Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Rated PG
In cinemas now

For many of us, the films made of the Chronicles of Narnia are a pleasurable return to the adventures we enjoyed reading as children. If we grew up in a Christian home the stories - which combined ripping yarns with journeys of self-discovery - also contained the familiar ring of the Christian message: human fallibility and the need for a saviour; love that can overcome any wrong; unworthiness replaced by trust in one who is truly worthy.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has always been a favourite among Narnia fans. The two youngest Pevensie children, Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley), return to the magical world they love through a painting - bringing their tiresome cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) along for the ride as they embark on a seafaring journey with their old friend Caspian (Ben Barnes), who is now king of Narnia.

So far, so good. Yet seeing trailers and posters for the film over recent weeks I had qualms. Why was the (long-dead) White Witch bobbing up to torment Edmund? Did this mean the story was being altered to make it more accessible for those only familiar with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe? And would this make the Dawn Treader film less effective or true to the book C.S. Lewis wrote, or the Christian message that he (intentionally or unintentionally) laid within its pages?

Part of the answer lies in the struggle that always exists in converting a book into a screenplay. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is mainly a "quest" story, as Caspian seeks to find seven lords his uncle banished for their loyalty to his father.

Perhaps the writers of the film screenplay did not think the chivalrous quest of finding and rescuing the seven lords was sufficiently strong. Whatever their reasons, the story of the film - while still drawing on major plot ideas from the book such as the slave traders, the "gold" pool, the island of dreams and the magician Coriakin - uses these elements in a different way, creating a battle between the powers of good and evil.

Early on in the journey Caspian and his friends see boats filled with people sent off into a transient green mist that, to their horror, swallows these people up. When they meet Coriakin they are told the evil mist emanates from Dark Island. To break its power they must find the seven swords that belonged to the seven lords and lay them on the lion Aslan's table - but in the process of achieving this they will all be tested.

Hence the appearance of the White Witch. Amid battle and struggle, a phantom tempts Edmund with the idea of abandoning his friends, telling of the glory to be attained by trusting her rather than Aslan.

Everyone is given the same option, more or less, in a manner that plays to their greatest weakness. Eustace learns a painful lesson about greed, selfishness and the value of kindness and friendship. Lucy yearns to be more beautiful and struggles with envy, needing to understand the importance of loving herself for who she is.

But central to the story at all times is Aslan. It is he who cares for the characters in their trials, he who reminds them of the path they should be treading, and he who promises Lucy that he will always be watching over her once she returns home - although back on Earth she must learn to call him by "another name".

This is one of the clearest statements in all the Narnia stories about who Aslan represents.  And just as the children call on him for rescue when all seems lost, we must recognise that we are unable to fight the powers of evil without the help of he who sacrificed himself for us and was raised to life again.

Little kids might find the battles and CGI effects a bit scary but those from primary years up will revel in the adventure of the story for its own sake. It's not at all difficult to get pulled in, once again, to Narnia's world of fauns, talking mice, merpeople and magical happenings.

And of course, after you've seen the film you can ask your kids what Aslan's real name is