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The Golden Compass
Based
on author Philip Pullman's novel, 'The Golden Compass' is a fantasy
adventure, set in an alternative world where people's souls manifest
themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and
witches coexist.
At the center of the story is Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old
girl who starts out trying to rescue a friend who's been kidnapped by a
mysterious organization known as the Gobblers - and winds up on an epic
quest to save not only her world, but ours as well.
Director Chris Weitz may lack the experience of making an effects-laden
movie such as this, but one can give the director A for effort. He has
crafted some monumental set pieces that truly envelops the screen and
enhances the cinematic power of the drama
In addition, the film's open-ended finale is a risky move by a studio
that thinks audiences will automatically flock to this as they did with
Lord of the Rings, but the novels lack either the iconic classic status
of Rings or the mass commercialism of Harry Potter, so assuming that a
trilogy is a foregone conclusion is a huge risk.
While Golden Compass could do with additional expository elements and a
tighter finale, there are many impressive elements to the film. It is
certainly captivating and cinematically elegant, with top-notch
performances, but whether that's enough to sustain the beginning of a
new franchise, is another question. |
