The Golden Compass

Before I get to my family’s reaction to this film, I must extend heartfelt thanks to Dan, whose review of the Dr. Who Special, Voyage of the Damned (which aired yesterday on BBC 1), was gratefully received. Thanks, Dan!

If I did this through conventional channels, I would be obliged to wait until sometime next summer to watch the 71 minutes of this special episode to air on BBC America. I don’t bloody think so! I’ve got links in my in box and I am so watching it on my computer, tomorrow. I promised my eldest daughter I would wait, so I shall, although the effort of restraint will most certainly take its toll.

Now, to the review. I’m posting this as it flies from my fingers and I am certain I’ll come back and tweak this, but my deadline to make the holidailies cut-off point is 15 minutes from now, so …

The Golden Compass, based on the first in His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman is, not surprisingly, VERY different from the book. As my good friend Mrs. Chili reminded her literature class recently, the two - the book and the film - are distinct and separate pieces of art and must be judged on their own individual merits. Having said that, if I were to compare them, the book would loom larger in terms of its cohesiveness, as much was lost in the translation to the screen.

That aside, the film was quite good; it was tight, clear and extremely notable for its extraordinary (but subtle at the same time, if that makes any sense) special effects. Nicole Kidman was excellent as Mrs. Coulter, the icy and powerful bitch at the one of the centers of the plot’s machination, as was the newcomer playing Lira, Dakota Blue Richards, the child of prophecy who begins to overthrow the church-controlled parallel world to our own. One of the main characters - a polar-inspired armored Ice Bear, was voiced by none other than Ian McKellen - a lovely treat as his sonorous tones (and exact British elocution) are well, fabulous. On the face if it, the producers’ choice of Sam Elliot as a hired gun was outrageous, but he really worked as the cowboy-esque hero.

I’ll give no plot secrets away, but I will say that the film was about a subtle as a grenade with its condemnation of the sort of thought and idea control maintained by the medieval Catholic church (or perhaps our own governments?): the word “heresy” came up at least once (uttered by a character straight out of central casting: oily, sycophantic and evil functionary). One main character explained the flip side to another, basically saying people ought to be directed in what they think, which is really for their own good. Again, grenade: the corollary to that perspective was often mentioned in relation to the golden compass itself and its ability to help the bearer know the “real truth.”

The story was good, the good guys did fairly well, and the way was blasted open for the next installment 0f the story. Thumbs are UP.

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