Didn't think I could get any more excited for the film until I read the reviews above!

I do have one question though: How were the actors (e.g. Georgie, Poulter, Barnes)? One thing that always bothered me with the Narnia films was the occasional stiff acting that threw off the immersion of the films. Perhaps VODT is different?

I was also privileged enough to attend the Minneapolis screening, and I went in excited and hopeful--though if you'd asked me what I was hoping for I really couldn't have told you.

But I think I got more than I was hoping for. I walked out of the theater with a genuine sense of enjoyment, and a great deal of affection for the way key characters had been portrayed on screen.

Scenery, sets, costuming, cinematography... visually it was everything I could have hoped for. The soundtrack was very nice; the few times I actually noticed a theme or motif it seemed very fitting. The script was better than I was expecting. I'll still want to exercise selective memory and forget that certain scenes ever made their way into the final cut, but overall... not too shabby.

Talking it over afterward on the way home, there was plenty to discuss, good and bad. Definitely looking forward to seeing this again in December.

Savber, I would say that the acting was at least on par with the previous movies. There is some difference as the actors are older now. It's hard to say more without going into detail.

You people just made my day... =')

GRAND RAPIDS SCREENING?!?!? Why? I wish I had been asked to go, or known about it, or however you get to go to these things!

I'm liking the reviews, you awesome mods!

Well, this all sounds really positive! But confusing at the same time. After all these good reviews and bad spoilers, I lost all sense of how good this film will be.

How can my hart make me feel like it will be Narnia, while my mind can think of so many ways to refute that?

Well, first of all Adamie you have to want to enjoy the movie for what it is rather than just spend the entire time criticizing it. Because if you want to dislike it that is what you will do. Then you have to pay attention to the good parts and not focus entirely on the ones that weren't done right.

@Adamie, I can't blame you for not liking the bad parts, but I think there will be more good than bad, did you see the 5 clips?

Adamie, my only advice is to go in expecting a good movie. It may not be a adaptation that follows the book word for word, but it is definitely Narnia. I loved the film for what it is... a good movie and a pretty good adaptation. Like all movies, it has it's flaws. But it is definitely something to see for yourself before making a decision. Like Gymfan said... the parts they got right, they got really really right.

I do have one question though: How were the actors (e.g. Georgie, Poulter, Barnes)?

The actors were great. Georgie and Barnes did very well, particularly with the moods they were trying to convey. But, Poulter was so great that he out Scrubbed the Scrubb I had in my mind. He was fantastic. He really was the best of the lot, imho.

Before I begin, I would like to note that I can not share anything about the plotline, or to “base my review” off of the VDT pre-screening I attended, as the film is not yet in its final form. Here are some of my general thoughts, however.

As the film began, I sat in fear and trepidation, wondering if this was going to be as bad as I feared. It wasn’t. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised at the film: it seems to carry forward most of C.S. Lewis' main themes.

If you are expecting to walk in and see the book word for word on the screen, don’t bother. You won’t. And, frankly, I’m not sure I would like that. VDT, however, has reached in and taken the heart of the characters and put them on the screen. We travel with Lucy through her struggles, we find ourselves asking the same questions as the characters. Why? Where? How? We go on the journey with them. Their questions are our questions, and we get the answer when they do. We find ourselves on the Dawn Treader with them.

The film has many precious moments, ones that I wish I could share, but don’t dare (let’s just say Eustace is Eustace to the core, and the Dufflepuds are amazing). The story leaped from the screen, and I was entranced. I only had one cause to groan, but after that moment, I was sucked back into this wonderful world and the story that went with it.

I must confess, I have been skirting the parts of the forum where the spoilers and other filmy items have been, mainly because I was tired of the negativity. I went to the theatre expecting the negativity I had picked up. Really, everyone got whipped up over something that wasn’t that bad at all. Things that I heard the most complaints about (Gael, the White Witch, etc), all made perfect sense, and added another level to the film.

I’m sure there is much more that I could say about it without *technically* reviewing it, but I do not wish to bore you with commentary on the soundtrack (it was amazing), costumes (which were quite detailed and beautiful) or cinematography (which was great), so I will leave it at this: On the whole, I was amazed at how the film seemed to echo the book’s themes so clearly. I am quite happy, and am eagerly looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Don't worry about boring us Arwen, we are just about hanging on to every word in the these reviews after all the negative speculation, the positiveness is a cold drink on a hot day.

So, Dekkie sent this spy report in and... I laughed, I did. Not because it was funny, but because it's so very ironic.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader did NOT make Fox News (owned by Fox!) top 10 must see Holiday movies list. They wrote...

Of course, there are always some to avoid. Last year it was the Chipmunks’ “Squeaqual” – this year’s, it’s “Yogi Bear,” a live-action comedy for the unsophisticated, who want to watch a CG character voiced by Dan Aykroyd. And sequels are always an iffy thing – “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is the third film in a series that ran out of steam with the first film.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... s-toe-toe/

So, Dekkie sent this spy report in and... I laughed, I did. Not because it was funny, but because it's so very ironic.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader did NOT make Fox News (owned by Fox!) top 10 must see Holiday movies list. They wrote...

Of course, there are always some to avoid... “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is the third film in a series that ran out of steam with the first film.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... s-toe-toe/

Ok the first negative review I see is from the same company! Now that's just hilarious This is why I don't watch FOX news (no offense to those who like it or too those who work there...) It just never fit with my taste

I actually can't wait for this movie! The only thing I'm worried about is the rivalry over the Star's Daughter (no matter how small) in the trailer between Edmund and Caspian. If this is more than just a one moment thing...eh. Let's just say I won't be happy.
I'm very intrigued to see what Peter and Susan were doing in the clips I've seen, and to see what all the green mist is about. It should be awesome!
I'm not expecting to see something word by words from the books, but I hope they manage to capture Narnia.
And did anyone else just LOVE Will Poulter in the latest trailer?! He looks like the perfect Eustace and sounds like it too! They did a great job casting him! Skandar, Georgie and Ben look great as well, and Michael Apted looks like he's done a great job directing this movie!