Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (7/10): The franchise continues to be very much alive.

“Every one of the attacks you attributed to the Syndicate, the IMF was there.”

It’s been nearly 20 years since the first time Tom Cruise played IMF agent Ethan Hunt, and after this fifth installment of the franchise there is no sign of him stoping any time soon. Like good wine, these movies seem to get better the older Cruise gets. The weakest link in the series is by far the first sequel directed by John Woo, but J.J. Abrams managed to reinvigorate the franchise in the third Mission Impossible film with Philip Seymour Hoffman’s memorable performance as the main villain and the introduction of Simon Pegg’s character who brought the much needed comic relief. Brad Bird continued what Abrams started with Ghost Protocol and introduced Jeremy Renner to this world, and now it was up to Christopher McQuarrie to continue the hot streak. McQuarrie had previously worked with Cruise in Jack Reacher, a film I seem to have enjoyed more than everybody else. In Rogue Nation he followed what the previous directors brought to the series and continued to build on it with a similar tone during the action sequences that once again took us around the globe. There is a fantastic opening action scene involving Cruise jumping on a plane while it’s about to take off, then it is followed by another wonderful sequence at a Vienna Opera house, and it is topped by another one involving a heist in Morocco that ends with a spectacular motorcycle chase. If there is anything negative I can say about Rogue Nation is that the film opens in such a spectacular fashion and maintains such a steady pace that by the time the bike sequence in Morocco ends the film seems to overstay its welcome. There was just no other way to top those action sequences so the final thirty minutes were a bit of a letdown with the predictable twists that any fan of the franchise could see coming. Other than that this was a fantastic ride which proves once again what a star Tom Cruise really is. 

Upon receiving instructions for his latest mission, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), discovers that it has been compromised by a rogue organization that he refers to as the Syndicate. He is captured by its leader, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). While held captive, right before being tortured a mysterious woman known as Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) helps him escape. Ilsa claims to be a British Intelligence officer who has gone deep undercover to infiltrate Lane’s Syndicate and win his trust. Meanwhile, William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), is forced to testify in front of the US Chairmen committee in response to the agency’s latest dealings which haven’t been accounted for. CIA director, Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), wants IMF disbanded because he believes Hunt is a liability. The committee decides in Hunley’s favor convinced that the Syndicate doesn’t exist and that Hunt is behind it all. IMF is disbanded so Brandt and Benji (Simon Pegg) are forced to work for the CIA and bring Hunt in. So Ethan is left on his own to try to stop this dangerous organization, but he always finds a way to get his crew back together and accomplish the impossible. Ving Rhames is also back for a fifth time as Luther Stickell as he and Cruise are the only characters who’ve been here from the start. 

The screenplay for Rogue Nation which was written by McQuarrie himself hits pretty much the same beats as the previous two films in the franchise. It has a similar tone and it’s surprising how similar these films are to each other considering they’ve been directed by different directors. You know what direction these spy stories are heading, but the ride is what you are here for. Rogue Nation opens with a spectacular first half and ends in a weaker note, but it is still one great experience thanks to those spectacular action sequences and Cruise’s charm. McQuarrie also manages to do two things right: first of all making Sean Harris’s Solomon Lane a threatening villain and second giving Rebecca Ferguson a strong female character with some great choreographed fighting scenes. These two additions provide the franchise with the freshness it needed to go along with the familiarity of what the rest of the cast always brings. Besides the three action sequences that stood out for me in this film, there is a cool moment where Ethan receives instructions for his latest assignment that is perhaps the best in the franchise. Similarly to what many action films are doing now appealing to the past and our sense of nostalgia, Ethan receives his instructions in a vintage record store in what was one of the most memorable scenes in the film and a great way to introduce the villain of the story. The early escape scene is also quite thrilling, but it was spoiled by the trailers. Rogue Nation proves once again that this franchise is very much alive and that Tom Cruise isn’t getting slower despite his age. It doesn't hurt either that the series has one of the best action scores of any franchise.      

