THE GOLDEN COMPASS
Director: Chris Weitz Stars: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott, Dakota Blue Richards, Derek Jacobi, Christopher Lee, Claire Higgins, Tom Courteney, Ian Holm, Eva Green, Jim Carter, Simon McBurney, Ben Walker, Jack Shepherd, Magda Szubanski, voices of Ian McShane, Ian McKellen, Freddie Highmore, Kristen Scott Thomas, Kathy Bates
Reviewed by GREG KING
An ambitious, big budget adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, The Golden Compass is a major disappointment!
Whereas some of the other popular fantasy novels adapted for the screen (The Chronicles Of Narnia, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and the Harry Potter series) took their time to create their fictional worlds, The Golden Compass plunges us straight into an foreign and unfamiliar world without much background. It’s hard for the uninitiated to get a grasp on what is happening in this parallel universe where there is an on-going struggle between the forces of good and evil. War is imminent. Meanwhile Goblers are kidnapping young children off the streets; there are dark mutterings about the forbidden “dust”; there are fairies and armoured bears; humans have daemons (pets who represent the souls); and the sinister Magisterium rules over everything with an iron fist.
The heroine of this tale is the orphan girl Lyra (newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), who is given a golden compass, a rare object that is supposed to be able to read the truth in man’s soul. She sets off on an epic journey to the North Pole, aided and abetted by a number of characters, including the villainess Mrs Coulter (Nicole Kidman), who has a personal interest in her fate.
Although faithful to Pullman’s book, the film introduces characters and ideas in a perfunctory manner that will disappoint those familiar with the material, and confuse those who are coming to the film with no prior knowledge. And there are a number of plot points left unresolved; hopefully they will be addressed in the proposed sequel.
The film boasts an ensemble cast of British thespians, including Tom Courtney, Derek Jacobi, Ian Holm, and poor old Christopher Lee who, despite his prominent billing in the credits, is given a minute of screen time. The producers obviously hoped that his mere presence was enough to suggest that the Magisterium is a sinister organisation up to no good.
Daniel Craig is given little to do here as heroic explorer Lord Asriel. Ian McKellen and Ian McShane voice the two fighting bears, while Freddie Highmore, Kristen Scott Thomas and Kathy Bates voice the various daemons. Sam Elliott plays a kindly sky captain, a character who seems very similar to the type of gruff cowboy character he has been playing for years. Kidman obviously relishes her opportunity to play the villainous Mrs Coulter, and she remains one of the few to emerge from this mess with her dignity intact.
Better known for the crass adolescent humour of American Pie, Chris Weitz laboriously directs The Golden Compass, and mishandles the film’s key action scenes. Somehow it seems to lack the epic sweep and grand quality of those other recent film fantasies. And some scenes may be a bit too scary or violent for younger audiences! Admittedly the CGI special effects are superb, and it’s obvious where much of the rumoured $200 million budget has gone. But ultimately the film is a bit of a mess and doesn’t bode well for the second instalment.
**
Reviewed by PETER MALONE
The Golden Compass, based on Philip Pullman’s first book in His Dark Materials trilogy, is well-made, with a lot of intelligent dialogue, including the word ‘metaphysics’ a couple of times. Much of the film requires attention as well as some developed vocabulary. It looks very good: sets and design, effects for fantasy, and Nicole Kidman wearing a large array of costumes and gowns. The cast is strong with Dakota Blue Richards as the feisty (non-cute) heroine, Lyra, who, along with her daemon (more about that word later), Pan, who is the external version, the physical manifestation of her ‘soul’ with whom she can speak and argue, is ready to take on all comers – and does. The talented young actor, Freddie Highmore, is the voice of Pan.
The golden compass itself is a powerful mechanism that tells the truth and reveals what others wish to hide.
Apart from Nicole Kidman, who seems to be relishing the opportunity to be glamorous, charming and ruthlessly villainous, there is Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel, Sam Elliott, exactly as he is in the many Westerns he has appeared in, as Mr Scoresby and a long list of distinguished British stage and screen actors including Derek Jacobi, Christopher Lee, Claire Higgins, Tom Courteney, Jim Carter and the voices of Ian McKellen (particularly strong and heroic) and Ian McShane (villainous) as the rival bear kings. The film certainly has class.
Interestingly (and perhaps surprisingly), writer-adapter and director is an American, Chris Weitz. After assisting his brother, Paul, with the directing of American Pie and the Chris Rock comedy, Down To Earth, they went to England to direct the film version of Nick Hornby’s About A Boy. Obviously, things English have appealed to him.
The plot offers, one might say, some variations on most of the fantasy films listed above. Afficionados will enjoy pointing out the comparisons. Yes, there is battle between good and evil – and in remote locations like the Rings Trilogy. Yes, there is a young central character, this time a girl, a kind of working class Hermione who lives in a college and has to do Harry Potter-like actions. The king bear, a literally towering figure, is reminiscent of Aslan in Narnia. There is a happy continuity in the imagination of all these films.
With a girl as central and with a number of battle sequences, the film should appeal to its boys and girls target audience – and the adults will probably enjoy it too (but may have to ask the children some clarifications of plot and characters).
There are some aspects of the film that may raise a religious eyebrow. The opening of the film speaks of parallel worlds, a feature of all of the best film fantasies. In our world, our souls are within us. In the parallel world, the soul is outside us, in the form of a symbolic animal called a ‘daemon’ (not a devil but a ‘spirit’ according to the origins of the word).
The other word is the ‘Magisterium’, the name of the all-powerful ruling body which is authoritarian and intent on eradicating free will so that all people, especially the children they abduct and experiment on, will lose their daemon and be completely conformist and happy. Science fiction has treated this plot in the several versions of The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. The Magisterium heads are embodied by Derek Jacobi and Christopher Lee who spurn tolerance and freedom and speak of heresy. Magisterium is, in fact, the word used for the authoritative teaching of the Catholic church, so that is clearly a critical element – though, as will be quoted later, Pullman says he is not anti-Catholic but anti-rigid and authoritarian religion.
The Golden Compass is suitable for most with a warning that there are some frightening scenes and battles for the younger audience.