The third Narnian adventure, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,  hit theatres over the weekend. Lucy and Edmund Pevensie (sans older siblings Peter and Susan) are transported once again to Narnia, this time via a magical painting…and they have a tag-a-long, annoying cousin Eustace. They join King Caspian (titular character of 2008’s Prince Caspian) on a mission to save Narnia, travelling dangerous seas on the trusty Dawn Treader. The movie is stunning, delighting audiences with gorgeous special effects; dragons, sea serpents and a truly thrilling climactic fight scene all leave audiences breathless. But when it comes to solid storytelling, the movie flounders. The overly episodic tale never quite manages to anchor itself to a coherent plot and character motivations are practically non-existent. Fans of the series will enjoy this chapter, but shouldn’t expect the series to continue. While good enough for first place at the box office this weekend, its $25 million haul falls dismally short of 2005’s The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe‘s impressive $65 million opening weekend. Read Jayson’s review here and my full review here.
I Love You Phillip Morris stars Jim Carrey in a risky, out-of-the-norm role for the typically slapstick actor. He plays Steven Russell, a con man who finds love in prison with a shy, Southern man, Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). The movie (based on true events) does an outstanding job balancing the hilarity with the heartbreak. Carrey does a remarkable job creating a lying, cheating, unreliable character that manages to attract the audience (and Morris) with an undeniable magnetism. Never boring, often hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt, I Love You Phillip Morris was a wonderful film about flawed characters in a flawed relationship. Read the full review here.
Read the full reviews for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and I Love You Phillip Morris at Pop Goes the Culture. Share it, tweet it, leave a comment!
