shark-43 Review of The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass (2007)

Some Great Visuals, But Clunky Execution

[29 November 2007]

Differing opinions make the world go around (and also drive movie studios crazy - trying to figure out what moviegoers will respond to) -- I find it interesting that someone who like COMPASS very much was very dismissive of the POTTER and NARNIA films - and I feel just the opposite - I felt that Narnia did a rather good job with its adaptation (especially casting Tilda Swinton) and I feel the Potter movies have had fairly strong adaptations of the massively popular books. However, I felt that the movie version of COMPASS just kinda moves along from one scene to another without any real throughline - I found the pacing off - sometimes it really slowed down and dragged and then it would have an exciting sequence. The film is pretty well cast and the lead girl as Lyra is a true find - she does a wonderful job and Kidman makes a very effective villain (and it is also good to see such great character actors in supporting roles; Jim Carter, Simon McBurney, Christopher Lee, etc.) but I guess my biggest complaint is the huge reliance on CGI for the creatures - some of the daemons look great while others just totally remind you that there is nothing there but a green screen and some guy sat at a computer and added in this somewhat 2-dimensional thing. That's why I have to say - even for 1938 - you look at the Wizard Of Oz and those effects are STILL pretty effective and there is something about the flying monkeys being REAL - that they are truly actors in costumes that make them effectively creepy and have given kids the creeps for generations - now I realize you can't have actors in fur costumes for many of these creatures in COMPASS and the polar bears are the best of the bunch, but fantasy films rely a bit too much on "we'll just add that in later" and I feel it effects the actor's performance and the final visual product. My 12 daughter was even underwhelmed bu the movie and she is a fan of the books.