Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards,
Sam Elliott, Eva Green, the voice of Ian McKellen
Written by Chris Weitz, based on the novel
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Certification UK PG | US PG-13
Runtime 113 minutes
Directed by Chris Weitz
It must be December, because here comes the franchise. With Harry Potter drawing to a close, the responsibility for family bums on seats looked to be falling to The Chronicles of Narnia, which gets a second part sometime next year. With the words "cash cow" ringing in their ears, producers have clearly been looking for the next multi-novel saga to adapt for half-terms and holidays, particularly as they buggered up the brilliant Lemony Snicket novels.
Anyway, next year sees the release of the first Spiderwick Chronicles movie but, just edging it for the Christmas market, comes The Golden Compass, the first part of Philip Pullman's breathtaking His Dark Materials trilogy. While we can all stand around and ponder the glorious irony of this impressive anti-organised religion tale being released for Christmas, the main joy of Pullman's work is that, like Lord of the Rings and the best of that ilk, it can be enjoyed as a straightforward adventure tale. The layers are there if you want to probe deeper but, on the surface, there's enough old fashioned entertainment to propel the story. Initial fears that Chris Weitz, whose previous claim to fame was directing, er, American Pie, would ignore the subtler substories and go all ripping yarn are, happily, unsubstantiated. Yes, some of the nuances have been lost but The Golden Compass is a surprisingly satisfying, thought-provoking film.
The story revolves around Lyra Belacqua (Richards), the 12-year old ward of Jordan College in Oxford in a parallel world similar to our own. She's a wild, seat-of-the-pants sort of girl who engages in wild adventures and rooftop walks with her best friend Roger Ben Walker) and their 'daemons': essentially their souls, who appear in external animal form. Lyra's uncle is Lord Asriel, an explorer investigating the presence of a mysterious substance known as 'Dust' at the Arctic Circle. The Magisterium, the world's ruling religious authority, wants to stop him. Lyra becomes embroiled in the pursuit courtesy of Mrs Coulter (Kidman) who takes Lyra under her sophisticated wing, and due to the disappearance of Roger, who appears to have been stolen by a mysterious group known as the Gobblers. Guiding her way is the titular compass, a device which reveals the truth to those who know how to read it.
Trying to condense Pullman's vision into a single paragraph doesn't really do it any justice. These are novels of ambition and scope and Weitz has done a pretty good job of bringing it to the screen. The movie-friendly flourishes — armoured polar bears, beautiful witches, animal daemons — are technically brilliant but it's the cast, particularly young Richards, that really propel the story and give it such a powerful heart. It's easily the best start to a franchise since Fellowship of the Ring and, if Weitz remains as true to Pullman's intelligent vision in the two to come, it could well surpass even Peter Jackson's achievements.
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SECOND OPINION | Cassam Looch **** Fantasy film fatigue could well be a problem for most people. The Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises have dominated the box-office and popular culture for a while now, and with the likes of Eragon falling by the wayside, The Golden Compass has an uphill battle from the start. Thankfully a wonderful central performance, excellent support and top-notch special effects make this a stand out in this genre and make it one of the better films of the Christmas season.
In a world similar yet different to our own, an organisation called the Magisterium oversees and controls the ideas and thoughts of people. It’s a benevolent and non-violent methodology, but things change when Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) plans an expedition to the frozen north to research the phenomenon of ‘Dust’ which could explode the very basis of the Magisterium. Asriel’s niece Lyra (Richards) is a precocious and inquisitive child who finds herself in possession of a golden compass that can answer any question asked of it. When Asriel leaves Lyra is left under the stewardship of Marisa Coulter (Green) whose initial good nature turns into anger when Lyra refuses to handle the compass. When the girl escapes she heads to the North to expose what Coulter (in cahoots with the Magisterium) is doing, she is aided by a polar bear and a group of Gyptians.
The complex plot manages to come across to even a novice viewer as an involving and interesting piece. Based on the Philip Pullman’s series of novels ‘His Dark Materials’ the world created is stimulating and full of wonder. Every person is accompanied by their Daemon, an animal which can talk and guide the individual. The cityscapes are familiar especially early on when you’ll spot the London background looking as good as it ever has. The manufactured controversy around the film's religious themes is a misplaced, its just one element of a very good movie.
Dakota Blue Richards in the role of Lyra is a fantastic onscreen presence. Given that she is a novice and spends much of her time with some serious heavyweight acting talent (or imaginary creatures), it could have been a foolhardy casting choice. However she keeps things moving and brings together the different strands of the story with her enthusiasm and energy. A thoroughly entertaining and well made film, which although very obviously part of a trilogy, works well enough on its own merit.