Comments on: The Golden Compass Review

By: Dragonslayer

Dragonslayer — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:59:00 +0000

For me, fantasy is one of the best genres ever. It gives this sorta awe and wonder during your moment of watching the film. And like Titanic spawned wanna-be love stories like Pearl Harbor and Troy, The Lord of the Rings spawned Narnia, Spiderwick Chronicles, and, of course, The Golden Compass. Now before I say what I thought about the film, I will state what I think about the Catholic church problem. This film was critisized, just as the books were about being athiest. I do not believe so. They say in the film that the worlds were created by Dust. Hello, people!!! It’s a fantasy. You don’t see other authors getting critisized for putting Hendoism in there fantasy books. Now, I am a Christian, but I don’t believe that.

Now, back to my review. After having Eragon come out last Christmas, which was fine but not great, The Golden Compass had a chance of becoming the next best fantasy film. After The Lord of the Rings, New Line Cinema has given us the hope of giving us that same feeling as we did when LOTR came out. Did it? Um…not that much.

Let’s start with the good. They got a good cast for the film. The girl, I kinda had a problem with her in the beginning of the film, but she does a very good job in this movie. Sam Elliot and Ian McKellen were just incredible in this movie. Also the film is visually beautiful, like John said. The visual effects don’t add up to the same level as LOTR, but the Polar Bears are incredible and I want them to tell us more about it.

And now for the bad. As much as I loved the cast, some of their dialogue were pretty weak, especially Nicole Kidman, who I think is incredible. There’s this part where the girl says, “If you value your lives, come no further.” Now, that’s not a bad line in of itself, but when you hear it in the movie, you think, “Man, did someone get info from the Jessica Alba film school or what?” And, just as John stated, this film is souless, because a.) They don’t tell you at all about the place, b.) You have a hard time caring about the characters, and c.) You are rushing from place to place very fast. And for a 2 hour movie, it felt more like 1 hr. and 15 mins. in total. And the worst thing is that the ending was a total cliffhanger. It was like in Star Wars if it ended with them going to the Death Star.

Overall, the movie has great visuals, interesting storyline, and great action, but fails in many ways due to the fact the the director can’t tell the story right. Don’t get me wrong, The Golden Compass is pretty good, but it is flawed.

I give it movie: 6/10

By: Cristina

Cristina — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:43:55 +0000

Ok, I REALLY dissagree with your movie review. Sure, it was a great visual film, but you cannot just ride along if you know that this movie is made to sell the values of athiesm. The movie could lead children to the books, where the danger lies. As a child of God, I will oppose this movie until Pullman decides to stop this game. Pullman is leading others down his own path of destruction.

The fool says in his heart, “there is no God.”

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

Psalm 14:1-2

By: louis

louis — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:46:04 +0000

Really loved this movie.
I may have helped that I had read the book first? They did skip a bit a changed a few things around, but still I was very impressed with this outing. My kids loved it too. So hope it does well overseas and we get the other movies in the series made before to long. (fingers crossed that they release a longer special edition version on DVD too)

By: Rod Hilton

Rod Hilton — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 19:42:48 +0000

My advice is to save yourself the time and money from seeing The Golden Compass and just read my super-short version:

http://www.the-editing-room.com/goldencompass.html

By: andrew

andrew — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:14:56 +0000

theres no point arguing about the part religion plays in this film it is very small and its only a story right?

yes but for me as someone who has read and enjoyed the book i feel similar to a muslim would when someone depicts muhammad no exeggeration the film was discusting from begining to end was an abomination of the novel northen lights 1 out of 10 dont waste your time seeing it you wont like it even if you haven’t read the book it mitgh even be worse

By: Gerald

Gerald — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:34:12 +0000

What is with the matching buzz haircut? lol

By: Alisa Brown

Alisa Brown — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:35:19 +0000

Don’t waste your money on seeing The Golden Compass. It totally stinks and Daniel Craig’s part is very small. It was a stupid hard to follow movie that was very disjointed and had a lame ending that leaves you hanging. The girl next to us yelled out at the end of the movie, “Are you kidding me? That sucks!”.

By: Max McCormick

Max McCormick — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:42:50 +0000

I totally agree with just about everything you guys said about the movie. It had a few serious problems, however, I actually really enjoyed the movie.

By: Noneya

Noneya — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:22:34 +0000

I think that it’s a dumb, pointless movie that it trying to take over the minds of innocent children and turn them against their religious beliefs. Take my advice and don’t go see it, your giving away your money to people that are literately criticizing peoples religious beliefs and destroying there beliefs. I hate this movie and anyone who enjoys watching this kind of pathetic nonsense. I hope to take my advice and make the right decision. Good day to you.

By: Darren J Seeley

Darren J Seeley — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:35:42 +0000

it praised Satan as a revolutionary and that the “Majestry” represents God and that God is the oppressor and the rebels are the actual good guy.

It is times like these where, despite being a Christian, and attend a church that is ‘non-denominational’ (but has roots in Pentacostal denomination), I feel slightly embarassed by my own faith. I know born again people who will have zero problem with watching the Harry Potter films and/or reading JK Rowling. However, I should point out a few things. For that matter, not all religious organizations, including some in the Catholic church, are not jumping on the ‘Compass Morality’ bandwagon.

The film, as noted above my many, had watered down the novel from whence it came. The reason being is that it was the “reversal” of Milton’s Paradise Lost, in which Satan (or, rather humanism/athesism/darwinism) is on the side of good and “God” is the side of evil. (Not to mention the author’s ‘rebuttal’ on CS Lewis and the Narnia books) There are many Pullman fans who are not too happy with the adaptation because it left most of this this out and/or skimmed the surface.

Bash all the evengelicals you want to, but it won’t take away Pullman’s interviews while was promoting his books. That is the primary arguement given by church leadership, regardless of demonination. . In recent interviews, such as the one on the Today show, in promoting the film, he seems to have either forgetten what he said, or his contradicting himself. If Pullman had never had that interview with the Washington Post in 2001 where he clearly said : “”I’m trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief” or where he said to the Sydney Morning Herald that his books was about “Killing God”…this contreversy would be almost non-existent.

Where do I stand?
It’s an adaptation; the movie stays or goes, it stands or falls.
All on its own.

Will I go see it?
No- but not for faith based reasons. I’m hesitant because the two leads were in The Invasion.