The Golden Compass

So, there's this movie based on Philip Pullman's novel *Northern Lights*—though in some places, they call it *The Golden Compass*. It’s part of his *his dark material* trilogy, and apparently—according to everyone who actually read the books (not me, I haven't picked it up yet!)—the film ends on such a cliffhanger that a sequel is practically mandatory. While it was a massive hit globally, it didn't quite hit the mark here in America. That said, the cast is absolutely stacked: we're talking Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Ian McKellen, Dakota Fanning, Eva Green, Freddie Highmore, Christopher Lee, and more. It just hit theaters here on January 10th, so if you've managed to catch a screening, please—let me know what you thought!

I'm heading out to catch it today

I watched it, and honestly, I wasn't exactly blown away. It was fine, I guess, but it certainly didn't leave me breathless.

Movies like that... man, they just completely blow you away.

Samuel Ortiz3 said:Movies like that just don't have the power to blow you away.

Give me a break,
since when do you know anything about what I'm actually like?

Look, let me just quote what I said over on the literature subforum:

(*SPOILERS*)

I am honestly obsessed... seriously, this movie totally hit the spot for me on every level. I loved basically everything (except maybe when the girl's acting was slightly off here and there, but whatever... she had a few weak moments, but mostly she was great). What really worked for me was how they actually fleshed out the characters; she captured Lyra's character and her whole vibe perfectly, including how incredibly smart and resourceful she is. Not to mention the emotional connection with Iorek and that beautiful depiction of why daemons matter and their bond with people. I almost teared up during the scene where she finds little Billy after he gets "cut," and when they nearly separated her from her daemon. I read the book about a year and a half ago, just once (lack of time 😢 😢 😢), so I don't remember every single detail, but I think the movie stays true to the book and, honestly, I'm just beyond happy with it 😍. Maybe when I re-read it (hopefully soon), I'll have more complaints... but I'm not one of those people who demands a flawless adaptation. I respect both the book and the movie as two totally different mediums trying to tell the same story using different tools, so I get that you can't check every box from the book, and I don't personally care. As long as the movie keeps the "feeling" of the book and stays faithful to that, it's fine by me. And in my opinion, it totally nailed it 👍
My only gripe is that it's kind of stupid they didn't use the ending from the book... the transition between worlds... but hey, I didn't complain when Gollum wasn't in the first LOTR movie but showed up in the third, so I won't whine about this either. I'll just expect it in the next movie 😁 😁 😁
Oh, and the plot—I think they explained everything as best they could. My friend who hasn't even read the book followed everything easily and said it wasn't confusing at all, that everything was well-developed, so if you ask me (or her), that's definitely not a weak point
.
Honestly, I have no idea where all these terrible reviews are coming from... I just don't get it. But hey, to each their own, I guess!

I honestly think Nicole Kidman was just incredible in that movie.

Man, I’m telling you... that’s really it for me... I only ever got around to reading the thin stylus—not the polar one, also known as Golden Compass—about five or six years back... and honestly, the book was just absolutely incredible... I definitely need to check this out, no question about it!!!

I’ve read the book multiple times, but honestly, the movie was a massive letdown. They even messed up the timeline, and they changed the ending just to force some kind of cheesy happy ending instead of sticking to how the story actually concludes. 🙄 I also think Craig was a terrible choice to play Lord Asriel—he didn't even look the part visually. The only thing they actually got right was casting Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter. The book is incredible, but the film is just plain bad.

Just finished the movie. Honestly? Nothing special. It’s such a bummer they didn't even tease a sequel or anything. Felt like I was watching a half-finished sketch instead of a full film.👎👎

Word is they’ll decide whether to greenlight any sequels in the first quarter of 2008—apparently because the box office numbers here in the States were pretty weak. That was the last thing I read...

I haven't picked up the books—and while I’ve heard they lean heavily anti-Christian, that isn't actually why I skipped them, just a side note 🙂—but even the movie left a lot to be desired.

The film failed to convince me that this Magisterium is truly evil or that it needs to be stopped (if you want a recommendation for a real masterpiece, check out my icon 😁). It also didn't do much to explain why separating children from their Daemon is such a horrific act.
As a result, their entire struggle feels silly and pointless.
That said, it's still better than any of those Hairy Pot stories or The Chronicles of Narnia.

The movie was just okay... kind of mediocre.

But hey, we've got the warm vibes of Narnia 2 coming soon.

Look, I actually really liked the movie... totally... yeah, I’ve got a few gripes—mostly that the ending feels rushed and abrupt, plus they completely missed the entire point of the first book—but aside from that (which is my biggest issue), I wasn't a huge fan of Panov's voice? It felt way too theatrical for me, just didn't land right. Also, the little girl's acting was off in a few spots—like that scene where Azriel's poison is poured, the editing there was just messy... but overall, the cast is solid, the VFX are insane, and that scene where Kidman saves Lyra from the machine was awesome and all that. All in all, I'm giving it an 8.4/10!

Honestly, this might be the most mind-numbing movie I’ve ever sat through in a theater. Seriously. It’s right up there with Antonio’s "History of a Love Affair" in terms of pure boredom. Though, let's be real, trying to draw any other comparisons to Antonio is a bit of a stretch.
The only part that actually grabbed my attention was when the bear first loses its cool and starts roaring. After that? It just drags on. You find yourself thinking, "Okay, fine, you roared. What's next?" And look, there was this one scene meant to be this massive, edge-of-your-seat "wow" moment—the bear fight—but it felt way too much like Apollo vs Rocky. Only instead of Adrian worrying about her fighter, we have this innocent little girl clutching The Golden Compass.
Movies like "American Gangster" remind me why I love going to the cinema, but stuff like "Ghost of Sarajevo" and this mess remind me why I shouldn't waste my hard-earned cash or my precious time. Honestly, the best thing about this movie is that it'll probably disappear from theaters in seven days, saving everyone else the trouble.
I’m not even going to touch Ebert's perfect 4/4 rating, but I will say this: the lead actress was fantastic.

bluebison8 said:The movie didn't really sell me on why separating kids from their Daemon is such a horrific thing.

It’s because a Daemon is essentially a person's soul. As you grow and mature, your Daemon evolves—it has this capacity for transformation. Once you reach adulthood and your personality is fully set, the Daemon stops changing and settles into an animal form that reflects your true character. Pretty straightforward, really.

BTW, haven't seen the movie yet—still need to get through the second book. Apparently, the BBC put this one at number three on their "100 books you must read before you die" list... I don't know. It's fine, but it isn't exactly life-changing.

By the way, if my memory serves, Iorek doesn't actually have belly armor—so this poster is pretty inconsistent. But given the movie title, I guess it's not exactly surprising.

jadewolf56 said:Watched it. Not exactly blown away. It was okay, I guess, but definitely not great. Running out of steam.

Watched it. Lost consciousness—meaning, I fell asleep.😁)

Just watched it. It was alright—kind of a weird vibe, though. Some stuff was left totally unexplained... but it was still pretty engaging. Biggest standout was definitely Nicole Kidman. 👍

As I previously noted, the film strikes me as a blend of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, tailored specifically for an audience of children up to age 18.
I have absolutely no intention of sitting through a sequel to that little children's flick...☕