There's another significant change the Focus on the Family version made to VDT. Towards the end of Eustace's time as a dragon, when he hears the others wondering how they can take him with them and how on earth they're going to feed him, we're told by the narrator that Eustace made up his mind to not go with them, to slip away and hide when the ship is due to leave so that they'll go on without him and he won't be a burden to them. That definitely isn't in the book.

I'm guessing whoever adapted the book as a radio play decided the story could do with a clearer sign that Eustace really is having a change of heart on a deeper level, not just realising how awful he was and wanting to be friends with the others, but becoming unselfish to the point where he's actually willing to let them go on and leave him alone as a dragon forever. I suppose that does add some poignancy and it shows that he's now truly ready for Aslan to come and "undragon" him, but I feel it's not really that necessary and maybe a bit extreme. All the other voyagers have already seen clearly how much Eustace has changed inwardly and how much of an effort he's making to be helpful, so it's not as if we haven't already had enough indication that his "cure had begun" (as Lewis puts it in the book). Reepicheep becoming his friend and biggest comforter is the most outstanding evidence!! And it's also clear enough that they don't want to leave him behind, as no-one suggests doing so, whereas only a short time earlier — when he was still an incredibly selfish boy — most of the crew would have been very happy to lose him!!!  

I also just find it a little hard to believe that Eustace could become THAT selfless and even self-sacrificing in such a short time, that after realising how lonely he was as a dragon and how desperate he was to have friends, he could now be willing to let them go and resign himself to a life of lonely misery for his friends' sake. But it's nothing that messes up the story or detracts from the otherwise very faithful adaptation.

I understand the film extended Eustace's time as a dragon — obviously they DID find a way of taking him with them (I've never watched that version) — which could also work for Netflix if it's done in a way that works well with the plot and expands on Eustace's transformation of character (the whole point of the dragon episode!) in a believable and satisfying way. I don't mind films making some changes to the original story if they keep everything "in character" with it and bring out the message in a way that really works on screen! But we can only wait and see. I've a nasty feeling Netflix will do what Walden / Disney obviously did and decide this story needs a proper villain and turn it into something nearly unrecognisable...  

@courtenay 

It is a little different from the book, but it does seem like quite a problem of how to feed and transport a large dragon on a small ship like the Dawn Treader.  Perhaps Lewis could have gone into more detail about when the crew was talking about how to solve the problem.  The readers of the book may have wondered about solving the issue before Aslan changed Eustace back into a boy. At that point in the story the readers of the story probably didn’t know what Aslan would do to restore Eustace to his human form, although his character had already improved. Eustace didn’t know what would happen to him, either. But at that time there still was the problem of what they should do with him.

When the albatross appears with the voice of Aslan saying through it , “Courage, dear heart” it gives the Dawn Treader crew some hope.  I think that was the only time an albatross was mentioned in the seven books. I guess it was the right bird for the moment.  Albatrosses were considered good luck for sailors and that may be why it was chosen by Lewis. Apparently it was possible to live with nightmares for years since Lord Rhoop did not die in spite of his horrible experience.  And the albatross must have come from the world of daylight into the darkness since it wasn’t part of the nightmares.

Oh yes. Lord Rhoop had some much insanity from being in the Dark Island. I can see Netflix might struggle with depicting the Dark Island, much like BBC and Walden did.

Posted by: @courtenay

I've a nasty feeling Netflix will do what Walden / Disney obviously did and decide this story needs a proper villain and turn it into something nearly unrecognisable...  

And who says that every story has to have a villain? We just kind of hope that Netflix doesn't repeat the same mistake as Walden did, though there are still concerns, like keep bringing back the White Witch or adding a romance or having a big epic battle scene. I get that filmmakers do those kind of things because it makes money. But if it is going to take it away from the original plot, a formula like that doesn't always work.

I mean, the epic battle with the Sea Serpent was totally different than the emotional climax in the book. I think a epic climatic battle works better for The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Horse and His Boy, and The Last Battle than Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Magician's Nephew.

