With one children’s fantasy franchise finally drawing to a close, another is just hitting its stride. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third in the series of seven books by C.S. Lewis to make it to the screen.

Unlike the Potter series, which follows the exploits of one magician-in-training and his chums for the entire run of books/films, the Narnia titles hand over the adventure baton to various protagonists throughout the series. Taking centre stage for this particular voyage are old Narnia hands Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes).

With the Pevensie children separated by war, Lucy and Edmund find themselves staying with their uncle and aunt, along with their annoying cousin Eustace (Will Poulter). With the three of them in a bedroom, they notice something peculiar about a picture hanging on the wall. It is a seascape, with a ship in the distance. On closer inspection they realise the waves are moving and before the trio know it, water is gushing out of it filling up the room. When the three of them next surface for air, they find themselves in Narnia.

The ship in the picture was actually the Dawn Treader, with king Caspian (Ben Barnes) at its helm. After rescuing them, they set sail for the Eastern Islands. With Caspian initially believing all is well in Narnia, the arrival of Lucy, Edmund and Eustace soon changes his mind.

Not long into their journey they discover that a strange mist is threatening the peace in Narnia, and the only way to defeat it is to retrieve seven lost swords; only once they have been placed on Aslan’s table will Narnia be safe again.

Unfortunately, the seven swords aren’t conveniently stored in the same place; they’re to be found in treacherous locales and so a perilous journey awaits them all.

Considering that Disney decided to wash its hands of the franchise after the second film, the Narnia series could have easily ended up lost at sea. Thankfully Twentieth Century Fox knew a good thing when they saw it and grabbed it with their mucky mitts. And by sticking the highly accomplished director Michael Apted in charge (Coal Miner’s Daughter, The World is not Enough), this latest Narnia outing is possibly the strongest one yet.

There’s the danger with these franchise flicks to spend a good 20 minutes or so playing catch up with the story. Not so with The Voyage of the dawn Treader; within ten minutes – Bam! – hello Narnia! It truly hits the ground running and rarely lets up.

Whether it’s the fact that there’s a lot of travelling by sea, or the fantasy, fairytale-like characters that occupy this watery Narnia world, these adventures warmly hark back to a time when Ray Harryhausen was sending a certain Sinbad on his merry travels. It’s certainly less camp and obvious than Disney’s own Caribbean series that’s for sure.

On the surface it’s a simple story of adventure. Two of the Pevensie clan have to drag their irritating cousin on a journey through the mystical land of Narnia, on a quest for seven swords. But it also delves into slighter darker territory, with the main characters having to face some of their most frightening fears.

It’s also somewhat of a swansong for the Lucy and Edmund characters; just like their older siblings before them, they will be too old to return to Narnia again. Henley will be most definitely sorely missed; her portrayal as Lucy has been impressive since she first stepped into the wardrobe. Due to some spot on casting however, the next episode is in safe hands with Poulter. He gave a performance greater than his years in Son of Rambow, and certainly makes a considerable impact as the miserable oik Eustace.

Apted also has to be given a huge amount of credit. Not only does he get a lot out of his mainly young cast, but he constantly blows wind into the sails of their high seas adventure; it could have been so easy to get lost in the choppy waters of visual effects, but this veteran maintains story and relationships as king.

If the series continues at this cracking pace, all subsequent postcards from Narnia will be more than welcome.