|
The Golden Compass
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Starring: Dakota Blue Richards
Genre:
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Run Time: 113
min.
Release Date:
December 2007
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
I had high hopes for THE
GOLDEN COMPASS. The cast. The special effects. The story. It
promised to be a dazzling cinematic experience. But the dazzle fell into
Dudsville as Philip Pullman’s magical novel got off to horrible start.
Before I get started, however, I think it’s noteworthy to mention how
ridiculous I found the claims surrounding the persecution of
Christianity and The Church with regards to this film. You might be able
to draw parallels between atheism and some of what was seen. But it
could also represent Nazism. I know that Pullman was an
atheist, but to say his books (and this film) represented that view is
simply untrue. With the release of
THE CHRONICLES
OF NARNIA, Christianity has nothing to fear. Which is
also why this review is tough for me.
I don’t prescribe to any particular faith (you might even call me
*gasp!* an atheist), but I don’t go to movies in order to reinforce my
beliefs. I go to be entertained. And, as I’ve said many times before,
entertainment starts with a good (or great) script. And The Golden
Compass’ start was exceptionally unimpressive.
Jumping around like a child with A-D-D, The Golden Compass lacked
perspective and a unified focus. The story is supposed to focus on Lyra
(Dakota Blue Richards), a young girl who’s parentage is in question on a
parallel world where “beasts” (see Animals) are part of ones being. They
tag along beside you and are basically your soul (Oh my God! Christians
Unite! *Whoops! There I go!*) Each person has a different animal/beast
and young people’s animals can change from one to another until they
settle on a shape as they approach adulthood. Lyra’s uncle Lord Asriel
(Daniel Craig, CASINO ROYALE) is a scientist who goes against the grain
of this parallel world and its leaders. He’s found that “dust” from
other worlds is flowing into theirs and he wants to discover what this
dust is all about. But the powers that be want to stop him.
Enter Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman,
HAPPY FEET), a dangerous player
within a government that seeks to control everything, including Lyra.
Marisa fraudulently befriends Lyra and takes her on a trip North, but
not before Lyra receives a magical golden compass from a high councilor
at the school where her uncle worked. The compass, it is said, is the
last of its kind and can tell the truth and possibly the future.
Encounters with giant polar bears, flights in massive zeppelins, child
prisons in the far-north, all culminate to form ... a disaster. And I
don’t mean a disaster for Lyra, but a disaster for the movie-watcher.
The canvas is simply too broad to be a coherent whole. Multiple side
stories are mentioned and then never seen again or quickly wrapped up
with little-to-no understanding. The script obviously was very choppy;
perhaps AMERICAN PIE director Chris Weitz wasn’t the best person to
write it?
The only upside to the film is the incredible special effects. Most of
the scenes were pure ga-ga for the eyes. Which means that The Golden
Compass is more fluff than substance. By contrast, The Chronicles of Narnia was exceptionally well put together with a few duds in the
special effects arena. But Narnia held together extremely well, while
The Golden Compass didn’t have a direction.
(back to top) |
Image from The Golden
Compass
DVD cost: $16.76
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
Lord Asriel is played by
Daniel Craig, who is also the current James Bond. Lord Asriel was
previously played, in a London stage adaptation, by Timothy Dalton,
himself a former Bond.
Movie Quote: "You
think she's that child?"
Other Actors/Actresses
from The Golden Compass
   |
