I don't understand why the albatross is in the film. It was in there for one shot and didn't do anything. A non-reader would think "what's up with the bird?"

Eustace gets all the credit for destroying "Dark Island," not Aslan.

Someone says "you've destroyed it!" Then Lucy says "I don't think it was us." Cut to Eustace (who has magically appeared right next to the ship) in the water, and they all cheer for him. I don't see another way to interpret that cut. Lucy was talking about Eustace, who put the swords together.

Here is what I think should have happened.

Eustace lands on Ramandu's Island as a dragon. Aslan undragons him. Then they actually talk to each other and Aslan tells Eustace of how he is forgiven (and Eustace of course would be humbled). Aslan then tells Eustace to place the sword on the table. The Green Mist comes to stop Eustace, but is unable to attack him since Aslan is nearby. Eustace then places the swords on the table and Dark Island is defeated. Aslan tells Eustace to tell the others to come to his country.

Anyway the crew then returns with the prisoners of Dark Island and they then celebrate. During this time, Caspian and Lilliandil draw close while Edmund and Eustace have their conversation about Aslan when seperated from everyone else. The next day they leave the island and Caspian could either promise to return to Lilliandil or he could bring her on the ship (don't care either way). And then they sail to Aslan's Country.

But that was it. A shot of the albatross flying in, never to be seen again. Or did I just miss it after that? What did the albatross actually do? Anyone know?

Yeah, it just seemed really random, the way they put it. Its, like OMGosh there is an albatross, and then it's gone, did it get eaten by the sea serpent?

I do not think it was random. I do think it was a sign from above to have hope. And if an albatross is flying even though there is peril, things can not be THAT hopeless, right?

I am happy to see the albatross included! love it!

Indirectly, however, it is still Aslan who defeated Dark Island as he was the one who put the undragoned Eustace on Ramandu's Island to unite the last sword with the other six.

I was very excited to see the Albatross, but I feel like they didn't do him enough justice. Seriously, if you blinked you would have missed it...
I'm glad they included it, but am severely disappointed with what they did. I'm sure non-readers would have been absolutely clueless as to who the Albatross really is and what he was doing there.

Hmmm... I just remembered the sign of that with the dove in Noah's Ark story. It just shows for me that they still have hope to redeem victory.

I was glad to see the albatross! I was happy seeing that it came when the light came, like, it brought the light!

You got a very good point there, Liberty Hoffman! I don't remember much light when the Sea Serpent first attacks, but afterward, there's definitely a good amount of light lighting up the scene. Noticeable in the trailer too:

... re=channel

At 1:51 you can see a big source of light through the clouds (that probably helped them steer the serpent towards the rock),

And at 1:54 you can see the light slightly behind the serpent.

Once again, good observation

Someone please clear this up for me. Did the albatross appear before or after the seven swords were united?

The albatross was there before the seven swords were united

Agreed Josh. Although I didn't think much of the Seven Swords plot, that would have been a good way to wrap it all up and tie all the loose ends.
I still think the Albatross was kind of random. Suddenly this horribly animated bird comes flying through the sky...and then just flies away and doesn't do anything....I would have understood if it actually did something, like blinding the sea-serpent with it's light, or leading the Narnians out of the Dark Island...but it just flies in and goes away.

Someone in my theater mistook the albatross for the seagull Eustace was trying to talk to earlier in the film..

Haha! That would definitely confuse the audience! I didn't even think about that!
So much of the film seemed random , it was so rushed all the little book scenes just confused the audience and disapointed the fans