Remember Lucy asking Aslan in Prince Caspian why he didn't "come roaring in to save us like before"?

I do think that in VDT, when they say the line "I don't think it was us" and it cuts to Eustace, they mean Eustace here. But Aslan still played a pretty vital role; it's just that he used Eustace to do it. If he hadn't met Eustace and undragoned him, everything would have been lost.

I would say that Aslan empowered Edmund and Eustace to defeat the evil mist. All three of them contributed.

^ smartypie, the Narnia & Christianity forum is here. In GMD, we are talking about how the movie works on its own terms.

And that is the crux of the matter.

How exactly the Dark Island was destroyed is simply not explained in the movie.

And yet, one of the complaints about this movie is that it is not subtle.

This part of the movie, as a stand-alone story, doesn't make sense.

If you take a fish out of water, it dies. If you want to observe how it lives, put it back in and go get some scuba gear.

I'm not sure who destroyed the mist, but it sure wasn't Aslan. At least not directly.

I believe Valiant Lucy answered that.

another thing I thought of with Edmund was that it was him who thought up the serpent. so he had to ultimately be rid of the serpent. and I think the serpent was preventing the darkness from dispersing. it was Edmund overcoming his fear.

Except, it doesn't make sense that Edmund would think up the serpent. He was cracking jokes about the serpent earlier in the movie - Drinian was the one who was actually scared.

Through out the entire movie, Edmund's "darkness inside himself" is portrayed as the White Witch promising to give him power. When Edmund closed his eyes and said, "Oh no," I knew the sea serpent was going to come because of spoilers, but I was also thinking, "It would have made a lot more sense for either Drinian be the one to think up the serpent, or have the White Witch show up".

Also...Edmund's "darkness" involving the White Witch is about his lust for power. That is a legitimate "darkness inside yourself". Being scared of a sea serpent is not a "darkness inside yourself", it's an instinctual reaction. I think we'd all be pretty scared if we actually encountered a sea serpent ourselves, and yet I wouldn't see it as a bad thing. Yes, Edmund was brave, but only because he had to be. The Sea Serpent had prevented the Dawn Treader form sailing away. But there was also no way he was going to defeat the sea serpent by himself (Eustace still had to connect the swords), so if Edmund could have gotten away, standing up against incredible odds can either be seen as being brave or stupid.

Except, it doesn't make sense that Edmund would think up the serpent. He was cracking jokes about the serpent earlier in the movie - Drinian was the one who was actually scared.

Not necessarily so. People sometimes mask their fears with humor or by joking about them. And Drinian seemed to me to be just bringing up sailor's tales he had heard in the past.

Maybe someday someone can ask Douglas Gresham that question: "Who destroyed 'Dark Island'"? Then we can have the definitive answer for the movie and maybe even the book.

another thing I thought of with Edmund was that it was him who thought up the serpent. so he had to ultimately be rid of the serpent. and I think the serpent was preventing the darkness from dispersing. it was Edmund overcoming his fear.

Except, it doesn't make sense that Edmund would think up the serpent. He was cracking jokes about the serpent earlier in the movie - Drinian was the one who was actually scared.

in the movie Edmund does think up the sea serpent. Rhoop says "Don't think! Whatever you think of will come true!" and then Edmund shuts his eyes and says "Oh, I'm sorry." and then Lucy says "What did you just think of?" and then the serpent appears.....
so Edmund, even if he didn't fear sea serpents, thought of the sea serpent.

just my two cents!

so Edmund, even if he didn't fear sea serpents, thought of the sea serpent.

I know that! I was just commenting on why I didn't think it made sense. I think he would have thought of the Witch, since that's what infested all of his nightmares and temptations.

Not necessarily so. People sometimes mask their fears with humor or by joking about them.

That's true...I never got the impression that that's what Edmund was doing though. If he was, the hint of his doing so was pretty subtle; out of place with the rest of the movie which was very straightforward.

It would seem the Dark Island is less the Place Where Nightmares Come True and more the Don't Think About Pink Elephants Island.

I think that Eustace defeats dark island ultimately, because he puts the sword down at aslands table (And the Blue light is probably just a way of reminding the less attentative viewers that it is the last sword)
But I think that while the island IS destroyed, the sea serpent is still a living thing therefore it must still be slain! The swords at aslans table just rendered the sea serpent mortal so it could be killed!

I voted for Edmund because of the rather low votes for him, but I actually think that neither Edmund nor Eustace destroyed the Dark Island without the other. I think they really destroyed it together. If Eustace destroyed the island, the island would have simply disappeared without the thrust from Edmund. However, the island doesn't "dissipate" until Edmund stabs the sea serpent. Also, Edmund could stab the serpent all he wanted but I don't think the dark island would disappear until the seven swords were put together by Eustace...Therefore, I think don't think you can say, "Eustace destroyed it" or "Edmund destroyed it," but "It was a joint effort."

It was the Albatross. It must have been doing something after appearing then diappearing or becoming invisible.

No, it couldn't be the albatross because that was Aslan and God forbid we give Aslan, the savior of Narnia, credit for saving their lives and basically the whole world!
According to the movie the sea serpent came from Edmund's bad thoughts, although I thought the mist was all about temptation and I doubt the sea serpent would tempt anyone. So when Eustace put the swords on the table, that destroyed the mist which in turn destroyed the serpent. Although the whole mist is pretty sketchy it's impossible to tell. Don't think about it too long or it won't make sense.

I voted for Eustace because, he put the sword together, which made Ed's sword blue, and I guess "better" in a sense. Ed defeated the serpent before (or at least as I rember) The dark Island was destroyed, I wonder if anyone else could have "killed" the serpent, after all, it did come form E'ds head. Just a thought.

Eustace. But, it has its own reason. If Edmund wouldn't think about sea serpent, Lucy didn't call Aslan, then the Albatross didn't appear.And after that Aslan didn't undragon Eustace, so it all ended differently. But really it's Eustace. Don't you see that it all has a MEANING? Deep meaning, though you don't see that! The film is SOOOOOOOOO touching and has a meaning!