Hector and the Search for Happiness (4/10): Not such a happy experience at all

“How many of us I wonder can recall that childhood moment when we experienced happiness as a state of being”

In Hector and the Search for Happiness, you’re more likely to leave the theater with too sweet of a taste in your mouth than actually happy because the comedy is schmaltzy and generic. The dialogue is corny at times, which I can’t say for sure if it’s the screenplay’s fault or the popular novel it was adapted from written by Francois Lelord because I’m unfamiliar with it. I just felt that most of the characters introduced in the film were stereotypical and only served the purpose of developing the story. The plot is pretty simple and straightforward: Hector (Simon Pegg) is a middle aged psychiatrist who gets tired of his routine life and decides to travel in search for happiness. He leaves his girlfriend, Clara (Rosamund Pike), and tells her he can’t help his patients to be happy if he doesn’t feel happy. This is where his adventures begin as he travels across Asia, Africa, and North America meeting different characters who give him different versions of how to find happiness. The first of course takes place in China where he meets a wealthy businessman named Edward (Stellan Skarsgard) who tells him that happiness can be bought with money. He later searches for happiness in a one night stand with a girl he meets at a nightclub. The film practically takes us around the globe introducing us to new characters who play typical roles (a rich businessman, a monk, a family woman, a drug dealer, a volunteer doctor, and an old flame). Along the way he writes the different approaches these people have towards happiness, and I just found it a bit too simple and corny. The film does move along at an interesting pace thanks to the lead performance from Simon Pegg who is always a delight on screen. He has charisma and a sharp sense of humor, but this time he was held back by the script.   

It is no secret that Simon Pegg has done his best work in Edgar Wright films alongside Nick Frost. Despite being charismatic there isn’t much he can do when given a weak script. The film at times feels offensive in the way they portray some of these foreign characters (especially the scenes in Africa). I also felt the relationship between his character and Rosamund Pike’s a bit uneven. At first Pike is portrayed as the perfectly neat girlfriend who is always helping Hector in keeping his routine. She’s kind of like the cool girl from her Gone Girl speech and does everything that she thinks is expected from her. This somehow isn’t working for Hector because he feels unhappy and that apparent chemistry disappears. Stellan Skarsgard, Jean Reno, Christopher Plummer, and Toni Collette are some of the familiar faces that have supporting roles in this movie, but not much is done with their characters. They are only introduced in Hector’s life as a way to give him a different approach of how one can find happiness in life. Some audiences might find the sweet story approachable, but I just found it way too schmaltzy and false. The comedy didn’t work very well, although i did like some of the animated scenes that were included in the film. There is nothing fresh or original about this film and it takes a similar approach as other recent films like Eat, Pray, Love and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

My Review: The World's End (7/10)

"And here we go! Just like the Five Musketeers!"

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright's final installment of the Cornetto trilogy is a very entertaining and funny film. Just like its predecessors The World's End works as a comedy although this time the focus is on the sci-fi genre. Shaun of the Dead was based on horror, Hot Fuzz on buddy action films, and now The World's End makes fun of the apocalyptic science fiction films we've all seen. However the films all work best as a comedy considering Wright carefully constructs them and builds momentum at the right moments. The fans who pay close attention to the script will catch several of those small elements he includes in the comedy. Pegg and Frost also deliver great characters and have a solid supporting cast. If you enjoyed the humor in their previous films then you will be very satisfied with this film because it follows the same premise and has several of the same actors involved once again. The script is witty and the direction with the fast edits, slick camera angles, and well timed action sequences works really well. It might be a slightly more mature film than its predecessors, but it still includes all the key elements that made the first two such likable films. My personal favorite of the three will still be Hot Fuzz, probably because it was the first film I watched since I had never seen Shaun of the Dead, but I still enjoyed all three films. The humor in The World's End isn't the cheap kind, the jokes are well constructed but I understand that its humor isn't for everyone. The characters are all very well developed and each one has his or her own personal traits defined. It has a nostalgic vibe to it as well considering the characters all seem to lament over their lost youth, and are trying to live out those memories for one last time. It's a very satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy.

The film centers on five friends from a small English town that decide to get together 20 years later and finish what they never could during their teenage days: complete an epic pub crawl known as the Golden Mile. It consists of drinking one pint of beer in all 12 Newton Haven pubs in the course of one day. Gary (Simon Pegg), who was the leader of the group, decides to round up the crew and accomplish this goal. He is very self centered and doesn't treat his friends really well, but somehow (probably from a sense of nostalgia and trying to relive the best year of their lives) they all still decide to tag along. The group consists of Pete (Eddie Marsan) who was bullied upon during his youth, Steven (Paddy Considine) who is currently dating a young fitness instructor, Oliver (Martin Freeman) nicknamed O-Man because of a birthmark he had on his forehead that resembled a 6, and Andy (Nick Frost) who used to be Gary's best friend before they had a fallout and became estranged. As they begin their quest for the Golden mile they run into Sam (Rosamund Pike), Oliver's sister, with whom Gary had a one night fling when they were young, but Steven is the one who has been in love with her all his life. They are surprised to discover that the people in the town have changed and are behaving strangely. What begins as an apparently innocent and fun night might end up being a nightmare as they begin uncovering a conspiracy that threatens all of humanity. 

