... There was a huge amount of hype and publicity surrounding the release of this film but did it live up to it's hype? In my opinion no!
The Plot
In this film humans souls are carried outside the body in the form of an animal called a 'demon'. These demons take many forms ranging from ... Read review
In a wondrous parallel world where witches soar the skies and Ice Bears rule the frozen ... more
North, one special girl is destined to hold the fate of the universe in her hands. When Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) becomes the keeper of the Golden Compas...
Based on author Philip Pullman's bestselling and award-winning novel The Golden Compass ... more
tells the first story in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The Golden Compass is an exciting fantasy adventure set in an alternative world where people's sou...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
In a marvellous parallel world where witches soar the skies and Ice Bears rule the frozen ... more
North, one special girl is destined to hold the fate of the universe in her hands. When Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) becomes the keeper of the Golden Comp...
Play as Lyra her daemon Pan and the armoured bear Lorek as you set out on a quest to ... more
rescue best friend Roger from the evil Gobblers. Travel to the icy North where giant bears rule witches fly the frozen skies and enemies await around every corner!Th...
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Play as the heroes from the film. Embark on a journey into the frozen north as ... more
rebellious and headstrong heroine Lyra, who uses her cunning to evade enemies. Or charge forward as her powerful friend and protector, Iorek - a giant armoured polar bear able to overcome any obstacle with his brute strength.Explore a parallel universe. Immerse yourself in the world of The Golden Compass movie and discover the majestic grandeur of Jordan College, the hustle and bustle of port town Trollesund, or the dark and foreboding research station at Bolvangar. Go beyond the movie with two areas from the His Dark Materials universe exclusive to the game.Discover a powerful bond greater than friendship. Experience the collaborative bond between Lyra and her unique animal-companion, Pan, who has the ability to morph into a variety of different creatures to help Lyra solve puzzles and navigate obstacles throughout her perilous journey.The Golden Compass will lead the way. Use the truth-telling Golden Compass to solve in-game puzzles and unlock bonus content, allowing you to explore the worlds as seen in the movie.Use quick wit to discover and evade. Participate in a variety of themed mini-games to help Lyra gain further information about her journey and avoid confrontation with those that mean her harm.
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Reprint Movie Poster; Rolled Poster; Poster Condition: New; Size: 27 x 39 inches approx. ... more
All our items are despatched from the United Kingdom. Starring - Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Eva Green, Kevin Bacon, John Hurt, Manufacturer: MoviePostersDirect
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In a marvelous parallel world where witches soar the skies and Ice Bears rule the frozen ... more
North, one special girl is destined to hold the fate of the universe in her hands. When Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) becomes the keeper of the Golden Compass, only she has the ability to read its portent messages and prevent her world - and all others - from slipping into an evil darkness.
Advantages: Some good special effects Disadvantages: Poor ending, repetitive, poor acting by some
...night I decided to give the Golden Compass a go. Released in December 2007 this film was based on Phillip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' books. There was a huge amount of hype and publicity surrounding the release of this film but did it live up to it's hype? In my opinion no!
==The Plot==
In this film humans souls are carried outside the body in the form of an animal called a 'demon'. These demons take many forms ... ...talk and are portrayed in the film as each humans best friend.
The Golden Compass is based around the story of a young orphaned girl called Lyra who resides at a college in Oxford. Many of the local children have been mysteriously disappearing and Lyra tells stories of Gobblers who she believes are responsible. Lyra's uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) is with Lyra at the college at the start of the film but he departs on a voyage to ... more
In a bid to lose myself in a fantasy style film on a Sunday night I decided to give the Golden Compass a go. Released in December 2007 this film was based on Phillip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' books. There was a huge amount of hype and publicity surrounding the release of this film but did it live up to it's hype? In my opinion no!
The Plot
In this film humans souls are carried outside the body in the form of an animal called a 'demon'. These demons take many forms ranging from dogs to rats and accompany their human everywhere they go. These demons even talk and are portrayed in the film as each humans best friend.
The Golden Compass is based around the story of a young orphaned girl called Lyra who resides at a college in Oxford. Many of the local children have been mysteriously disappearing and Lyra tells stories of Gobblers who she believes are responsible. Lyra's uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) is with Lyra at the college at the start of the film but he departs on a voyage to the Artic Circle to find out more about a strange element called 'dust' (not the kind we hoover up!). Lyra wants to go with him but he forbids her.
One evening at the college the mysterious Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman) attends and requests that Lyra accompanies her on a trip to the North. Lyra is desperate eto find out more about this 'dust' so dutifully accompanies her. Prior to her departure the college master gives Lyla an alethiometer (golden compass). She is told that this instrument will reveal the truth from any question it is asked but it told under no circumstances to let Marisa know of its whereabouts.
The journey begins but the real character of Marisa unveils itself and soon it becomes her mission is that of finding the whereabouts of the golden compass. Lyra enlists the help of an ice bear to help her on her quest to find and save the missing children and guard the golden compass.
