A good family film (The Golden Compass (DVD))

Member Name: Siamese

Product:	The Golden Compass (DVD)
Date:	23/10/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great special effects

Disadvantages: Not as good as the book

The Golden Compass (DVD)

Description: Genre: Action & Adventure / Director: Chris Weitz / Actors: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig

If you have never heard of the Golden Compass, it is adapted from the book. The book is part of a trilogy written by the fantastic Phillip Pullman (there are also a couple of mini book spin-offs too), all 3 of which are excellent reading. I must admit that compared to the book, the film isn't as good, but that always seems to be the way. To be fair, the book has so much detail that it would be impossible to recreate on film, at least in the timescale that films usually cover. Having said that, it is still a good film and well worth watching.

The film centre's around Lyra, a young girl who was orphaned. In Lyra's world every human person has an animal counterpart who they are attached to and which guides them. These are called daemon's. As she is still a child, Lyra's daemon can change his shape to appear as any animal he wishes to be though when she becomes an adult, he will settle into one animal shape and no longer change.

Lyra is given a golden compass which reveals information to those few who can read it, Lyra is one of the few. When children start to go missing, Lyra uses the compass to find out where they are and why they have been taken.

I am not going to tell you any more, just in case you haven't seen or read it and I spoil it for you. What I will say is that there are some fab special effects in this film and the parts are very well played. it is a great fantasy film for both children and adults alike and well worth watching.

If you are a reader though, I highly recommend that you get the books and read them, someone gave me the whole trilogy and I couldn't put them down, I was absolutely gutted when I finished them!

Watch out for the daemons, they are amazing!

Summary: Well worth a watch