The Golden Compass is based on a classic novel, which raises expectations. My expectations were also raised because it is one of my favourite books. This is why it was quite disappointing to see events from the book being mishandled on screen.
I'll start with the film's flaws. Firstly, it seemed rushed at times, as if it is only aiming to be a standard adventure instead of a Rings style epic. The cast also suffers from this mistake, with actors such as Daniel Craig and Eva Green only appearing in two or three scenes. As well as this, the ending is seriously misjudged, ending on a cliffhanger instead of the book's barnstorming ending. What if the film makers don't decide to make the other two films? The ending would be almost completely worthless.
As well as this, the intriguing plot focusing on several original, religion-orientated ideas followed in the book has been dumped for a more typical, less original plot. This may make some parts of the story (such as references to the "Authority") slightly confusing for people who haven't read the book.
The story kicks off at Jordan College in Oxford, in a world parallel to our own. Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) has been placed here by her uncle, Lord Asriel (Craig). During one of Asriel's visits, Lyra rescues him from an assassination attempt, and overhears vital information about a substance known as Dust. Her uncle advises Lyra to forget about the subject, but she can't. Meanwhile, children have been disappearing, one of whom is Lyra's friend Roger (Ben Walker). Enter Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), who immediately bewitches Lyra. Mrs. Coulter take Lyra from Jordan College to her home. However, after discovering that Mrs. Coulter is the head of an organisation which is kidnapping children for some foul purpose, including Roger, Lyra escapes on a determined quest to rescue the children and aid her uncle, whose scientific investigations have the potential to change their world forever.
The film does several good points. Visually, the film is a gem. The established and terrifically creative crew create a believable fantasy universe, with intricately designed sets and props. The creatures in the film are also terrifically animated, and develop lives of their own extremely quickly. Prime examples are the daemons, which represent a character's soul.
There are some good action sequences. They don't challenge the bone-crushing battles in Lord of the Rings, but they are still impressive enough to leave an impression. The best action set piece is when two ice bears clash over Lyra, with their huge blows and expertly co-ordinated combat keeping me on the edge of my seat.
There is also an incredibly committed cast. Blue Richards gives an honest and heartfelt portrayal of Lyra, matching my expectations for how the character should be portrayed. Nicole Kidman is both menacing and complex as the villain of the piece, whilst Sam Elliott is wise and charming as aeronaut Lee Scoresby. Despite the fact that he is restricted by the film's short running time, Craig is also brilliant, painting a thoroughly compelling portrait of his character in his short screen time. Also terrific in supporting roles are Derek Jacobi, Simon McBurney and Jack Shephard.
Chris Weitz gives lacklustre direction, putting little effort into breathing life into the film. The fact that Weitz had been slacking for months in California before becoming the films director could be the reason why. It is a exceptional testament to the superb cast and crew that the film is as entertaining as it turned out to be. I sincerely hope that they hire a better, more accomplished director for the next film.
Weitz also delivers the screenplay for the film, which is just better than his work behind the camera. The first act of the film, which is spent setting up Lyra and the story, shows good potential for effective characterisation throughout the film. However, this potential is lost in the rush of the second and third acts, with the cast valiantly fighting to make their characters memorable.
Overall, this is a effective fantasy adventure, with a brilliant cast and crew, excellent visuals and decent action sequences. During the credits, I was feeling quite resentful towards Weitz, but the terrific Kate Bush song "Lyra" cheered me up.
I'll start with the film's flaws. Firstly, it seemed rushed at times, as if it is only aiming to be a standard adventure instead of a Rings style epic. The cast also suffers from this mistake, with actors such as Daniel Craig and Eva Green only appearing in two or three scenes. As well as this, the ending is seriously misjudged, ending on a cliffhanger instead of the book's barnstorming ending. What if the film makers don't decide to make the other two films? The ending would be almost completely worthless.
As well as this, the intriguing plot focusing on several original, religion-orientated ideas followed in the book has been dumped for a more typical, less original plot. This may make some parts of the story (such as references to the "Authority") slightly confusing for people who haven't read the book.
The story kicks off at Jordan College in Oxford, in a world parallel to our own. Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) has been placed here by her uncle, Lord Asriel (Craig). During one of Asriel's visits, Lyra rescues him from an assassination attempt, and overhears vital information about a substance known as Dust. Her uncle advises Lyra to forget about the subject, but she can't. Meanwhile, children have been disappearing, one of whom is Lyra's friend Roger (Ben Walker). Enter Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), who immediately bewitches Lyra. Mrs. Coulter take Lyra from Jordan College to her home. However, after discovering that Mrs. Coulter is the head of an organisation which is kidnapping children for some foul purpose, including Roger, Lyra escapes on a determined quest to rescue the children and aid her uncle, whose scientific investigations have the potential to change their world forever.
The film does several good points. Visually, the film is a gem. The established and terrifically creative crew create a believable fantasy universe, with intricately designed sets and props. The creatures in the film are also terrifically animated, and develop lives of their own extremely quickly. Prime examples are the daemons, which represent a character's soul.
There are some good action sequences. They don't challenge the bone-crushing battles in Lord of the Rings, but they are still impressive enough to leave an impression. The best action set piece is when two ice bears clash over Lyra, with their huge blows and expertly co-ordinated combat keeping me on the edge of my seat.
There is also an incredibly committed cast. Blue Richards gives an honest and heartfelt portrayal of Lyra, matching my expectations for how the character should be portrayed. Nicole Kidman is both menacing and complex as the villain of the piece, whilst Sam Elliott is wise and charming as aeronaut Lee Scoresby. Despite the fact that he is restricted by the film's short running time, Craig is also brilliant, painting a thoroughly compelling portrait of his character in his short screen time. Also terrific in supporting roles are Derek Jacobi, Simon McBurney and Jack Shephard.
Chris Weitz gives lacklustre direction, putting little effort into breathing life into the film. The fact that Weitz had been slacking for months in California before becoming the films director could be the reason why. It is a exceptional testament to the superb cast and crew that the film is as entertaining as it turned out to be. I sincerely hope that they hire a better, more accomplished director for the next film.
Weitz also delivers the screenplay for the film, which is just better than his work behind the camera. The first act of the film, which is spent setting up Lyra and the story, shows good potential for effective characterisation throughout the film. However, this potential is lost in the rush of the second and third acts, with the cast valiantly fighting to make their characters memorable.
Overall, this is a effective fantasy adventure, with a brilliant cast and crew, excellent visuals and decent action sequences. During the credits, I was feeling quite resentful towards Weitz, but the terrific Kate Bush song "Lyra" cheered me up.