THE GOLDEN COMPASS (2007)

Check Out the Trailer

“It’s just a little cut,” said the studio execs as they prepared their screen adaptation of the award-winning novel THE GOLDEN COMPASS. However, with the removal of the core theological debate in Philip Pullman’s amazing book, the film is left without a soul. Those devout folks wanting to protest the release of this film should not fear that little children would be converted to atheism after watching this production, because the little tikes will not have time to think about anything as the film rushes from one action set piece to the next.

Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards, feature film debut) is a tomboy who lives at Jordon College under the care of the scholars. In her world, a person’s soul lives on the outside of their bodies in the form of an animal called a daemon. Lyra’s daemon is Pan (Freddie Highmore, FINDING NEVERLAND), who shape-shifts from an ermine to a cat to a bird and back again. Her uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig, CASINO ROYALE) comes to the school to secure funding for his experiments with the North Lights, which serve as a portal into other dimensions. However, the all-powerful Magisterium, an organization set up to control the lives of all the citizens of this world, finds Lord Asriel’s work very threatening, because it will expose the organization’s lies and undermine their own measures to control the influence of mystical Dust on the people.

Meanwhile, mysterious gobblers are snatching up kids, especially orphans and poor children, and the glamorous Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman, THE HOURS) comes to the school, impressing Lyra and asking the young girl to be her assistant. However, when Ms. Coulter’s golden monkey seems to play a part in the disappearance of Lyra’s young friends Billy (Charlie Rowe) and Roger (Ben Walker, THE NOTORIOUS BETTY PAGE), Lyra’s trip to London with the mysterious woman seems dangerous. As she learns more about Ms. Coulter’s plans and how to use the truth telling golden compass, Lyra will be swept up into a great adventure. She will be taken in by the Egyptians led by Lord Faa (Jim Carter, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE), Farder Coram (Tom Courtenay, 2002’s NICHOLAS NICKLEBY) and Ma Costa (Clare Higgins, HELLRAISER), meet the flying witch Serafina Pekkala (Eva Green, CASINO ROYALE), befriend aeronaut Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliott, TOMBSTONE) and get involved in a battle between noble ice bear Iorek Byrnison (Ian McKellen, X-MEN) and the ice bear’s corrupt king Ragnar Sturlusson (Ian McShane, TV’s DEADWOOD).

Yes, all of that is crammed into 113 minutes, which leaves little time to develop anything other than lavish settings and set pieces. Lyra, Ms. Coulter and Iorek are handled best, but many of the other characters are little more than window dressing and many are awkwardly introduced, leaving the audience thinking, “now, who is this new character?” In an effort to save time many details of the plot are spelled out in a few exposition scenes. However, the complex world may still be baffling to those who have not read the books. Dust and its influences are poorly handled, when it’s a key point to understanding what everything means. Why Dust scares the Magisterium so much is that at puberty it begins to make children question authority, which threatens their power. This idea is in the film, but if you’re not paying attention you’ll miss it. Director/writer Chris Weitz (ABOUT A BOY) makes the crucial mistake of telling us the story instead of showing it.

I can understand a studio’s desire to not offend a segment of the audience when venturing into an expensive production. However, I argue that New Line knew what it was acquiring when it picked up the rights to the series, so why adapt a book for which you are afraid to tell its core story? I mean why change the story and upset the fans who want to see this film when those who are still calling for a boycott aren’t going to see it either way?

Nonetheless, the removal of direct reference to the church in lieu of the all-powerful Magisterium could have worked, but again the filmmakers are too cautious about drawing connections to the church that they paint the Magisterium too vaguely. Those who have read the book will pick up on some of the clues, but the film still doesn’t make them resonate with any member of the audience whether they have or have not read the novels.

As for the quality of the production we are presented, it’s first rate. The visual look is remarkable. The ice bears and the daemons are wonderfully rendered, building on the photoreal digital character successes of KING KONG and NARNIA. Newcomer Richards is a perfect choice for Lyra, helping bring out the personality of the character despite its underdevelopment on the script level. Kidman is given a few key moments to present the duel sides of Ms. Coulter’s icy and dangerously charming personality. McKellen’s voice work as the warrior bear makes the bear dignified and strong. Though most of the other characters are underdeveloped, the right actors were chosen for the look of their roles. I thought of Sam Elliott when I first read the book.

In the end, my strong disappointment with the neglect to develop the characters or clearly present the story makes it impossible for me to embrace this film, even though I desperately wanted to. Yet, as a big fan of the books, I will say the film doesn’t lose the integrity of the novels. If they do make the sequel books into films, there is a chance to focus more on the core themes and characters, making the first film more engaging in retrospect. This film doesn’t even end where the book ends (giving the film as much of an upbeat ending as the material could provide). However, those who have not read the books may not be as disappointed. On a surface level, the film is slick and entertaining. However, everyone will leave the cinema wondering what the point is.