the golden compass is the anti-narnia — Page 3

I do hope it does well enough for them to adapt the other two books. If they get the go-ahead to do those, maybe they can take a few more risks.

I saw it last night. I thought it was a fine adaptation. A better director could have brought more artistry to the whole affair but this was a troubled project from day one. The cast is across the board great and the story is convoluted but interesting.

That said, I wish they had included the original ending. The current ending wraps up Lyra's journey into a neat little box and leaves it pat. I can see how many people would have been lost though.

At any rate, it was a lot of fun. It certainly wasn't faultless but it was leagues better than Narnia and it was certainly better than most fantasy movies (aside from the ones that set the bar like LOTR and Harry Potter). It was the sort of movie I could watch a bunch of times. Here's hoping they get to make the rest.

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I would like to bring a (hopefully) non-close minded CHRISTIAN view to this thread.

my first reaction is to note that I am always being stereotyped as one of those Cram-religion-down-people's-throats-at-all-costs type of people (you know, the ones with the bicycles who show up at six in the morning) I even mention Christianity and people freak out. This guy seems to me to be the athiest equivalent of those bicycle people.

All in all, I feel bad for him. He has taken such pains to "kill God in the minds of children", but he failed to realize that people will see what they wish to see. Especially children.

For the record, I wish that non-christian people would try to coexist with Christians. (so long as Christians Coexist with non-Christians AND both parties respect the other's religious choices) Too many times, threads like this with the potential to grow into interesting debates end up as pissing contests and shouting matches with one party calling the other a poop-head.

I have seen the movie.

I do not like the fact that a part of my money went toward funding such a radical belief system. However, I do not feel that I wasted my time in seeing this movie. Like I said, I saw what I wanted to see.

I find it funny that, in all actuality, I interpreted religious views into the story. It wasn't until this thread that i learned about the anti-religious views. (I thought that the magisterium was atheist and that they feared dust because it was the tool of God)

See it or don't see it, for whatever reasons. A movie is going to turn a christian athiest about as fast as a toilet labeled athiest will.

On an unreligious note, I like the Chronicles of Narnia much more than I like the Golden Compass. I am massively excited that Disney made the decision to continue the series with Prince Caspian (cuz next is my favorite, VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER!)

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This film was deadly dull.

I may, however, check out the books. They sound quite interesting.

I hadn't read the books and new nothing about them. I had no trouble at all following the movie. I didn't find it to be the least bit complicated.

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"I do not like the fact that a part of my money went toward funding such a radical belief system."

Not believing in something that doesn't exist hardly constitutes a "radical belief system."

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Is this one of those movies where you feel like you're missing something if you have no knowledge of the source material?

No, not really. Without any prior knowledge of the books, the movie is a good adventure story - the plot is engaging, the pace is good, and a number of the effects are quite exciting. I'd say that the books add considerably more depth to the movie - if one knows the details and backstories to what's occurring (in a relatively straightforward manner) onscreen, some aspects of the film become more profound. In terms of ideas and profundity, the movie doesn't have anything special to offer, but it's nonetheless enjoyable.

It's interesting that critics of the books and the movie end up sounding just like the rigid anti-intellectual members of Pullman's Magisterium. The mere presence in the world of ideas they don't like is seen as catastrophic.

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I also don't think the financial success of the "Narnia" movie was quite the Christian victory it was pronounced to be. Are little kids likely to have read a Christian parallel into that movie, or did they simply enjoy it as a fantasy adventure? (or were they dragged by their evangelical-minded parents)? Plus, Tilda Swinton's ultra-cool, punk-rock-style queen was by far the most interesting and alluring character in the thing--if that's evil, who wants to be good?

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My one complaint was that some fo the animals looked like they came right out of a bad video game. The polar bears and some of the other animals were really convincingly done. But some were distractingly bad. My opinion with CGI is if you can at all spot it, don't use it.

I know what you mean, but at the same time, I understood the logistics required for the production of this movie. Every person has a soul, therefore every person has a daemon. That means there has to be an animal for literally every single character shown in the movie. CGI is expensive. I'd rather have slightly-fake looking animals if it means they're going to be able to afford to make the entire series.

Actually, I thought the Tartars looked more fake than some of the animals, and they were real people.


I read the books before seeing the movie. There were some petty aspects that I didn't like (it bothered me that they showed other daemons talking, it made it seem as if anyone could hear them instead of just their person), some bigger (cutting the ending short). I personally liked Narnia better. Not because it's Christian and this is an evil atheist movie, but because I felt that it was more user-friendly. It didn't require as much background understanding, while understanding The Golden Compass's parallels were more essential to the plot. I personally wasn't bothered by it, but I know many audiences would be, especially since it was targetted towards children.

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You should give kids more credit. They often have an easier time following things than adults :P

I think daemons CAN talk to anyone, but they choose not to.

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I think the movie just did a poor job of getting the story across in general. I feel bad because apparently the movie Chris Weitz actually made was much better before the studio started chopping it up (there's a long list of editors...). The elements of a great movie are all there. It's a movie that's clearly been tampered with. I look forward to a DVD version.

If they get to make the next ones (which may happen, the film is doing well overseas) Chris Weitz says he'll get to be bolder with it, make the movies longer, etc... I don't know why New Line didn't realize that the reason LOTR succeeded is because they were bold enough to create a movie that was a work of art and not just a commercial holiday flick.

Wish they would've had the balls this time too.

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