A curious fantasy epic that never quite satisfies, Chris Weitz´ The Golden Compass takes us to a wonderful, original mythological world but fails to present any kind of isolated story to take us through.
It´s an incomplete part of a potentially great whole, based on the first book of author Philip Pullman´s His Dark Materials trilogy, and feels more incomplete than any of the Lord of the Rings film taken on their own.
While I hesitate to recommend the film as a whole, there are many aspects I liked and it’s a step up, in my humble opinion, from the first Chronicles of Narnia and the most recent Harry Potter films.
Newcomer Dakota Blue Richards stars as Lyra Belacqua, an orphan living in a kind of alternate reality that resembles 1960´s England; notable changes include flying witches, talking polar bears, a magical truth-telling device, and animals called daemons that accompany each human.
Lyra´s Uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) has potentially discovered a dust that may connect parallel universes in the North; this brings him into a conflict with the powerful Magisterium and imposing Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman), who fear that examination of the dust will contradict hundreds of years of their teachings.
With her uncle in need of aid, and her schoolyard friends disappearing, Lyra heads to the North with the help of seafaring pirate-types known as Gyptians, witch Eva Green, cowboy-like Sam Elliott, and talking polar bear Iorek Byrinson (voiced by Ian McKellan).
We´re rushed through everything, however, most notably character development – even at two hours, the film feels short. Director Weitz (of American Pie and About a Boy fame) may not have been the right choice for this kind of epic material; the film looks great, but is never as compelling as it ought to be.
Much of the talented cast is given little to do, though McKellan stands out as the voice of Byrnison, as does Kidman in a juicy, multi-layered villainess role.
But Richards is the true star of the film, and excels in the lead: she stands her ground against the eclectic cast and cgi-heavy fantasy universe, and carries the weight of the entire production on her shoulders.
But we´re only left wanting more, the film whetting our appetite and never quite filling it. That isn´t always a bad thing – I do look forward to a sequel – but judging from initial box office receipts, a sequel may not be coming.
Catholic protests are mostly unfounded – if anything, the film is an apology for the work of confirmed atheist Pullman, with anti-religious ties between the Magisterium and the Catholic Church barely noticeable.