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost sort of switch roles from the ones they played in Shaun of the Dead. This time Nick plays the much more mature character, while Simon is the childish one. Pegg is really unlikable at the beginning of the film, as he manipulates and completely ignores his friends, but his character soon grows on us as we identify with his sense of nostalgia of the past. I think that the scenes between these group of friends hanging out in the pub was probably the strongest part of the film considering that the sci-fi scenes were a little too over the top (although some action sequences were really entertaining). The way these characters interact with one another is what makes this film worth seeing. The satire and slapsticknalso mixes really well with this smart comedy. I still think that Scott Pilgrim is Edgar Wright's best film to date, but he always delivers fun and entertaining movies. 

My Review: Shaun of the Dead (7/10

"We're coming to get you, Barbara!"

Shaun of the Dead is one of those films that benefited from the release date since a few weeks earlier the zombie horror flick, Dawn of the Dead hit theaters worldwide. A couple of years before that Danny Boyle scared audiences in England with his successful zombie flick 28 Days Later. Shaun of the Dead works as a spoof to all zombie movies so the distributors had perfect timing which is essential for a comedy. The film also had a pretty strong fan base considering Simon Pegg and Nick Frost had worked with director Edgar Wright in the past in the TV series Spaced. The setting for this film was just perfect and Wright and Pegg did a great job with the script. Thanks to Shaun of the Dead we got to see these actors team up together for another great film: Hot Fuzz (a spoof on pretty much all the 90's action movies) and for the upcoming The World's End which is receiving great reviews from critics. Fans of the TV series Spaced might enjoy some inside references in Shaun of the Dead, but regardless of wether or not you've seen it you will still have a great time with this film because the script is witty and clever while the performances are also all pretty strong. The more zombie movies you've seen the more you will enjoy this because it makes fun of several of those generic stereotypes. I wouldn't say this is a horror flick because there isn't really a scary moment, but it is an intelligent comedy that makes fun of those cheesy moments in horror films (jump scenes where one person shows up all of a sudden with creepy music in the background). Shaun of the Dead is worth your time if you are looking for a good and fun time.

Shaun (Simon Pegg) is kind of a slacker who hasn't done much with his life. He is content to spend his days with his roommate Ed (Nick Frost) and his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) hanging out at the local pub where he is a frequent customer. The problem is that Liz is tired of the relationship since all they do is hang out with Ed at the pub and she barely gets to have time alone with him. Shaun promises to take her out to a nice restaurant and turn his life around, but the next day he gets distracted by a visit from his stepdad (Bill Nighy) who reminds him he has to go visit his mother (Penelope Wilton) thus forgetting to reserve a table for dinner with his girlfriend. Tired of Shaun's broken promises, Liz decides to break up with him. Shaun realizes it's time to turn his life around, but something strange is happening in his town. All of a sudden dead people are coming back to life and attacking everyone so Shaun realizes this is the perfect opportunity to prove to Liz that he is capable of saving and protecting her from the deadly zombie attacks.

Shaun of the Dead works really well thanks to the great chemistry between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; you can tell their friendship transcends the big screen and seeing them pair up is what works best in this film. The British gags and cultural references cross borders and the jokes are effective anywhere. This is one film anyone can enjoy because it works on its own. It isn't one of those spoof films which you can only enjoy if you've seen the movie it's making fun of. The fun and the jokes work on their own and the relationship between the characters is also really strong. Shaun of the Dead came to my attention when Quentin Tarantino shared his list of the 20 best films of the last 20 years and this movie appeared on that list. I really enjoyed this movie, but I don't consider it among the best comedies of our era. In my opinion Hot Fuzz was even funnier, but I really look forward to The World's End which looks really promising. Shaun of the Dead is worth checking out if you are one of the few people that haven't seen it.

