From left, Ben Barnes as King Caspian, Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie; and Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. (Walden Media)
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By Meg Tully
Liam Neeson seems to be in denial about his most recent role.
At a recent press conference, the actor, who voices Aslan the lion in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, said he didn’t believe Aslan was necessarily a Christ figure. Really, Liam Neeson? The main characters hope that if they sail for long enough, they’ll reach Aslan’s land — the kingdom Aslan inhabits after sacrificing himself in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Aslan’s land is only for dearly departed souls with noble hearts, and once they enter, they can never leave.
Sound familiar?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the latest film based on Christian philosopher C.S. Lewis’ book series, and the movie is bursting with Christian allegory. It follows the youngest Pevensie children, Edmund and Lucy (the British actors Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley), in their latest journey to the magical land of Narnia. They are joined by their insufferable cousin, Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter), who looks and acts like a middle-aged man. Once they arrive in Narnia, the children meet familiar characters Caspian (Ben Barnes) and Reepicheep (voiced by Simon Pegg) on the vessel that gives the film its title. After the crew witnesses a boat full of Narnians disappear in a cloud of green mist, they promise to sail through uncharted territory to the Dark Island to retrieve them.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader emphasizes the importance of faith through Aslan’s role. Even though the lion died in a previous film, characters speak of him as though he is alive, and they even hope to find him on an uncharted island. Aslan appears to most of the major characters, helping them on their personal journeys. It is the characters’ faith in Aslan that keeps them hopeful during hard times. Eustace mocks the other characters for their faith in a talking lion, but by the end of the film, his encounter with Aslan leaves Eustace a better human being. (Aslan’s encounters with other characters similarly improve them.)
Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie and Aslan the Lion (voiced by Liam Neeson) in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. (Walden Media)
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The film ends with Aslan assuring Lucy that he will still be with her when she leaves Narnia — but he goes by a different name in our world, and she needs to learn it.
The film also beautifully portrays the triumph of good over evil. The Dark Island is defined as the ultimate evil, and one character warns that the evil will tempt them all to abandon their efforts to save the lost souls trapped inside. The temptations manifest themselves in offers of riches and ultimate power, but the protagonists persevere.
And it devotes some time to more ecumenical concerns over family dynamics, sibling rivalry and overcoming feelings of inadequacy and jealousy by being true to one’s self — all good lessons for any youngster to learn.
Despite all the spiritual content in the film, the screenwriters seemed to tone down some Christian aspects of Lewis’ original novel. In a particularly provocative scene, a young girl asks why Aslan let her mother be swallowed by the green mist and taken to the Dark Island. She is ignored, the scene continues, and her question is left unanswered. Christians have always grappled with why bad things happen to good people. The film missed an opportunity ponder the human condition or to offer a beautiful message about hope or triumph of spirit. In a movie full of hopeful messages, it seemed strange to ask a provocative question only to ignore it.
The Narnia films have, thus far, notoriously underperformed at the box office. At of this writing, it looks like this tradition will continue with the latest (and what promises to be the last) film. It’s easy to see why this is the case. While the movie is entertaining, it doesn’t have the magic of box-office heavyweights like Toy Story 3 or How to Train Your Dragon. And the rather basic good-versus-evil plots might leave adults wanting a more complex story.
Despite its faults, though, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is an enjoyable film, particularly for children. Narnia comes alive via the 3-D technology used, highlighting the landscape’s numerous fanciful creatures (including minotaurs, dragons, mermaids and dwarves). Its messages of self-confidence, good triumphing over evil, and the importance of faith are well-developed and easy for children to understand.
Just not that easy, apparently, for Liam Neeson.