I was so excited to see this movie. I have read all the books and absolutely love them. I think Pullman is ingenious. The material was all there for another epic fantasy film, just waiting for a great director to pick it up...
Unfortunately, no such thing happened. I am a little confused as to why Chris Weitz (director of films like American Pie and Down to Earth) was allowed to director this. He was clearly the wrong choice. The movie, which I did not expect to follow the book exactly due to limited time, appeared to make no effort to tell Pullman's wonderful tale through images. The screenplay was poorly written and seemed to be dumbed down for a six year old, yet the movie's rated PG-13. There was no intrigue. It was choppy and fast paced. There was no sense of story development. Characters and scenes were switched around, and a major part of the book was cut out entirely! This makes absolutely no sense to me (especially since the previews for the movie allude to this part that's cut out being in it). Nope. Instead, the movie stops short with a terribly corny scene and forced dialogue, making no effort to hide the fact that the movie is concluding. When seeing a special premiere of this on Dec. 2, I can recall the entire audience letting out a groan as the movie ended (a few viewer's even booed).
Even if one had not read the books, as two of my friends who saw the movie with me had not, I believe they would still be utterly disappointed. From a film standpoint, it was very poorly done. There was an exorbitant use of CG, making the movie appear artificial. Every time Lyra went to read the alethiometer, there were some special effects implying Lyra's ability to see things in her mind (because of the alethiometer), which is not how it happens in the book (this being one of many examples). I was hoping that for a movie such as this one, there would be an incredible score to help mount emotions, but I was in for another disappointment. The musical score was dry, flat, and did nothing to enhance viewing.
The one thing that I did like about the movie was the choice of Lyra. I thought Dakota Blue Richards did a wonderful job as a newcomer, in a role that demanded several complex emotions. She executed the character perfectly and it's unfortunate that the movie did not match her perfection. Other cast members (Eva Green, Jim Carter, Sam Elliot) did a good job as well, but did not have enough screen time to really be appreciated. As for Kidman and Craig, I was not thrilled with their portrayals of Coulter and Asriel.
In the end, I think people who have read and appreciated the books who go see this movie will be overwhelmingly disappointed, and those who have not read the books will be confused and dissatisfied as well. In comparison to films like Narnia, where the director knew how to take the time to produce a work of art with effective dialogue, scenery, musical score, mix of real and CG characters, and storytelling, the Golden Compass (unfortunately) doesn't even hold a candle.
Unfortunately, no such thing happened. I am a little confused as to why Chris Weitz (director of films like American Pie and Down to Earth) was allowed to director this. He was clearly the wrong choice. The movie, which I did not expect to follow the book exactly due to limited time, appeared to make no effort to tell Pullman's wonderful tale through images. The screenplay was poorly written and seemed to be dumbed down for a six year old, yet the movie's rated PG-13. There was no intrigue. It was choppy and fast paced. There was no sense of story development. Characters and scenes were switched around, and a major part of the book was cut out entirely! This makes absolutely no sense to me (especially since the previews for the movie allude to this part that's cut out being in it). Nope. Instead, the movie stops short with a terribly corny scene and forced dialogue, making no effort to hide the fact that the movie is concluding. When seeing a special premiere of this on Dec. 2, I can recall the entire audience letting out a groan as the movie ended (a few viewer's even booed).
Even if one had not read the books, as two of my friends who saw the movie with me had not, I believe they would still be utterly disappointed. From a film standpoint, it was very poorly done. There was an exorbitant use of CG, making the movie appear artificial. Every time Lyra went to read the alethiometer, there were some special effects implying Lyra's ability to see things in her mind (because of the alethiometer), which is not how it happens in the book (this being one of many examples). I was hoping that for a movie such as this one, there would be an incredible score to help mount emotions, but I was in for another disappointment. The musical score was dry, flat, and did nothing to enhance viewing.
The one thing that I did like about the movie was the choice of Lyra. I thought Dakota Blue Richards did a wonderful job as a newcomer, in a role that demanded several complex emotions. She executed the character perfectly and it's unfortunate that the movie did not match her perfection. Other cast members (Eva Green, Jim Carter, Sam Elliot) did a good job as well, but did not have enough screen time to really be appreciated. As for Kidman and Craig, I was not thrilled with their portrayals of Coulter and Asriel.
In the end, I think people who have read and appreciated the books who go see this movie will be overwhelmingly disappointed, and those who have not read the books will be confused and dissatisfied as well. In comparison to films like Narnia, where the director knew how to take the time to produce a work of art with effective dialogue, scenery, musical score, mix of real and CG characters, and storytelling, the Golden Compass (unfortunately) doesn't even hold a candle.