UGO’s 6 Realizations After Watching New Narnia: Dawn Treader Footage

UGO.com joins the fun by providing their six realizations after watching new footage from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Their insights come from someone that is a clear Narnia fan (he’s hoping they get to The Horse and His Boy soon), and he says he’s excited to be heading back to Narnia for the first time since before the release of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Here’s a quick summary of their six points. For the full explanations, visit UGO.com.

6) Narnia’s Gone Back to the Magic

I left director Michael Apted’s footage presentation of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third film in the Chronicles of Narnia, with a positive outlook on the series’ future. Prince Caspian left the franchise in a dark, militant place, but Dawn Treader brings the magic back. The movie is colorful, with a sense of wonder that felt like an afterthought in the last movie. […] Caspian was about war. Dawn Treader goes back to Wardrobe’s sense of discovery.

5) Michael Apted thinks Talking Animals are Ridiculous and he’s right

Apted was frank at the presentation – the idea of turning talking animals into real characters presented something of a challenge. […] The film implements practical costumes and Apted peppers the crew of the Dawn Treader with a mix of far-fetched and human characters, turning Tavros the Minotaur into just another one of the guys.

4) The Movie may contain Actual Performances

SPOILER WARNING! In one scene, newcomer Eustace, Lucy and Edmund’s bratty cousin, has been transformed into a dragon and finds comfort in the stories of talking mouse Reepicheep, who encourages him to make the best of his situation. The scene is hearfelt and it’s thanks to Will Poulter (Son of Rambow) and Simon Pegg, who lends his voice to Reepicheep.

3) Dawn Treader scales back Visuals to its own Benefit

I don’t know how much Dawn Treader cost, but I’d assume the all-around costs were a wee bit leaner this time around. It shows, but it works. Think of Alice in Wonderland – the didn’t strive for photoreal, but stylized graphics that made Wonderland an otherworldly place. Treader works the same way, choosing imaginative CG that looks closer to illustration over realism.

2) The Film looks British-ier

British television and film has a certain grainy quality you don’t find in America (for PAL vs NTSC reasons, techies) and I noticed the aesthetic carrying over to Dawn Treader, moreso than the original films.

What does this mean? For me, the look grounds the film in realism, which helps when you throw in a bunch of crazy special effects.

1) Sailing the High Seas looks Fun!

I’m, for the first time since before Wardrobe’s release, excited to head back to Narnia.

It looks like a rousing adventure with likeable leads and plenty of surprises, with an ending that had me tearing up – I can’t help but be sucked back.

Read the entire article at UGO

9 Comments

  1. This has to be the most positive report I have heard so far. Thanks, Paul and UGO! Love that someone mentions the quality and visual effects a bit more.

    • I thought it meant that they treated the minotaur the same as everybody else, like Narnia is pulling back together again since the men and beast used to be seperated and all.

      • That’s correct. They meant that the Minotaur was merely one of the guys this time around, and not looked at as any different than the others just because he’s a Minotaur.

  2. I have to agree with “Queen Rose”. Why would a modern movie in the 21st century revert back twenty years ago for the graphics? I’m not all about cartoons and animation for the whole thing, but this isn’t a play. The only reason why Wonderworks used costumes in the 80’s was because they didn’t know any better, and didn’t have the technology to do so, even if they knew. I am a huge fan of Narnia, but it sounds… retarded to go backwards.

    • To answer your first question: They didn’t.

      As for the costumes, they used costumes in the other two Narnia movies as well. They also used costumes in The Lord of the Rings. It is not a reversion, nor is it “retarded.”

Comments are closed.