Where have all these missing children gone and what is to be the fate of the golden compass?
My Thoughts
Not being familiar with the novels on which this film was based I cannot comment on the similarity between books and film. After doing a bit of research I discovered that quite a bit of controversy surrounded this film in the Catholic church regarding the films portrayal of the human spirit. For goodness sake, this film has talking polar bears who fight wearing armour and human spirits in the form of talking ferrets who can morph themselves into bugs and birds!
The special effects in this film are great but unfortunately it is yet another example of a Hollywood film that has spent all its money on special effects and well known actors and not enough on the plot or fine details. The special effects were nothing mind blowing though and we are all familiar with talking animals in films now so this is nothing new, bring me the pig Babe any day!
Acting wise regarding the adults in the film such as Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman were faultless as usual. I must admit though from a woman's point of view Daniel Craig was looking rough, a beard really doesn't suit him and ages him ten years! The acting of the children in the film seemed a bit too staged and amateur dramatic.
There are so many characters in this film that it is hard to form any kind of bond with the majority of them. You are given brief incites into characters but throughout the film glimpses are given of some of the main characters and you are left thinking, 'oh yeah, I wondered what happened to them'! I personally don't like that in a film, if you have forgotten about any of the main characters then the film has failed in my eyes.
Not wanting to give the ending away in any shape or form, don't expect a good one! I can honestly say that the ending to this film is one of the worst I have seen in a long time! It's one of those endings when you begin to question in your mind. 'are they leaving it open for a sequel' or 'is it just a really bad ending'!
Summary
During this film I did get to know my ceiling quite well! I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling so many times that I lost count! It was a bit too predictable and cheesy in places and the special effects used for portraying the golden compass were far too repetitive.
With a great cast like this I feel that the film could have been so much better. The plot itself is very simple but the greatest films have the simplest of story lines, this is not one of them! The voice of Lyra's ferret form demon really started to annoy me half way through the film, I wasn't even sure if it was a boy or a girl!
Overall I was disappointed that I didn't get the escapism I was looking for from this film. With all the hype surrounding it I had high hopes but was left feeling disappointed. I toyed between two and three starts for this, ideally I would have given it two and a half stars but I felt two was a little too harsh!
Advantages: A beautifully realised world with great effects and strong performances. Disadvantages: It may go over little ones' heads.
...world where people's souls take the form of animal companions known as daemons, so they are never alone. Lyra is an orphan living at Jordan College, Oxford. When her best friend Roger disappears, she knows it is the work of the mysterious Gobblers and is determined to find him. She decides to do so with or without the help of her mysterious uncle Lord Asriel or the enigmatic Mrs Coulter. But Lyra is a very special young girl whose abilities are wanted ... ...in order to get to the frozen north. There she encounters mysteries that lie at the very heart of the human soul…
Writer-director Chris Weitz has had a varied career that has included gross-out comedy with "American Pie" and Hugh Grant vehicle "About a Boy". So he seemed an odd choice to helm this fantasy adventure. I had serious reservations about his involvement, but I must admit he has acquitted himself admirably. He has created an entire world ...
afy9mab 09.12.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Golden Compass (DVD)
Advantages: good story and stunning scenery Disadvantages: misses nout so much from the book
The Golden Compass is based on the book Northern Lights by Philip Pullman , the first in a triology called His Dark Materials. I read all three books quite a few years ago so I was very interested to see how the story would be depicted on screen. It is a good adaptation but when you consider that the film is only 113 minutes long and the book has about 450 pages, there is obviously quite a lot that is missed out or skimmed over! You don't have to ... ...although for me, having read the book first added to my enjoyment of the film. I think that some people might find the film a bit confusing without this background knowledge. The story is set in a parallel universe which in many ways looks exactly like our own. One major difference though is that everyone has their own daemon. This is their soul which, rather than being on the inside, accompanies them everywhere and takes the form of a creature. ...
kingfisher111 15.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Golden Compass (DVD)
Advantages: Excellent animation, great story and fine acting. Disadvantages: Just possibly the lack of ending.
...to see this film at the cinema with virtually no preconceptions apart from what I had seen on a trailer at a previous film. Normally I know a good bit about where the story came from and who I was going to be watching on screen but this time I just went and saw it as a movie.
We went as a family, age range of five to fifteen to us oldies so I think I have a pretty good idea of what the film means to different ages, more on later.
To the story:-
... ...are two ways of watching the film, firstly as a journey through a fantasy world, a most enjoyable flight on the wings of imagination. Or there is the analytical way, looking at the antiestablishment, anti religious undertones, something that would go over the heads of younger viewers and not a few older ones as well perhaps. Of course the third way would be to know the backdrop but ignore it and enjoy the film just as a story. Perhaps the third way ...
docpov 17.12.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Golden Compass (DVD)
Advantages: good to sit and watch with your kids Disadvantages: not for all ages
...film, “The Golden Compass” with the prowling and flapping and slithering and fluttering. The animals, most of which are called daemons and are manifestations of the human soul, hover at the side of their people and near the story’s edge, where their coos and barks mix with the surrounding clatter and clangs. Sometimes an animal leaps forward in alarm, its fur raised in alarm, its feathers fluttering in flight.
