The Golden Compass (DVD) > Reviews (26)

Director: Chris Weitz
Actors: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Ben Walker, Sam Elliot, Freddy Highmore, Eva Green Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Kathy Bates etc
Genre: Family/Adventure/Fantasy
Classification: PG
RRP: £13.98 Amazon: £7.98
DVD Extra features:

What's it about?
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Lyra Belaqua, lives at Jordan College and is a young girl living amongst a group of elite scholastic minds . She finds herself navigating through an incredible adventure when she overhears over hears her uncle having a conversation about with fellow scholars about an extraordinary microscopic particle, Dust which is believed to unite different 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.
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Acting/Characters
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Dakota Blue Richards - Lyra
As you watch Dakota on screen, you forget she was 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 Kidman - Mrs Coulter
Nicole Kidman, on and off screen always seems a little stiff for my taste, as if something is lacking. However, I thought she played Mrs Coulter, the evil, manipulative and deceptive character like none of the characters she's played before. I would venture to say, she seemed to enjoy playing the part which perhaps resulted in her letting her guard down a bit more than usual.

Ben Walker - Roger
Ben Walker is a charismatic actor, even at such a young age, who gives Roger a sense of vulnerability that endears him to the viewer without question.

Daniel Craig - Lord Asriel
For those mothers' hoping for an excuse to letch at James Bond without any shame, I'm afraid his presence in the film is limited to not much more than about 15 minutes in total - and he has his shirt on the whole time! That aside he plays the reserved yet warm character well enough - and is likable because of it.

Sam Elliot - Lee Scoresby
You would expect nothing less than a truly hypnotic performance from Sam Elliot and he doesn't fail to deliver in this either, despite some poorly written dialogue at times. Elliot always says so much whilst saying so very little which is without a doubt, his greatest allure. This film was made better by his participation.

In addition to those listed above, the film was supported with the voices of some well respected industry names such as Freddy Highmore, Iain McKellen, Ian McShane, Kathy Bates and Kirsten Scott Thomas.

In particular, Ian McKellen did an outstanding job as Iorek, the Polar Bear.

Script/Storyline
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As the film was based on the Phillip Pullman's trilogy of books, His Dark Materials, there was a buzz of high hopes for this film and I found myself excitedly awaiting its release wondering how the imaginative story-telling would translate onto film.

Sadly, I think director Chris Weitz made a mistake turning down the help of Tom Stoppard to write the adaptation himself. Much of the magic found in Pullman's books was lost in translation, making the story difficult to follow, particularly for a younger audience or anyone who haven't read the books previously. The storyline comes across as cluttered and the plot gets lost in all the action. Marvellous things happen throughout the film, but it is difficult to understand why much of the time. Ultimately, the viewer is left with more questions than answers.

Cinematography
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Without question, the cinematography of this film is to be commended. Reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia as far as scale and grandeur, the beautiful, wintery backdrop to the film is phenomenal and breath-taking and as much a part of the cast as any of the A-list stars featured.

The animation is flawless and blends in perfectly with the live action bringing the mystic creatures that appear throughout to life on screen. There is an intriguing balance between its old worldly feel and a magical future time we can only guess of. Visually, the film was in constant motion with each scene introducing us to greater effects and more magnificent characters creating a bigger, brighter and more exciting spectacle for the viewer.

Conclusion
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This film had an awful lot to live up to and had all the ingredients to be a fantastically magical cinematic experience. The cast were well chosen and gave strong performances of some truly wonderful characters. The animation and cinematography was spectacular. However, unfortunately, whilst it is easy to get caught up in the beauty and the detail of the film, the viewer is left unsure about the substance of the story. Quite clearly, Chris Weitz understood Pullman's vision as it was there visually, but perhaps, in future, he will leave the script writing to someone more experience and impartial.

Trivia
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Samuel L. Jackson was considered for the part of Lee Scoresby.

In December 2004, Chris Weitz resigned from directing the film, claiming he was daunted by the technical challenges of the story. He returned in 2006 after his replacement also quit

There were roughly 600 costumes created for the film, all from scratch.

Ten thousand fgirls auditioned for the role of Lyra Belacqua.

In July 2003 Tom Stoppard was hired to write the screenplay. A year later, when Chris Weitz was hired to direct, he rejected Stoppard's script, preferring to adapt Philip Pullman's work himself.

First movie ever to gross over $300 millions, while experiencing domestic box office failure in the US, grossing only $70m