The Golden Compass

Went to see this yesterday with my Nephew and my girlfriend

Was a lot better than i thought it'd be, i didnt even fall asleep!

You guys seen it?? What'd ya reckon??

Boring. Seen it before. Panserbjørn is the only good thing in it.

Heh. I've heard lots of people say it's great, but I couldn't stand the books..

Read the first one - hm, this is odd. Maybe I need time to get into it.
Read the second one - yeah, this isn't that good.
Got a few chapters into the third one and put it down. I can count on one hand the number of books I've put down without finishing...

So is the movie better than the book?

Originally Posted by different_13

So is the movie better than the book?

If you liked the book, its a dissapointment certainly; mainly because of how they removed all the critiscms towards the church.

Worth watchin to see the bits with the polar bear though.

My nephew loved it. And hes 8.
Its weird being a 16 year old uncle.

Originally Posted by EnglishLion

If you liked the book, its a dissapointment certainly; mainly because of how they removed all the critiscms towards the church.

That's the brilliant part though, leave all of that out of the first one so that parents wont suspect it, make enough money to ensure a sequel and develop a group of child-fans, and then BAM! Atheism to the face!

Originally Posted by teh.frickin.pope

That's the brilliant part though, leave all of that out of the first one so that parents wont suspect it, make enough money to ensure a sequel and develop a group of child-fans, and then BAM! Atheism to the face!

Except that the Catholic League banned it anyway. They don't really care if the movie cut out the criticism, they hate the source material. I think that makes the whole affair pretty pointless.

I saw it two days ago; the first book is the best of the three and I was sort of interested to see what they'd done to it.

Good thing: the Magisterium isn't quite as blatantly the catholic church (it is such an irony that Pullman just continues in the english tradition of the Black Legend and general popery-paranoia) that got on my nerves fast in the books.

Good thing: The shape-changing daimons could have gotten confusing fast. So we just focus on one. Well handled.

Good thing: Animation and special effects. With the exception of the ice bridge breaking up, it was stellar. That includes the polar bear, of course.

Good thing: irritating book 1 cliffhanger solved by cut-and-pasting chapters. Good call.

Really Bad thing: The we have a problem - we solve that problem - we have a new problem - we solve that problem - we have a new problem etc ad infinitum storyline structure of the books, that sometimes, especially in the second and third ones, make them really tedious to read, have not been resolved in the movie - in fact they have been severely worsened! I mean, that really should have been heavily edited to the better, and it would hardly have been that difficult.

Bad thing: It is paced like an out of control freight train. I guess that's what happens when a movie scheduled (until two months ago!) to last 150 minutes is compressed into 114. It also explains the odd cutting: at one point Lyra teleports from the middle of a collapsing ice bridge unto safety.

Bad thing: More pacing issues: you hardly get under anyone's skin, not even the main character. Sometimes, sympathetic Lyra of Northern Lights often comes of as bratty and irritating. This is a common problem when child actors are asked to play strong-minded children, but considering how well (relatively) the Potter movies handle that, Weitz should have taken a page from them.

Really Bad Thing (IMHO): Pullman's alternate earth sounds rather interesting in the books - the 19th century technology, magic, alternate history ("The Tatars have taken Muscowy!") - but he really doesn't let you dwell there, focusing on a long, slightly confusing, and rather uninteresting sets of metaphysical worlds in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Never mind the Limbo-city, we want to see more of the world. The books never satisfied that, and the movie had the opportunity to correct the problem. Instead, they went the other way: Weitz can't wait to go to Svalbard and show us his armoured bears, so all we get of the rest of europe is a generic "frontier" town in Norway, some aerial shots of London, a bit of Oxford, and gloomy Magisterium chambers and audience halls. Disappointed!

Overall: it is not a disaster, but it is not a good movie. Considering its rocky production history, it is hardly surprising; Weitz is the first and third director to work on the movie, and he's dropped the ball somewhere. Paced too fast and rather unengaging, it doesn't solve the books' problems and creates a few of its own. 3 out of 6.

Originally Posted by HarryMate

My nephew loved it. And hes 8.
Its weird being a 16 year old uncle.

My friend's been an uncle since he was the age of your nephew.

More on topic, I might be seeing this film. It looks alright.

anyone else hate the fact that to appeal to the lowest common denomenator of retarded children they had to change the name of the alethiometer to "the golden compass" just incase it was too big a word for some kids.

That's what the book was called in America.

And it seems like a pretty good idea actually.

I didnt think of it like that, smart man.

Lion, I didn't like the books. As I said, one of the few that I've ever not finished.

Also - I'm an 18-year old uncle. Be pretty decent by the time they're in their late teens/twenties, yer still young enough not to be an old fogie..

Originally Posted by different_13

Lion, I didn't like the books. As I said, one of the few that I've ever not finished.

Also - I'm an 18-year old uncle. Be pretty decent by the time they're in their late teens/twenties, yer still young enough not to be an old fogie..

Hmmm im not sure if you'll like it then.
Its a decent story, but it does just follow the books most of the time.
Same as the LOTR films, not exact but close to following the story.

And yeah thats a good point, i can take him out for his first legal beer and shizz.

I Loved the books, It seemed to show a kind of image to cults and other religions and stuff. But it didn't quite show who the enemy was or if there was one during the books for most of them,I am worried if they have made the film kinda American by taking out anything which may offend any religion whatsoever and try to dumb it down to appeal to the largest audience.

Originally Posted by Gary88

anyone else hate the fact that to appeal to the lowest common denominator of retarded children they had to change the name of the alethiometer to "the golden compass" just incase it was too big a word for some kids.

Originally Posted by the_mango55

That's what the book was called in America.

Yeah basically Gary, Their the same level intelligence

But the first one was called Northen Lights anyway so not only have they changed Alethiometer to Golden compass but they have also had to name it over a different book incase they wouldn't understand what the Northern Lights was.

I probably will see it, I am just hoping for something a bit more adult like Lord of the Rings,
Rather than Narnia...

Originally Posted by Commander_Vimes

But the first one was called Northen Lights anyway so not only have they changed Alethiometer to Golden compass but they have also had to name it over a different book incase they wouldn't understand what the Northern Lights was.

What?

Why exactly would people not understand "The Northern Lights?"

I was looking forward to this, the books are easily with LOTR for me... a bit worried though but I'll give it a look.

I dunno, ask the Americans.

Originally Posted by Commander_Vimes

I dunno, ask the Americans.

Most people know what they are.

Too many publishers/tv/movie producers sell Americans short.

The "dumb American" stereotype just hurts people in the long run.

The truth is, most people everywhere are dumb.

If we are comparing "uncleness" of one another... I became uncle when I was more or less 9 months old.

For the first time... Got three nephews after that first one. *sigh* Bloody christmas.

It is called the Golden Compass here, I dunno why they changed anything.

Anyways great books, I want to see this movie alot. What annoys me so much is that some parents are banning their kids from seeing this movie because it promotes athiesm. If your faith is shaky enough to be converted by a children's movie, then you were never a Christian in the first place.

Besides, I wonder if these parents have ever heard of a thing called free will? Perhaps they should let their children decide whether they truly believe in God, not just force it down their throats.