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| AMG Movie Review: The Golden Compass |
| by: Eve Solomon You’ve heard it a million times from your parents: “Read the book before you see the movie!” It has probably been advice that you’ve ignored, but with “The Golden Compass” reading the book first might actually come in handy. Not only is the book a much more exciting, involving, and fun adventure than the rushed, pack-it-all-in movie version, but it will help you connect the dots between the scenes, and fill in the information that the directors seem to have left out. The plot line goes like this: Lyra, a normal girl, is growing up at Jordan College, which exists not in our universe but in another universe. Her adventure begins when, hiding in a closet in the University, she overhears a conversation about a particle called Dust, which the scholars in the room want to know more about, but the Magesterium, an organization sort of like the church and sort of like a world government, wants to exterminate and hush up. In search of Dust and Gobblers, a group of adults who snatch children off the streets and take them North, Lyra sets off on an adventure full of interesting people and creatures: Mrs. Coulter, a striking and powerful blonde played by Nicole Kidman, a group of sea-bearers called Gyptians, armed polar bears, and witches included. Lyra tumbles from group to group, always accompanied by her Daemon, an embodiment of her soul, which changes from one adorable animal form to another as he follows her. The cast is stellar, with Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge) as the chilling blonde villain, Daniel Craig (James Bond) as the mysterious uncle, and Dakota Blue Richards, a fresh new face who plays the rebelious Lyra Belacqua, the main character. The film is fast paced and the special effects transport you into Lyra’s world. Unfortunately, it’s a little bit too fast. The characters don’t have time to develop, so we can’t really relate to them, and the plot line isn’t thoroughly explained either. We are told instead of shown what Dust, Gobblers, and the Alethiometer (the golden compass) are. The movie flashes so quickly from scene to scene that the transitions give you whiplash and at the end of each scene you’re left wanting more details, more depth. The writers don’t portray the urgency of Lyra’s mission because they never fully establish the gravity of the problem: the Gobblers and the Magesterium, so when Lyra sets out on her quest, it seems futile. The audience finds itself observing Lyra instead of rooting for her; we never really get invested in her journey. Leaving the theater, it’s easy to forget about the characters because we never get to know them, and it’s hard to connect the dots of the plotline. When I closed the last page of The Golden Compass the book, I ached with longing to trade lives with Lyra, to live in her world and take over her quest, a feeling familiar to those who have read the Harry Potter books. When the credits started rolling after The Golden Compass the movie, I didn’ t even want to be friends with Lyra let alone to trade places with her, because I never really got to know her and the movie gave no sense of importance to her journey. So, that said, read the book, and then see the movie. Rated PG 3.5 out of 5 |