Dir. Chris Weitz
Cast: Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Freddie Highmore, Ben Walker, Sir Ian McKellan...
Imagine a world where people walk around followed by their souls in the form of an animal, where The North is a land of struggle, violence and mystery, and where adults begrudge the tendency of all children to get themselves covered in dust. Hang on, isn't this meant to be fantasy?
Philip Pullman's weird and wonderful story is brought the screen in this huge, visually enchanting movie. I was blown away by the visual effects, the scenery, the voice talent of the non-human characters, and even the movie debut of Dakota Blue Richards who plays lead character Lyra.
Lyra escapes the drudgery of her 'Uncle's' college when she is whisked away to assist the seductive Mrs Coulter (Kidman). The trip turns sour, however, when Lyra realises that Coulter is up to not good, and in charge of a thuggish group known as the Gobblers. Lyra has been given the last existing Golden Compass and soon finds that people will stop at nothing to get hold of it. The compass tells the truth to the person who can read it. Lyra and her demon (soul), Pan, journey to The North, enlisting the help of the Gyptians, families of children who have been taken by the Gobblers, and a huge armoured polar bear (voiced marvellously by McKellan). It is an adventure of the most exciting kind, where, of course, the good guys always triumph. However, the film ends on a cliff hanger, enticing audiences to sign up for the subsequent two films that will make up the trilogy.
A handful of stunning perfomances and even more stunning visual effects all add to this enchanting film. If you can get past the jargon which is used from the outset, assuming that we have all read the books and completely understand terms such as 'The Magisterium', 'Demons' and 'the Dust'. The world which is created is completely fantastical but strangely believable as the relationships between characters and Lyra's journey to save her friends are genuine.
My rating *** 3/5 stars
Recommendation: If you fancy escaping to a complete fantasy, you will enjoy this film. Forgive the oversuse of bizarre vocabulary and get involved! Not enough Daniel Craig for me, but I'm looking forward to the 2nd film!
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