Passable but that's it (The Golden Compass (DVD))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	The Golden Compass (DVD)
Date:	11/09/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great CGI

Disadvantages: Poor pacing and dialogue

note: also appears in part on Flixster and The Student Room

I haven't read any of the "His Dark Materials" novels, although I was aware of them, and in particular the powerful religious allegory therein that had caused so much controversy when the film (and novel) were first released, but I was very much a newcomer going into this film. Thus, I'm not a foaming fanboy, but at the same time the trailer hadn't filled me with much confidence that this would be much more than a standard Hollywood fantasy adaptation with pretty faces and impressive effects. Sadly, my suspicions appear to be correct.

What I have understood from friends is that the novel is mercilessly ripped to shreds here, with a treatment that doesn't repsect the spirit of the original novel, and in perhaps most criminal fashion, removes a large part of the religious allegory, which likens the bad guys to Christianity. Although I can understand the producers wanting their film to be commercially viable and not annoying a large portion of your audience, to remove such a powerful subtext does seem something of an overkill, especially considering such unconscious thematics will fly over the heads of a lot of people watching the film.

So, what is it actually about? Well, it involves a young girl named Lyra, who lives in a fantastical world where a religious dystopia has been established by the Magisterium. After her friend is kidknapped, she goes on an adventure to help get them back, sending her flying down a rabbithole of mystery and wonder unlike anything she has ever seen. In this regard, it's fluffy and fantastical enough that kids will probably like it, but for those who've read the novel or anyone who wants something that's substantive, it's really not going to do. Given how beloved the book is, one expects a better cinematic adaptation than this.

The much-hyped adaptation of Phillip Pullman's acclaimed novel, with its sub-par acting and tiresome dialogue (and plot), is an ostensible disappointment. A cure for insomnia this film may be, but an intriguing, often exciting tale it is not. The film's saving grace is its consistently effective special effects.

Summary: A slow going slog through a beloved novel