Rating: 7,8/10

My Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (9/10)

¨You think your world is safe? It is an illusion. A comforting lie to protect you. Enjoy these final moments of peace. For I have returned to have my vengeance.¨

First off I have to say that I loved J.J. Abrams´ reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 2009 and I was highly anticipating this sequel. I had my reservations of whether or not Abrams was going to be able to maintain the same level of success he achieved with the prequel since the originality and freshness of the characters was going to be gone. It is much easier to reboot a known franchise and make it fresh with the introduction of new characters and letting us know how everything began (sort of like what Batman Begins did), but it is much more difficult to make a worthy sequel to such a beloved prequel. Somehow I think Abrams managed to pull it off once again by introducing a great villain and maintaining the freshness of the original film with some great chemistry between Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto along with the rest of the crew. At many points during the movie it even felt like a buddy comedy instead of a blockbuster sci-fi action film, but then Abrams managed to mix it all together quite nicely. It may be much lighter than The Dark Knight, but I felt he did something similar to what Christopher Nolan did with his trilogy by giving us a great villain and giving the movie several layers. This sequel may even be better than the prequel although many people may disagree with me. At least I think Abrams was able to maintain the same level of entertainment once again. This is a very fun and engaging movie with some great characters and spectacular visuals. This is the best film I´ve seen this year and by far the most entertaining one. I was never a big fan of the Star Trek TV series or the original movies, but I was completely hooked with the reboot and Abrams once again teams up with screenwriters: Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci to give us a gripping script with some great twists that Trekkies will probably enjoy. I don´t want to give away any spoilers, but if you´ve seen the film you know what I´m talking about. Star Trek into Darkness is the most fun I´ve had in theaters this year.

The movie takes place one year after the events of the prequel as we follow the crew from the USS Enterprise and their Captain, Kirk (Chris Pine), as they encounter new missions into foreign galaxies. In their latest mission they are trying to save a civilization from a volcano eruption without them knowing of their presence. Kirk and his First Commander, Spock (Zachary Quinto), manage to save the planet, but Kirk does so by breaking some rules. This doesn’t go well with Spock who despite being saved doesn’t agree with breaking protocol. When they arrive back to Earth, Spock informs their bosses and Kirk is discharged from the fleet. While this is taking place a former member of Starfleet, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), bombs an installation in London and later attacks a high ranking officers meeting at the Starfleet headquarters before managing to escape. Pike (Bruce Greenwood) is killed during this incident and Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) reinstates Kirk as Captain of the Enterprise in order for him to hunt down the terrorist. And so the new mission begins with Kirk and Spock back together again with the rest of their crew: Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Bones (Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Sulu (John Cho), and Chekov (Anton Yelchin), all looking for revenge.

The relationship between Quinto and Pine´s character was probably the highlight in the prequel, and here once again we get to see how their relation has developed over time. The scenes they share together are really entertaining, but the supporting cast is exceptional once again with Simon Pegg and Karl Urban giving the funniest performances and lightening up the mood. Cumberbatch makes for one of the best villains I´ve seen this year and his performance is incredible. The twist with his character is really clever and it made me want to go back and watch the original films. The film is so good because it focuses on the characters and their relationships more than on the action and visuals, which are incredible nonetheless. I really look forward to what JJ Abrams and his crew are going to bring to the table in the Star Wars franchise because what they have done here was spectacular by combing comedy and sci-fi action. I am a huge fan of pretty much everything Abrams has done, ranging from what he did with the Lost series to his latest film prior to this one: Super 8. It will be very hard for another summer blockbuster movie to top this one this year. It has really raised the standard and the bar for the upcoming movies. Please go watch this film, you won´t regret it.

  

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My Review: Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol (7/10)

