Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott, Cathy Bates
Book Author: Phillip Pullman
Writer/Director: Chris Weitz
Studio: New Line (2-DVD Platinum Series)
Video: 2.35:1 anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9, 1080p HD
Audio: English DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 (Extras DTS 5.1, 2.0)
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Extras: Commentary by Chris Weitz, Origins: The Novel, The Adaptation, Oxford; Behind-the-Scenes: Finding Lyra Belacqua, Costumes, Music, Production Design, The Launch; Lyra’s World: Armoured Bears, The Alethiometer, Daemons
Length: Feature; 113 minutes; Extras: over 2 1/2 hours
Rating: *****
Must agree with the critics calling this one of the finest fantasy films of all time. The triptych of children’s books by Pullman has received some of the world’s top literary awards – ones never before given to children’s’ literature. The marvelous parallel world of The Golden Compass has witches soaring in the sky, talking ice bears ruling the far North, and everyone has their own daemon – a small animal that stays close to them, talks, and is sort of their soul. There is also the usual evil fascist all-powerful ruling government which compromises freedom and prevents people from knowing the truth.
Lyra is a special little girl who comes into possession of the one remaining Alethiometer which the authorities have not destroyed (which looks like a compass). It can read the future and prevent her world from falling into darkness. She is befriended by the beautiful but wicked Mrs. Coulter (Kidman). (I’m curious whether that she also had that name in the original books…) The adventure is not without some violence, but it’s suitable for the entire family and should enthrall the grownups just as much as the kids. It ends with obvious cliffhangers leading to the future second film in the triptych, but that’s to be expected. Pullman’s series has been described as a humanist alternative to Lewis’ Narnia tales. He says in the interesting bonus features that his original idea was to write a modern version of Milton’s Paradise Lost, and that from the viewpoint of its most important character – Lyra – it’s a story of the “consequences of curiosity.” The special effects are wonderful, and even if this wasn’t such a fantastically good fantasy film I’d see it anyway because it has multiple dirigibles in it!
– John Sunier
