The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in Digital 3D

The third entry in the C.S. Lewis franchise that kicked off five Christmases ago is a fleet, great-looking adventure filled with magical creatures, specious religious symbolism, and winking allusions to other big-screen epics (including The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean). Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund’s (Skandar Keynes) latest trip to land-of-enchantment Narnia, this time accompanied by their pesky cousin Eustace (a scene-stealing Will Poulter), has less fat and a more lighthearted tone than the two previous installments. While once again relegating Tilda Swinton’s White Witch and Liam Neeson’s Asian to brief cameos may rub some Narnia fans the wrong way, there’s more than enough CGI eye candy to soothe even the most fickle of fans. Directed by journeyman Michael Apted (whose eclectic oeuvre encompasses everything from 007, documentaries, and a Loretta Lynn biopic), Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a pro job, stylishly rendered.