¨Mission accomplished¨

The fourth installment of the Mission Impossible franchise has finally arrived after five long years. It`s been so long that I really don`t remember much of what happened in the latest mission, but it isn’t that important because these movies stand on their own. The first Mission Impossible film came out way back in 1996 and now fifteen years later the mission continues with Tom Cruise as the lead character once again, although this time they brought in a new director: Brad Bird. Bird is known mostly for his direction in animated films such as The Incredibles and Ratatouille, but he proves with Ghost Protocol that he can make an entertaining action film as well. There are some really great choreographed action scenes in this film with good visual effects. The story is entertaining, although cartoonish at times. One thing is for sure, you won`t be bored with this latest installment because there is plenty of action going around. I still don`t think the film is as brilliant as many people are saying it is. It works as a summer popcorn movie, but it isn`t much more than that. It definitely won`t be memorable or even rank among my favorite films of the year, but I still enjoyed this action film. One of the problems I had with this movie was the pace of the film; the story is really long and at some points I felt it was dragging a bit. The final action scene was a little over the top as well and it felt like it would never end. There were also some corny moments in the dialogue from the screenplay which was written by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, but the film worked thanks to some entertaining actions scenes, and Tom Cruise proves he`s an action star as well.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back in action once again with yet another mission that seems impossible, but this time he will have to work with a different team and without the help of the IMF division because it has been disavowed by the American President after a mission goes wrong in Russia and relations between both countries seem to hang by a very thin thread. At the beginning of the movie Ethan is in a prison in Moscow and has to be rescued by other IMF field agents, Benji (Simon Pegg) and Jane (Paula Patton). Once they free Ethan, the three team up for an important mission in Russia where they are ordered to infiltrate the Kremlin archives, but something goes wrong when someone else steals the files they`re looking for and alerts the Russian police that Ethan is inside the building. Ethan manages to escape, but right after he does the entire building blows up and Ethan is the prime suspect, although in order to not stir up the public the Russian government claims the explosion was due to a gas leak accident. This is where the relations between the US and Russia government reaches its boiling point and Ethan must find the person behind the betrayal before a nuclear war begins. The search takes them from one location to the next so we get to see Ethan and his team climbing the world`s tallest building in Dubai first and later ending up in Bombay. IMF intelligence analyst, William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), joins the team and embarks in this mission impossible.

There are plenty of thrills and emotional moments during the movie, but despite the fact that it`s entertaining I still felt like there were some dull moments that could`ve been cut out from this over two hour long film. Tom Cruise is back doing what he does best; it`s always good to see him in these action roles (despite the fact that he has a peculiar form of running) and he was great in the Dubai scene. Jeremy Renner was also a great addition; he`s been on a real role ever since the Hurt Locker. Simon Pegg provides the comedy needed in these action films to break down the tension, and Paula Patton was much more than just eye candy; she could kick some butt. I also liked to see Michael Nyqvist in the villain role after his work in the Swedish Millennium trilogy. Mission Impossible had everything it needed to succeed: action stars, great action scenes, and some comedic relief, but I still felt like something was missing. I don`t think this is the best film of the franchise, but it`s still worth the watch. You will be entertained, just don`t expect it to be one of best action films of the year. I had a lot more fun with Fast Five than I did with Ghost Protocol. I`m glad however that Tom Cruise is back making some entertaining movies and doing what he does best.

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My Review: Paul (5/10)

¨This is America. Kidnapping a Christian is worse than harboring a fugitive.¨

British comedians, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, are back again with a new comedy following up their successful movies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. In Shaun of the Dead they satirized George A. Romero`s zombie films, while in Hot Fuzz they did the same thing with pretty much every Hollywood action film from Bad Boys to Terminator. Now with Paul they try to satirize pretty much every movie involving aliens and the Roswell incident. It`s also a buddy road trip comedy. I was a huge fan of Pegg and Frost`s first two films, but Paul really didn’t work for me since I was expecting more from this great duo. I also had huge expectations knowing Greg Mottola was going to direct their movie since I really loved his earlier films: Superbad and Adventureland. The movie was really disappointing and I found the comedy in it really cheap. Sorry critics but I had more fun with The Hangover sequel than I did with this. I didn’t find anything fresh about this comedy. It would have worked better as a skit for Saturday Night Live. It`s too bad because both Frost and Pegg are great actors, and there were also some interesting cameos from some great American actors. Seth Rogen is always funny, but his voice for the alien Paul never felt too connect with me since I kept on imagining him smoking pot while giving the alien a voice. There were really very few funny scenes that worked for me. I know these guys can write much better scripts because they`ve done it before. Paul is just another silly forgettable movie.

Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) are two best friends who`ve decided to travel from England to San Diego for the Comic-Con Convention. They are having the time of their life, meeting some interesting people and doing what all sci-fi geeks do. After spending the evening at the Convention they decide to take a road trip across America´s UFO highway trying to reach New Mexico and the crash site of the supposed Roswell incident that took place over half a century ago. While they`re on their way they have an accident and nearly crash into another vehicle. The other vehicle spins out of the highway and when they stop to see if there`s anyone hurt they discover the alien. He isn’t harmed and tells them his name is Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) and he`s been working at a secret military base for the US government for the past 60 years after his spaceship crashed in Roswell. He has finally decided to escape after realizing he was being kept prisoner and asks Graeme and Clive to help him return to his space ship so he can finally leave this planet and return home. The duo accepts to help Paul in his mission and decide to take him along with them on their RV. They soon discover that they are being followed by Agent Zoil (Jason Bateman) and two other officers, Haggard (Bill Hader) and O`Reilly (Joe Lo Truglio). To make matters worse they also sort of accidently kidnap a young woman named Ruth (Kristen Wiig) so her father Moses (John Carroll Lynch) is also trying to track them down and so the chase begins.

