The Golden Compass (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)
by Chris Weitz
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ben Walker, Dakota Blue Richards, Daniel Craig, Freddie Highmore, Nicole KidmanDirector: Chris Weitz
Brand: NEW Line Home Video
Writer: Chris Weitz
Writer: Philip Pullman
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Icelandic (Original Language); Russian (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 113 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-04-29
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- AC-3; Closed-captioned; Color; Dolby; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC
Movie Reviews of The Golden Compass (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)
Movie Review: "Lady, Lightning Bolt, Baby ~ Nothing But Us And The Child"
Summary: 5 Stars
Not knowing anything about `The Golden Compass' nor the book `Northern Lights' by Philip Pullman upon which this film is based, I must say I was not only pleasantly surprised, but amazed by what I saw and heard on my initial viewing. The visuals are astounding and the storyline is original, highly controversial (at least in the mind of some religious groups) and abnormally complex.
Maybe even more amazing to me than how good this film is, was the high volume of criticism and low ratings it has compiled from Amazon reviewers. I can discern only three possible reasons for this unlikely occurrence;
1- It's to be expected if the film diverges from the book, something purist cannot tolerant. (Again, not having read the book in question I cannot comment on its faithfulness to the source material).
2- It might be a case of not appreciating the complexity of the story. You can't just jump into this film and immediately know what's going on. You have to exert a little effort and brain power to work your way into this alternate universe before settling down for the ride.
3- However I'm certain that the biggest body of complaints come from Christian factions that don't like their belief system challenged in any form. The portrayal of an evil ruling body known as the Magisterium may hit a little too close to home for some Catholics and those within the Protestant camp will most certainly be bothered by seeing every human accompanied by what appears to be an animal familiar referred to as a daemon* (no it's not a demon, think of the Hellenistic concept of the daemonic).
*These animals are part of the individual. In this imaginary world the soul is separated from the body and exists as a companion creature that accompanies the individual throughout life.
If that wasn't enough to cause some of the faithful to begin beating their war drums and rattling their sabres it doesn't help to see a heroine who's furry companion is named Pan (short for Pantalaimon), an alluring Queen of the Witches with the angelic sounding name Serafina (i.e.: Seraphim) who fights with the "good guys", and the heroine's courageous Uncle, Lord Asriel who's name is all too similar to that of the fallen angel Azriel, long associated with the Devil.
These religious/mythological cross-references don't stop here. I noticed a couple borrowed from Norse mythology as well. There's Lorek Byrnison ( possibly referring to Loki, the trickster God) and the immense warrior, polar bear Ragnar Sturlusson could be a subtle reference to Ragnarok, the Nordic version of the Apocalypse.
Of course there's always the possibility that someone simply doesn't like the film for reasons I've yet to comprehend, but I can't imagine how anyone wouldn't enjoy such an imaginative, allegorical, fantasy adventure. In case you haven't figured it out by now, I loved it!
Summary of The Golden Compass (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)
Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 11/11/2008 Rating: Pg13A fantasy epic with more than a passing resemblance to the Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia film franchises, The Golden Compass takes place in an alternate universe where each human's soul is embodied in a companion animal called a daemon. Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards), an orphan who's lived most of her life among the scholars at Oxford, is intrigued when her uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), announces his plans to travel north to investigate the source of some mysterious particles called Dust. Lyra has little hope of following her uncle until a mysterious woman named Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman, at her most icily beautiful) asks Lyra to travel north as her personal assistant. All is not as it seems, however, and the disappearance of Lyra's friend Roger (Ben Walker) sets her on a dizzying adventure. She does have an alethiometer, or golden compass, that can help her see the truth, and a number of companions, including her shape-shifting daemon, Pantalaimion (voiced by Freddie Highmore of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), polar-bear warrior Iorek Byrnison (voiced by Ian McKellen), Texas aeronaut Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliott), and witch queen Serafina Pekkala (Craig's Casino Royale co-star, Eva Green). Even before its release, The Golden Compass was the subject of controversy over its perceived anti-religious themes. While it does involve an oppressive institution called the Magisterium, it's not overtly religious, particularly to a young viewer. The movie's PG-13 rating should be taken seriously, however. Suitable for an older audience than Narnia (though younger than The Lord of the Rings), it deals with complex concepts, violence (though largely bloodless) and implied death, children and animals in peril, and an unrelentingly ominous and unsettling mood.
Despite a few changes and rearrangements, the overall plot of the movie is remarkably faithful to its source material, the first installment of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. It doesn't finish the book, however, and--much like The Fellowship of the Ring did--leaves the viewer hanging in anticipation of the next film, The Subtle Knife, due in 2009. So even though The Golden Compass is impressive--especially with its spot-on cast and terrific visual effects--we probably won't know its full emotional impact until the story is complete. --David Horiuchi
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