VDT Anticipation, Day 2

Chapter 2: On Board the Dawn Treader

Description of the point of Voyage, Reepicheep/Eustace animosity, Eustace's journal, and the Dawn Treader

A note on timing and locations: I forgot to mention in the last post that it seems like the time between PC and VDT in the movies is longer than the year portrayed in the book. Not to big of a deal, especially if the writers did it to explain why Edmund and Lucy both look significantly older. Also, Peter went to America with Susan - supposedly with their parents if the filmmakers followed that part of the book. I understand shoving Peter in with Susan. Explaining that he was studying with professor Kirke would be a lot of time spent on a character that really isn't in the movie.

Point of VDT book: Caspian made an oath on his coronation day that he would find 7 lords that his uncle sent off to explore the Eastern Ocean (get rid of them, in other words.) Reepicheep is tagging along because he wants to find Aslan's country. VDT chronicles the looking and finding of the lords and also that longing for Aslan's country. On the way, they encounter 2 stars, some Dufflepuds, a dragon, and a pool that turns stuff to gold.

Apparent point of VDT movie: Caspian originally sets out to find the 7 lords*. That is, until they get to the Lone Islands and discover that slaves are being fed to the Dark Island/darkness/green mist (OMG Lady of the Green Kirtle?!?!?) that seeks to steal the light and goodness from the world. To stop this evil darkness, they must recover the 7 swords of the 7 lords (who aren't even Narnians, BTW, so how do their swords apply to this???) and unite them at Aslan's table.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't really sound like the book. Besides being downright cheesy**, the whole seven lord's swords thing is completely WRONG for a Dawn Treader movie. The thing about VDT that makes it a favorite of the series (up there with the Horse and His Boy, which interestingly enough doesn't have much of a point to it besides longing, this time for Narnia. The 'Save Archenland" plot comes in later.) is that it's a simple story without an overarching plot and no evil to be defeated. It represents the heart of what the Chronicles are about - wanting Aslan above all else. The sea serpent and the Dark Island are mere detours on the way to the real climax, finding the end of the world and Aslan's Country.

Eustace/Reep: Eustace grabs Reep's tail, Reep demands satisfaction (a duel,) and Eustace refuses on ground of being a pacifist. Really happy about the fact that the filmmakers recognized this part of the book. Both the mutual hatred that Eustace and Reep share and the subsequent friendship during and after Eustace's time as a dragon seems to have been left intact.

The part I was sure would be left out, Eustace's journal: YAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAYYAY!!! I can't believe this actually ended up in the movie. I was positive that it would be deemed too uncinematic for the movie and be cut out, but it wasn't. Still not sure if we'll see any of his journal entries on the Dawn Treader, but it's there at the beginning of the movie and that's good enough for me. It'll be a good introduction to the character & how he thinks, similair to what Lewis did in the first chapter of the book.

The Dawn Treader:

They. built. the. ship. It doesn't look like I'd pictured it. It looks better. They didn't minimalize the details, they didn't make the sail not purple, heck, they even threw in a lamp-post for good measure. It looks incredible, and I can't wait to see it on the big screen.

*Which weren't even mentioned in the movie of Prince Caspian. That's going to be really hard to explain. I don't think Andrew Adamson (directed the first two movies, but not directing VDT) thought ahead much when making PC. I'm not saying that he intentionally screwed Michael Apted (director of VDT) up, but I don't think he thought things (like Suspian or not mentioning the vital plot point of VDT) through as thoroughly as he would have if he'd know he was also directing VDT. Just my two cents.

**I can't believe I'm complaining about cheesiness in a movie about a 2-foot tall talking mouse and a kid that gets turned into a dragon.



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