--- title: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader" critics_score: 47 critics_reviews: 18 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010): what the critics said Critics' score 47 from 18 reviews: 3 positive, 7 mixed, 8 negative. Most critics find this third Narnia film a middling adventure, and the reviews lean more negative than mixed. Where there is praise it gathers in two places. Will Poulter’s Eustace is picked out again and again as the liveliest thing on screen, and Simon Pegg’s voicing of Reepicheep is the other performance that earns consistent warmth. Several reviews also enjoy the fantastical set pieces, the sea serpent among them, whatever they think of the story around them. The complaints cluster on the script: a quest most critics find arbitrary and without tension, religious messaging some call heavy-handed, and direction more than one review describes as perfunctory. The spread is wide. Radio Times calls it the best of the series and Den of Geek finds the franchise revitalised, while The Hollywood Reporter calls it a major failure and IndieWire the weakest entry. The warmer notices come mostly from British outlets, the harshest from the American trade press. ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. Jones calls it the best of the Narnia films and praises its nonstop escapism. He singles out the dynamic direction and impressive special effects. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-avjjb7/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader/) ## Screen Daily — John Hazelton Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 December 2010. The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is hidden behind the access wall. The available text does not reveal what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/-the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader/5021281.article) ## The Guardian — Andrew Pulver Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2010. Pulver finds the film confident and visually assured, but says its human performances weaken the adventure. He praises Will Poulter’s comic turn as Eustace while faulting the Pevensies’ acting and Liam Neeson’s Aslan speeches. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/dec/01/chronicles-of-narnia-review) ## Time Out — Wally Hammond Rating 3/5. 7 December 2010. The 3/5 rating suggests a middling verdict, though the full review is unavailable. The visible description raises the film’s nostalgic, American-financed context but does not reveal a specific point of praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-1) ## Total Film — Matt Mueller Rating 3/5. 3 December 2010. Mueller finds the film an entertaining enough adventure, though its religious messaging is heavy-handed and its script weakens the characters and humor. He praises the lively array of fantastical encounters, especially the sea serpent and other imaginative set pieces. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-review/) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2010. Jolin finds this a mixed, rushed installment that still offers enjoyable spectacle. He praises Will Poulter as the series’ best child actor so far. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/chronicles-narnia-voyage-dawn-treader-review/) ## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson Rating C-. 9 December 2010. Robinson finds the adaptation poorly plotted, clichéd, and soulless. She singles out the vague fantasy rules and unexplained sword quest as evidence of its lazy storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treade-1798166796) ## Slant Magazine — Simon Abrams Rating 1.5/4. 8 December 2010. Abrams pans the film as clunky and rigid in its allegorical lessons. He particularly criticizes the children’s trials as arbitrary and unearned, leaving the story without real tension. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader/) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2010. Sharkey finds the film a visually lovely family outing but says its script and lack of tension let the adventure down. She singles out Simon Pegg’s witty voice performance as Reepicheep and Will Poulter’s spirited turn as Eustace for praise. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-dec-10-la-et-narnia-20101210-story.html) ## IndieWire — Gabe Toro Rating D-. 6 December 2010. Toro dismisses the film as cynical, perfunctory, and the weakest entry in the series. He particularly faults Michael Apted’s direction and the flat, unconvincing 3D effects. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general/review-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-is-a-cruise-ship-to-inanity-121453/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2010. Dargis finds the film largely dreary and bland, with its effects and performances often poorly balanced. She praises the human touch in the scene of Eustace as a forlorn dragon. [Read the review](https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/movies/10chronicles.html) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2010. Chang finds the film routine and risk-averse, saying it sacrifices the novel’s sense of wonder for a formulaic fantasy quest. He praises Simon Pegg’s affectionate voicework as Reepicheep as one of the few elements that feels true to C.S. Lewis’s conception. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2010/film/reviews/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-1117944164/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2010. McCarthy finds the film perfunctory and arbitrary, calling it a major failure for the franchise. He singles out the listless direction and action scenes, along with the film’s choppy storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/film-review-chronicles-narnia-voyage-56782/) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Rating 4/5. 2 December 2010. Mellor finds the franchise revitalised, calling the film lighter and more engaging than its predecessors. She particularly praises its adaptation choices and the striking visual effects in the opening and closing scenes. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-review-2/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2010. Wilkinson finds it a solid, worthwhile family adventure, though it falls short of the series’ strongest entries. She praises the story’s tests of the characters’ flaws and Will Poulter’s wit, while criticizing the retrofitted 3D and the tacked-on ending. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## HeyUGuys — Rebecca-Jane Joseph Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2010. The critic finds the adaptation enjoyable and soulful despite its uneven pacing and other flaws. She singles out Will Poulter’s lively, believable performance as Eustace for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-chronicles-of-narnia-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-3d-world-premiere-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 42/100 (inferred from the text). The headline indicates a strongly negative verdict. It characterizes the film as an inane cruise, but the review text is inaccessible. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader-is-a-cruise-ship-to-inanity-20101206/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2010. The critic finds the film a weak, damp adventure that fails to make its characters’ journeys convincing. She singles out Eustace’s irritating comic cowardice and the underwhelming, tensionless quest for criticism. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a291655/chronicles-of-narnia-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-chronicles-of-narnia-the-voyage-of-the-dawn-treader.md