How many of a movie franchise brings back the old villain? I mean, nothing against Tilda Swinton. I think she's a great actress, and I actually love her portrayal of the White Witch. Ever since, she went on to have a great career. But it comes to point like, "Don't need to see the White Witch anymore." I think The Dark Night Trilogy brought back the Scarecrow twice. I don't know if it was because fans liked Cilian Murphy's performance as the Scarecrow in Batman Begins. Though he did go on to have a great career, being in movies like Inception and In The Heart of the Sea. Anyhow, I think bringing back the old villain is something that happens in a comic book movie. So Netflix better not repeat that mistake.

As for romance, it's hard to do a movie without one, especially if there are two characters and there's one guy and one girl. Though it's kind of getting less and less. Plus, they would probably have to age Jill and Eustace up or age Digory and Polly up or even age Shasta and Aravis up (while they end up getting married, I think Netflix would still have to age them up). I actually kind of like the idea that these are kids doing the most unlikely things in the world of Narnia.

The problem for me with the VotDT is simple. Aslan was not right. Eustace cannot earn his undragoning. Aslan has to cause the undragoning. Aslan has to be already coming to Eustace when he looks up. The only good scene with Aslan in the VotDT movie is at the end of the world and even that could be a little bit better. Also, Aslan pops up at death water and at the dufflepud island and the dark island and then the knife is on the table at Ramandu's island.

Maybe have Lucy tell the story of how it felt to stay at the stone table with Aslan's body after he died.

I really think that they should make a tv show and not movies. VotDT would work great with episodes. Also, the plot needs to be about the call of Aslan's country. The children not wanting to leave Narnia because they leave Aslan. They could even incorporate that into the Dark Island scenes. Just think how much better Ramandu's island could be then it was in the movie. The way they sit at the table until the sun rises. How creepy that feels. A table with the knife that killed Aslan laying on it.

The you knew me here so that you could know me there line. I have another name. It just feels so important. That longing that Reep has being a longing that they all have.

I honestly don't think the VotDT movie was creepy enough. I almost think they could make dragon island two episodes. I think a good show should be about the talking and the characters growing and not just the action. Action is great. I love a good action scene, but the verbalizing the ideas in the book are what is important and there is a lot of heavy stuff that they could build into the characters.

It is so hard because i love the books and i know people don't want to change them, but to make them visual they have to verbalize the ideas and that can be difficult. For me is so much more about the ideas then the plot points or the order of the islands. The ideas and Aslan need to be right and even though the movie was bad, in my opinion, it never took away from the book. So i want them to try to do better this time.

@decarus 

Yes, the Dawn Treader movie is not perfect, but I can’t dislike it completely.  I think it is very attractive to look at, and Michael Apted did a remarkable job with the visual appearance. But I would have liked the movie much better if the story had followed the book more closely. Ramandu was left out and we have the Green Mist which Lewis did not invent.  The acting was quite good, e.g. especially Will Poulter as Eustace and Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, and the rest were quite talented as was the cast in the previous two films. So I can’t say that the film was completely without success.  It is just that it could have been so much better when considering the talents of the people involved. I would encourage anyone to buy the DVD or Blu-ray since the film is beautiful and worthwhile for repeated viewings in spite of its shortcomings. 

I mean i am glad that there is a Narnia movie, so for the sake of that i am glad the movie exists. The scene at the end of the world is almost enough even if i don't really like the rest of the movie. Will Poulter was great, but i really think besides him the acting is not great. Though, i don't really blame them. I think the problem is the directing of the movie more than the their ability to act. The overdoing it. The silliness of it at times. How disjointed the movie felt. That only Eustace is given any real weighted, long dialogue.

The problem is that the movie just didn't understand what the book was about. The longing for Aslan's country. The salvation of Eustace. Instead it was just oh there is this bad guy green mist that is lurking about; we are going to defeat it. That just isn't interesting as a main plot. That is going to be the problem. That once again the writers and the directors are not going to understand where the weight of the story should be. Also, this desire to make them too kid friendly, at least when it comes to the ideas behind it. I don't need to see blood and all that, but there still needs to be really heavy ideas in there even if young kids don't understand it.

Don't make the tv show for five year olds.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a flawed movie. They've botched the story line, though I can't say I hate the movie. I am a bit mixed on it. I'm sure there's an audience out there.

