The Golden Compass (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)
by Chris Weitz
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DVD details
Actor: Ben Walker, Dakota Blue Richards, Daniel Craig, Freddie Highmore, Nicole KidmanDirector: Chris Weitz
Brand: NEW LINE HOME VIDEO
Writer: Chris Weitz
Writer: Philip Pullman
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Icelandic (Original Language); Russian (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 113 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-04-29
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- AC-3; Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC
DVD Reviews of The Golden Compass (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)
DVD Review: Lightyears behind the novel
Summary: 3 Stars
The positive is that it truly is perfectly casted, Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel, Ian McKellen as the voice of Iroek, Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter, Eva Green as Serafina Pekkala, and my favorite: Sam Elliot as Lee Scoresby; and the ongoing cast of A-list actors perfectly fit for their roles in Golden Compass. Every actor in this movie seemed to have given it their all, and in my opinion couldn't have been better casted for their roles.
The soundtrack, although not as epic and sweeping as Lord of the Rings, seemed to carry an optimistic, mystic, and fantastical if not a bit underwhelming tune throughout the movie. Especially during the large battle scene at the end of the movie.
Also, although not the best I've seen, the CGI is remarkable. Almost seamless; the deamons are extremely believable and very, very charming. The first scene, by which the camera pans through a curtain of dust into another universe, was very well done and complimented the feel and premise of the story. The frantic scenes of people being killed and their daemons bursting into golden dust- albeit different from the book's "fading away" approach- added greatly to the excitement and really gave a unique feel to the battle scenes, even if it does look a little too much like the 'Blade' series. The world is displayed spectacularly as Lyra and Roger walk along Oxford's rooftops, giving the truely beautiful and awe-inspiring feel that the books gave.
**SPOILERS**
Another thing I liked, that I never really felt in the book, was Mrs. Coulter's seemingly genuine compassion for Lyra. In the novel, it came across that Coulter truly could care less about Lyra's well-being and simply pretended to care for the sake of the Magisterium's wellfare. In the book, I felt as though Coulter simply was the Magisterium, as it is said many times. However, in the movie she is presented as a puppet used by the Magisterium against her own better understanding, something I feel is much more spot-on about organized religion than her merely being a fanatic control freak. I could've missed this in the book, it might've been so subtle I couldn't recognize it; either way I feel it was a good addition to the movie.
However, the negative is overwhelming, and although it doesn't completely destroy the movie, it takes it down from the pedastal of epics that the story really deserves to be on. The completely uninspired direction from Weitz; it seems as though he had a huge project and absolutely no idea where to go with it. Also the relentlessly butchered storyline to fit the time frame. Although it's understandable that not everything could be included in the story, they certainly could've been less "liberal" with it. I believe it was "dumbed down" to be made more understandable, as many of the main plot points seemed to have been easier to explain than in the book.
They all but completely severe the anti-religious aspects of the story, simply sticking to saying "Bad people" and "Organization" rather than "Catholic" and "Chuch" one too many times, relieving its onslaught on organized religion to a near halt. When viewing the movie, it seems to get along fine without it, though it truely distracts from what the novel tried to say about organized religion's control over 'truth'. The Magisterium's "The Fall of Man" view on Dust is rather made into "Bad people rebelled" and the entire section quoting the bible- while giving it a parallel universe twist with daemons- is excluded completely. Whether this was a genuine attempt to make the movie more likeable, and therefore more popular and a bigger box office; or it was just a twist in the wind avoiding relentless hate-mail from fanatics drawing ill-attention to New Line; or if they're saving the "heavy" things for the sequels is beyond me, but still disappointing either way, and the depth of the story takes many hits from it.
Some awkward and nonsensical moments also can be seen in various scenes. For one: when Lyra first mets Iroek, she uses the compass and says "I know where the armor is" followed by Iroek blurting out a full-on contract with Lyra without any form of "If you take me to it" as was very prominent in the book, and topped off with Iroek storming down town- with Lyra following- and somehow finding his armor. I really don't know what the gimmick here was, if Iroek already knew where his armor was but didn't get it because he had no reason to; if somehow Lyra guided him to his armor in an off-screen way; or any other reason. Either way it seemed very choppy, rushed and confusing, incoherent opposed to the novel's silky-smooth fluidity.
The section of the novel where Lyra interacts and grows fond of Gyptians, even starting to believe that she is one as well, building a loyal, loveable and even political enviroment, is completely removed. Time and budgets are a main factor, obviously, but to me this section gave so much heart and feeling to the novel, so much purpose in community and loyalty. The debate whether or not to raid the North to rescue the children, the rule that no women were to join the excursion (Ma Costa, in the movie, is in the final battle), and so fourth is completely removed.
The story of Billy becoming ghastly after his daemon is removed is reduced greatly- making almost 2 chapters of discussion and suspense into a 5 minute scene, albeit an emotional and powerful one at that. Nearly every single majestic view of the Aurora is removed, in fact the "Northern Lights" aren't seen between Lord Asriel's presentation at Oxford and the final scene of the movie.
The entire section in which Roger and Lyra explore Oxford, including the catacombs and tombs undergound is also removed. Really the list of removed material is almost uncountable: Lyra's history with Asriel, the Oxford Master's history with Asriel and the Magisterium, the story of why Asriel and Coulter seperated (leading to the story of Lyra's nanny), the depth of the "gang wars" between Jordan, Oxford and Gyptians; Lyra's experience in the Experimental building, Lyra's experience in the prison of Bears, Iroek and Iofur's history, the Female Bear, the list really is endless.
The last thing I'll mention and gripe about: that ending. Completely removing the entire section when Asriel and Coulter are reunited, when Asriel cuts off roger's daemon and establishes the bridge between worlds, the whole chapter of Asriel explaining charged particals and its relation to Creationism and Parallel Univeres, the discussion between Serafina Pekkala and Lyra on Scoresby's flying machine, and so much more plot twists and emotional changes. You really can tell they rushed it, and either the abruptedly blatant ending is a ploy to get a bigger audience for The Subtle Knife (should it indeed be made) or simply a rush to get it into theaters.
The redeeming factor in this movie is what they got right, they really got right. Especially the Daemons and characters to name a few; in fact the characters would've been almost perfect had it not been for the complete absence of character development and a lack of true backround for any of them.
Overall a decent if not very disappointing movie. Certainly enjoyable, but not especially for "hardcore" fans of the novel.
Description of The Golden Compass (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)
Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 11/11/2008 Rating: Pg13A 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
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