Amazon The Golden Compass [Blu-ray]

The Golden Compass [Blu-ray]

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Editorial Review:

In a parallel universe where witches rule the skies and armoured bears are the bravest warriors, young Lyra Belacqua journeys from her home among the scholars at Oxford to the far North to save her best friend. Based on the first book in the Carnegie Medal-winning series, His Dark Materials.

A fantasy epic with more than a passing resemblance to the Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia film franchises, The Golden Compass takes place in an alternate universe where each human's soul is embodied in a companion animal called a daemon. Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards), an orphan who's lived most of her life among the scholars at Oxford, is intrigued when her uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), announces his plans to travel north to investigate the source of some mysterious particles called Dust. Lyra has little hope of following her uncle until a mysterious woman named Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman, at her most icily beautiful) asks Lyra to travel north as her personal assistant. All is not as it seems, however, and the disappearance of Lyra's friend Roger (Ben Walker) sets her on a dizzying adventure. She does have an alethiometer, or golden compass, that can help her see the truth, and a number of companions, including her shape-shifting daemon, Pantalaimion (voiced by Freddie Highmore of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), polar-bear warrior Iorek Byrnison (voiced by Ian McKellen), Texas aeronaut Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliott), and witch queen Serafina Pekkala (Craig's Casino Royale co-star, Eva Green). Even before its release, The Golden Compass was the subject of controversy over its perceived anti-religious themes. While it does involve an oppressive institution called the Magisterium, it's not overtly religious, particularly to a young viewer. The movie's PG-13 rating should be taken seriously, however. Suitable for an older audience than Narnia (though younger than The Lord of the Rings), it deals with complex concepts, violence (though largely bloodless) and implied death, children and animals in peril, and an unrelentingly ominous and unsettling mood.

Despite a few changes and rearrangements, the overall plot of the movie is remarkably faithful to its source material, the first installment of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. It doesn't finish the book, however, and--much like The Fellowship of the Ring did--leaves the viewer hanging in anticipation of the next film, The Subtle Knife, due in 2009. So even though The Golden Compass is impressive--especially with its spot-on cast and terrific visual effects--we probably won't know its full emotional impact until the story is complete. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0

• I'm buying the Blu-Ray after seeing it on HBO
  I was so intrigued by this movie that I'm buying it in Blu-Ray. I think it's worth it. Even though I have not read the Pullman books, I agree with other reviewers that the story is about the power of free will over fascism. It is a much more spiritual story than many may perceive. No need to get too intellectual, though. The polar bear warriors are worth buying the movie, and that's all I need to say.

• Freud for kids, marred by a stereotype
  I have no problem with a bit of a specific (*Lacanian*) strain of Freudian psychoanalytical theory invoked in cinema. Seems to me *the dust* denotes *object (petit) a* - *a* stands for *other* (Fr. autre). It is *the object-cause of desire*. The *object (petit) a* is actually both the cause of desire the final reserve of libido. Since it also denotes a surplus enjoyment (Fr. plus-de-jouir), it is no wonder that *Church*(at least officially) is against it. Not a big deal.
  I have a problem though, as one... more info

• A "Golden" Story with a Relevant Message
  I've never read the original books by author Philip Pullman, but I heard much about them leading up to the release of this much anticipated film adaptation. One of the things I hate most about such pre-hype for a film like this is that you can't help but form biased opinions about the success or failure of the project even though you've yet to see it with your own eyes. Given that the original books were written as an expression of Mr. Pullman's atheist beliefs, which though I disagree with, I have the... more info

• I loved it
  I loved this film. I just watched it and thought it was a great fantasy adventure and it's a great family film. "The Golden Compass" is about a young girl named Lara who lives in a magical world filled with animals that have demons in them and witches fly the dark sky and animals talk and pirates roam the sea. Lara meets a wicked blond woman played by Nicole Kidman who takes her back with her to her place. The woman traps Lara there and tries to get her to do what she wants. Lara is smart enough to figure... more info

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