@jasmine_tarkheena the movie Looked Beautiful. The ship was amazing, the sets and matt backgrounds (eg White Island NZ)were very well done, the costumes etc were great. There were excellent actors cast.

The fault lay in the pair of scriptwriters who have always had their own agenda about the Narnia books, and carried Walden along with them. The idea of having something that carried over into the next film (which they naturally expected to make) was perfectly reasonable. How they did it was not good. 

The final shock for Narnia lovers was the Green Mist; this was how they interpreted what Doug Gresham had suggested - a signal that a character was being tempted/tested. He imagined they would use a sound.

(I have yet to find out whether the GM was invented late in production, for this use, or if it was always the link to the Lady of the Green Kirtle in SC.  The boatloads of people apparently sacrificed didn't need to have been sent to something, but could have been going to some unknown island as slaves . This would also have resulted in the characters in Underworld being human slaves instead of those fascinating Earthmen, another awful change),     

@coracle

That's why I can't say I hate it. I actually don't. I like design of the ship. I even like the end credits with the Pauline Baynes illustration. Maybe Netflix could each have an end credits with Pauline Baynes illustrations from each book. I wish they could have spend more time on the opening credits like the first two movies did. Maybe Netflix could find a way to take time on the opening credits.

Yes, the Green Mist was the last straw. I think a sound would've made more sense. Maybe Netflix could find a way to do that. Even add tension where it's not just action. There can be tension between Caspian and the slave traders on the Lone Islands, but there doesn't have to be a big fight scene. 

It almost doesn't make sense to connect two Narnia stories together, like what Walden was trying to do with Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair. Yes, there is still connection between The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, because The Magician's Nephew explains the origins of the lamppost and the wardrobe. There is kind of connection between The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe and The Horse And His Boy because The Horse And His Boy takes place during The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. As I've talked about in the Hopes and Fears of What will Happen in Narnia Movies discussion, while Calormenes play a key role in The Horse And His Boy and The Last Battle, there's no way to connect those two stories.

In talking about Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I don't know if they'll do the transition again like they did in Walden. It's actually one of the most impressive things about it, where it has the water gushing out of the painting and flooding the bedroom. Transition is actually a hard thing to do in a movie.

Another I thought of that sometimes I wonder with the Walden version of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, if Andrew Adamson had stayed as the director, would the project have turned out differently.

I'm hoping for a better version of VDT, though I'm not expecting a perfect adaption.

Posted by: @jasmine_tarkheena

Another I thought of that sometimes I wonder with the Walden version of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, if Andrew Adamson had stayed as the director, would the project have turned out differently.

Me too... although if I had to guess, it would have probably been similar to Pirates of the Caribbean  

@glenwit VDT is so episodic, that I hope it will be done as a TV serial. It just didn't work as a movie. Making a plot arc from the story was hard, and we didn't really like how Walden did it. If they have to make it a movie, they should go to the Estate, the scholars, the fan sites etc, for suggestions and warnings against things.

As a story (or a set of stories) it's a voyage of adventure combined with a journey of growing up. Walden gave Eustace a journey from spoilt & cowardly to brave & resourceful. They gave Lucy a journey from jealousy & inferiority to self-acceptance and care for others. Edmund had no journey, just a sword and a heroic fight. 

And what was missing for all three?

Aslan. The role of Aslan in each of their personal journeys, was either totally missing or barely there. Aslan should be the provider and mover of their growth and understanding. The positive transformation of Eustace is due to Aslan. 

Age wise, the Walden movie suffered from its severe delays. If it had been made a year or two after PC, Lucy could have been played as a child, not a teenager. 

It's essential that the casting starts as young as possible, so that they can film every year or two years, and still have the three children on Dawn Treader looking and reacting like children. 

The whole story could be told in a serial, with no loss of characters, and less temptation to insert battles. After all, Lewis didn't put any in, he used strategy.

@coracle 

The climatic battle with the sea serpent was totally different than the emotional climax in the book. I kind of get that filmmakers tend to add an epic climatic battle because they think audiences like it. It makes money. But it doesn't work if it's only going to depart the plot from the original source.