“The Golden Compass”, a novel that ... ...great storyline, and interesting characters.
The main character is Lyra Belacque who embarks on the hero’s journey with her shape-shifting daemon, named Pantalaimon. Pantalaimon is a friendly daemon, yet he is a courageous and determined daemon at the same time.
This film is based around Lyra and her sophisticated daemon finding Lyra’s best friend Roger as he has been kidnapped, as well as children all over the globe. Lyra gets given a special ...
darkwind160 08.06.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Golden Compass (DVD)
Advantages: cinematography is spectacular Disadvantages: The script is flawed
...worlds. As with anything unknown the discovery is feared and many of those aware of it's' existence want it destroyed and kept secret. Along her journey, Lyra meets an array of wondrous creatures some good who wish her well and offer their help, others not so good who are intent on hindering her on her quest. With the help of a golden compass only a select few are able to read to guide her on her way Lyra sets off on the adventure of a life time.
... ...only 12 years old at the time of filming, and you certainly see no signs of this being her very first acting job. She commands the viewer's attention with her performance and she challenges us to feel her struggles and triumphs as she experiences them. It is a testament to her talent that, when sharing camera time with the likes of Sam Elliot or in fact Nicole Kidman, she steals the focus. I look forward to seeing more from this bright star
Nicole ...
ally2kc 06.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Golden Compass (DVD)
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Advantages: Great story, great acting, great animation Disadvantages: Does not stick to the book
on the first night, I was thrilled and I loved the film, although it had not stuck to the book very well.
By the time that the film was released on DVD my birthday was rolling around and since my boyfriend had just purchased the new PS3 which can be used a blu-ray player, his sister was kind enough to buy me The GoldenCompass 2 disc edition on blu-ray DVD, again I was ecstatic.
According to the protective sleeve of the DVD
2-disc DVD loaded with extras
Disc 1 - Feature Commentary by Writer/Director Chris Weitz and Enhanced Visual Commentary
Disc 2 - The Novel, The Adaptation, Finding Lyra Belacqua, Dæmons, The Alethiometer, Production Design, Costumes, Oxford, Armoured Bears, Music, The Launch, Teaser Trailer, Trailer #2, Final Trailer and Companion Galleries to above futurities
However, it was not really the extras I was interested in ...
Contains moderate fantasy violence and intense scenes
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Plot
This star-packed fantasy adventure follow the exploits of a 12-year-old girl as she attempts to find a kidnapped friend in a world filled with speaking animals, witches, wizards, and more.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS, ENTERTAINMENT
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Feature Commentary by Writer, Director Chris Weitz, Featurettes: Daemons, The Alethiometer, Costumes, Armoured, Bears, The Novel, The Adaptation, Finding Lyra Belacqua, Production, Design, Oxford, Music, The Launch, Teaser Trailer, Trailer 2 , Final Trailer, Sneak Peak JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH 3D Trailer,
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital, DTS 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1
Professional reviews
Review
The blend of live action, CG and visual effects is superb (Hollywood Reporter, 25/03/2008)
[An] ultimately satisfying and successful version of the opening volume of the celebrated His Dark Materials trilogy. (Los Angeles, 25/03/2008)
DVD Description
THE GOLDEN COMPASS is an adaptation of the first book in the beloved but controversial fantasy series by Phillip Pullman. The story opens with Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) an orphan girl who lives in an alternate world that is similar to earth, but where people's souls exist outside of their bodies in animal form. The people are ruled by a shadowy and oppressive council known as the Magisterium, which is doing it's best to keep everyone from getting information about what is called 'Dust.' Lyra's Uncle Asriel (Daniel Craig) has been researching Dust, and he has seen to it that Lyra is given safe shelter at Jordan College. But when the visiting Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman) arrives, she asks Lyra to accompany her on a trip to the North to meet the Panserbjorne, a race of armoured bears. Before Lyra leaves, the Headmaster gives her a golden compass, a device which only she can read, and from which she can intuit the truth. Lyra leaves with Mrs. Coulter, but when she learns that her friends have been kidnapped by 'Gobblers' she heads out to find them, and soon joins forces with the nomadic Gyptians, some witches, and an armoured bear called Iorek Byrnison (voice by Ian McKellen). Lyra finds her friends, and so discovers the evil plans the Magisterium has cooked up for the world's children. By the film's end, she has vowed to track down her Uncle Asriel, and to discover the true power of Dust.
Hollywood had a tricky time of taming this tale, as Pullman's books portray religion - the Catholic Church in particular - in a less than flattering light. The film version carefully steers clear of these themes, and instead puts its enormous budget into creating visually stunning effects. While fans of the books may find fault with this streamlined version, children are sure to revel in the many talking animals and whimsical airships.
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