The Golden Compass (New Line Platinum Series Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)

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a true mixed bag of strengths and weaknesses, 2010-07-28
**1/2 br / br /Based on the novel by Philip Pullman (the first of a trilogy), "The Golden Compass" takes us to a parallel universe where humans mind-meld with shape-shifting creatures known as daemons, children are kidnapped and "re-programmed" to live without those daemons, and society is ruled by a mysterious, all-powerful Magisterium that tells people what they are to think and how they are to live. Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) is a feisty young orphan whose uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), is hot on the trail of a scientific discovery regarding the nature of the universe - a discovery that, if proven true, could completely upend the paradigm that allows the Magisterium to remain in power. Naturally, Lyra is one of only a handful of very special people who possess the gift of unlocking the mystery of a golden compass said to hold the key to something or other of great importance (in all honesty, this type of mystical mumbo-jumbo is not exactly my cup of tea). British and American acting stalwarts Ian McKellen, Tom Courtenay, Christopher Lee, Sam Elliott, Derek Jacobi, and Nicole Kidman round out the cast. br / br /Much has been made of the supposed anti-religion/pro-science slant in the story ("magisterium" is the term for the teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church), and, indeed, Pullman, a renowned Freethinker, has admitted that he wrote his trilogy of fantasy novels (called, collectively, "His Dark Materials") partly as a rebuttal to C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" series - though the Magisterium doesn`t seem to be any more objectionable as a literary device than the societal super-structures we find in "Brave New World" or "1984" or "Fahrenheit 451," or countless other such tales (though I gather that the movie somewhat dilutes this aspect of the original story anyway). br / br /If truth be told, I really don`t have much use for films of this genre, but I will say that I find the movie version of "The Golden Compass" to be a bit more imaginative and a trifle less plodding than the recent cinematization of "Chronicles of Narnia." Plus, "Compass" provides a sometimes breathtakingly beautiful vision of what life might be like on a parallel planet. But, when all is said and done, it's still just the same old mishmash of talking animals, mythological creatures, precocious youngsters, fantasy battle sequences and over-worked allegory we`ve encountered oh so many times before. br / br /Stay tuned for the next installment. br /

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Been a looong time since I couldn't finish a movie..., 2010-07-25
OK, for starters, automatic one star off for any movie with CGI talking animals. I've always believed that the ability to make animal's lips move does not preclude the need for good storytelling. And this movie has attention-deficit storytelling. This thing jumps all over the place. Since this film is aimed squarely at youth, it leaves little question as to the origin of "Attention Deficit Disorder" in kids. But then, the drug companies makes millions selling a drug to pill-craving Americans to "cure" it, so everyone is happy, but that's another story. Every third scene in this film pauses to lay additional foundation ahead of the film before they have even solidly established where they currently are in the story. A movie that has to constantly explain itself as it goes along is a big tip-off that it doesn't know what it wants to be, or is trying to be too much but doesn't have a clue to how to manage it in two hours. By the one hour mark there was no promise that the movie could redeem itself; it was just going to continue going down the same tired path. So with fifty minutes left, I decided to cut my losses and turn it off. I very seldom do that, if ever. This is a perfect movie if you are an adult and want to have your intelligence insulted, or if you want your kids to grow up unable to focus on any stream of thought for more than sixty seconds.

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Not Just For Children, 2010-06-03
This movie, though targeted to younger children, is a great fantasy which many adults would enjoy. Just seeing the glamorous Nicole Kidman playing the role of a villian and Sam Elliott with his trademark, slow and comforting drawal, made watching a delight. I was raised on talking animals like Bambi, Buggs Bunny during the early Disney era and I found the "animals-as-people's souls", in The Golden Compass, quite more intriguing. The script and animation of the souls expressed each individual's character very accurately. Of course, National Geographic will give us the true picture of the great polar bears, but this movie endows them with a greater purpose in life than hunting and eating seals in the Arctic and raising their young cubs. Adults will, undoubtedly, wonder why our own politians couldn't be more like the lead, warrior polar bear. It is all great fun. Can't wait for the sequel books to be made into movies as well.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Movie DVD, 2010-04-22
This DVD made a perfect gift. It was listed at a great price, it arrived quickly, and was in perfect condition. I will definitely look at this seller's items for future purchases.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

A fair movie, loosely based on the book, 2010-04-07
When I discuss this movie with people, they are often surprised to note that it is based on a series of Novels known as the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. The Golden Compass is the first of the three novels, and to date the only one made into a motion picture (and based of the general controversy and dismal box office number in the US it's likely to remain that way). I should start by noting that I'm not one of those people who always believes that the book is better than the movie. There are several examples of movies and TV series that really out perform their print editions; Bones, Practical Magic, etc. I do believe; however, that it should be noted that this movie is significantly different from the novel. Please note, if you are a Golden Compass book or His Dark Materials fan, you may want to rent this one before buying. br / br /This movie is geared toward a younger child than the books. Given its intended audience it does rather well. There's not much room for character development so Lyra's actions don't always make a great deal of sense. br / br /The biblical reference to the "Authority" from the book trilogy has been cleverly removed from the film so it's also not as clear what the character's motivations are. There are some spirited performances; however, from Dakota Blue Richards (Lyra), Nicole Kidman (Ms. Coulter), and Ian McKellen (Iorek Byrnison). Freddie Highmore's vocalization of Pantalaimon (Lyra's Daemon) almost made me turn off the film on 4 separate occasions. br / br /Beyond the characters and plot, the visuals are amazing. It's very clear that this movie had a great deal of special effects budget. It was also not afraid to hold some gorey punches (pun intended) here and there. br / br /The soundtrack isn't bad, but it's certainly not going to be iTunes' top-seller. br / br /The bonus content on the BluRay edition of this film is definitely worth the extra for the two disc edition. Speaking of BluRay, if you are trying to decide between it and the DVD copy for this film I would highly recommend the BluRay edition. There's a lot of graphical wizardry, the kind that BluRay does extremely well. br / br /Overall, I think it's worth a rent if you have children, or if you enjoy family type movies. As a fan of the "His Dark Materials" novels I was extremely disappointed, especially with the end of this film. If you are concerned about renting or purchasing this for your family due to the controversy surrounding it, as always make the decision that's right for you, but know that they've greatly downplayed the parts that caused most of the controversy in the novels (for better or worse). br / br /If you are interested in other books in the same series as the one this movie was based off of, here you go: br / br /-The Subtle Knife, Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition (His Dark Materials, Book 2)(Rough-cut) br /-The Amber Spyglass, Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition (His Dark Materials, Book 3)(Rough-cut) br /-Lyra's Oxford