The actors are pretty actually good in this film, but the screenplay was just far too silly and Paul didn’t really work as a smart alien satire film in the same way that their earlier movies had worked. There were a couple of funny scenes like when Paul revives a dead bird only to eat him afterwards because hey he wasn’t going to eat a dead bird. That was perhaps the highlight of the movie for me. There are also some supporting roles and cameos from the funny Jane Lynch, Sigourney Weaver who starred in the Aliens franchise, and Jeffrey Tambor. The rest of the movie consisted of gay and anal jokes which weren’t really funny and several anti-Christian remarks; nothing remarkably original at all. Paul was simply a very silly and forgettable movie and there isn’t really much more I can add to my review. I know that it is one of those movies that can’t be taken seriously, and I actually enjoy a lot of those movies, but this was just a poor attempt at comedy. I hope Pegg and Frost get on the right track for their next film and work a little harder on the screenplay. I also hope Greg Mottola goes on directing another Adventureland type of film: funny but smart and touching at the same time. I really wasn’t a huge fan of Paul, but perhaps it just wasn’t my type of film considering several other critics seemed to have a good time with it so you might want to check it out; just don’t expect another Shaun of the Dead kind of comedy this time.

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My Review: The Chronicles of Narnia - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (6/10)

¨You have returned for a reason. Your adventure begins now. ¨

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third installment of The Chronicles of Narnia series which is based on C.S. Lewis`s best selling children adventure books. Due to the fact that the second film, Prince Caspian, didn`t do as well in the box office there was a change in the direction and production of the movie, but the cast is still the same. Michael Apted (The World is not Enough, Gorillas in the Mist) directed this sequel which stays pretty faithful to the book and is similar to the previous Narnia movies. The first movie is by far the most popular of the franchise (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) so it comes as no surprise that this third part isn`t as good nor fun as that one. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader still is an entertaining movie, but it has lost some of the magic along the way. Fans of the series probably won`t be disappointed by this movie, but those who haven`t seen (or enjoyed for that matter) the other two films will probably not enjoy this movie as much since it follows a similar formula. The movie relies heavily on the special effects and for that reason the characters haven`t been developed as well as they are in the books. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fun and entertaining movie, but I enjoyed the book a lot more.

The movie takes place one year after the adventure that the four Pevensie children had with Prince Caspian. Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) are staying with their aunt and annoying cousin, Eustace (Will Poulter from Son of Rambow fame), while England is still at War. Peter and Susan are in America and they have short cameos since they have already been told that they won`t be able to return to Narnia. Lucy and Edmond begin to argue with Eustace over a painting of a Narnian ship sailing in an open ocean when all of a sudden water begins to come out of the paining and flood the room. The next thing they know they are swimming in the ocean and being rescued by Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) and his fleet in Narnia. Together the three kids, Caspian who is now the King, Reepicheep (the brave mouse voiced by Simon Pegg), and the rest of the crew have to search several islands for the seven lost lords of Narnia. The adventure begins aboard the Dawn Treader.

Liam Neeson is back again as the voice of Aslan, the lion and creator of Narnia. Aslan represents Jesus Christ in this sort of parallel universe that C.S. Lewis created since he was a known Christian theologian. Several things throughout the movie have a biblical significance and serve as Christian parables. The movie also mixes several Roman and Greek mythological creatures from the book as well which add a little more magic to Narnia. The main characters of the film however are Lucy and Edmund, but I think that Henley`s performance as Lucy is what has carried these movies so far. She is very likeable on screen and is the best character. Poulter gave a good performance as Eustace and will have to carry the series from now on if they decide to go on with the fourth film (The Silver Chair) since Lucy and Edmund aren`t allowed to return to Narnia. I remember reading all seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia, and my favorite one was The Horse and His Boy although it has nothing to do with these characters so I´m not sure if the producers are thinking of continuing with the franchise. I really enjoyed the books so I was a little disappointed with these movies as I was hoping they would have a production like the Harry Potter films had. It is still a fun and entertaining ride nevertheless, but not as good as the first film. What it lacks in character development, it makes up for with the special effects.

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