Narnia gets serious

The third film in the series explores themes of sacrifice, justice and faith

VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER ***

• Director: Michael Apted
• Cast: Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley, Simon Pegg

The third film in the Narnia cycle, based on the books by CS Lewis, delivers all the pageantry, the amazing special effects and the energy of the previous films. Once again we encounter the wondrous creatures of this fantasy kingdom in a swiftly paced and handsomely staged epic.

What I enjoyed most about this film is the shift in tone and meaning. The first two films were head-on swashbuckling adventures. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , however, is more serious, not in the sense of being intimidating for the young audience, but because it explores themes of sacrifice, justice and faith.

Once again, the film contains a few brief references to World War 2, reminding us that the Narnia books were written during that time. Lewis made it clear that he wrote the stories to inspire the children of World War 2, many of whom had fathers fighting on the battlefield. He said the stories were conceived as a classic "rite of passage" to help the children learn how to face their own fears and conquer them.

By reading about the courage and ingenuity of the Pevensie children as they take on the perils of Narnia, Lewis hoped that the young readers would gain a sense that chaos can be calmed and courage can win through.

The older children, Susan and Peter, do not feature in the Dawn Treader story. The film is specifically focused on the younger siblings, Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Heynes), who are saddled with a nasty, visiting cousin called Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter) who nags and whinges endlessly.

Their adventure begins while they are looking at a painting of a boat. Suddenly, the painting comes alive, the three children are sucked in by a wave and carried back to Narnia. They meet Caspian (Ben Barnes) who is now a king; the debonair duelling mouse Reepicheep (voiced by Simon Pegg) and of course the lion, Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson).

But this film is not just more of the same. Andrew Adamson, who directed The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, which he filled with energetic flair, has stepped away from the Narnia movies.

The new director is Michael Apted, and he has brought a change of tone and style. Apted can tell a great adventure story but he is also a thoughtful and studied director. His films, such as Gorillas in the Mist and Amazing Grace, were true stories of how determination, humility and tenacity allowed people in bad situations to achieve their goal. Even his spy thrillers, Gorky Park and Enigma, had a more pensive tone.

Apted is smart enough to make this adventure look exciting and spectacular, but he always pulls the drama back into the human perspective, to those characters who do not strive for personal glory but fight for what is right and just.

The two previous films were "political", in the sense that the story revolved around a power struggle that had to end with the defeat of the enemy, and to ensure the safety of Narnia.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is about re-building, liberating and reconnecting with the good things from Narnia's past. One of themes is that slavery hasre-asserted itself in Narnia, and King Caspian must root it out.

He is also on a quest to find the Lost Lords of Narnia - seven powerful men who once brought order and peace to Narnia, but have vanished. They, or at least their legacy, must be found, because they are needed to settle the country once again.

There are storylines about the lure of gold and the desire to possess wealth. They enforce the moral point that what you possess has no meaning, if you do not use it to make a difference.

This quest, led by Caspian, Lucy, Edmund and Eustace, takes them, quite literally to the end of the world. Without spoiling the elegance of the film's ending, it is delicately done, and it involves one of the most unexpected characters, who displays great courage by stepping into the unknown. The final journey through the sea of lilies to the Wall of Living Water is done with great technical ingenuity. Apted also fills it with warm and poignant emotion, to underscore the moral and spiritual significance of that event.

With the new Harry Potter adventure also on our screens, we can see the difference. The magic of the Harry Potter films is filled with startling incident, ghoulish characters and narrow escapes. The magic of Narnia is softer, more graceful and more spiritual.

This third film shows us how people can achieve victory by thinking and doing the right thing, and that struck me as a good thought in a blockbuster movie.