's as if for the sake of a post-modern audience who can't understand that kind of loyalty or commitment, they have to give you some better reason than just searching for Caspian's father's long-lost friends. So they create this weird green fog that is never really explained except that it's somehow connected with Dark Island, that surfaces near the Lone Islands to take the boatloads of sacrifices sent out to it and somehow mysteriously transport them to Dark Island where they are apparently held in limbo indefinitely. In order to dispel the evil magic, those on board the Dawn Treader must find the seven swords of the Narnian lords and lay them at Aslan's table on Ramandu's Island. So since Narnia doesn't possess enough magic of it's own, we must invent some more for it to keep our audience happy.
2. And we mustn't forget the other purpose of the green fog. When it's not eating whole boatloads of people, it keeps busy by tempting others. Lucy is tempted to say the beauty spell, Edmund is tempted to take the White Witch's power, and Caspian is tempted not to believe in himself all by means of the green fog. Lucy's spell of beauty is really disappointing. I don't even know what to say about it and all the nonsense Aslan says about it. The scene was really strange and confusing, as if Lucy ceases to exist when she says the spell, and then Aslan just says a bunch of eastern mystic-sounding things. But there is nothing about the other spell Lucy says where she eavesdrops on her friends at school.
3. Oh, yes, and the green fog is the main medium through which the White (or should we say Green) Witch contacts Edmund. When Edmund points out that she's supposed to be dead, she responds, "You can't kill me." Which begs the point that Edmund wasn't the one to kill her. Aslan was. So is she saying that Aslan can't kill her? I mean, really?
Then there are some things they left out that I was disappointed about. I really wanted to see the nightmares at Dark Island, but they are replaced by the sea serpent instead. And I was totally unprepared for them to just suddenly be at the end of the world with none of the lead-up about the sweet water and the wonderful sunlight. When Reep says the water's sweet, it's like he just randomly comments on it, with none of the euphoria that is present at that point in the book. I already mentioned missing the birds, fireberries, and Ramandu.
As far as the battle with the sea serpent goes, I'll have to leave others to make up their own minds about that, because I can't decide whether I like it or not. I really liked the BBC version of that battle, and this was quite different, but passably good, maybe.
And with that, I am done with my critique of the Dawn Treader. And I might actually not mind owning this one.
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