The Golden Compass - Chris Weitz (2007)

Director: Chris Weitz

Rating: 6.5/10

This movie could have been so much more. But though mired by uneven production design and non-uniform pacing, it nevertheless is a superior film to much of the fantasy fare released recently (save for Stardust). The Golden Compass is based on Northern Lights, the first book in His Dark Materials, a fantasy trilogy by Philip Pullman. However the movie will not, in all likelihood, spawn a sequel.

A young girl named Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is given an Alethiometer, which is a compass that guides one to the truth. Her uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) is an explorer of sorts. She lives in a world ruled over by Magisterium, an oppressive religious group. In this world, the soul of a person walks besides him as animal avatars named dæmons. And she must use the compass, and an assortment of characters on her way to find a friend who was kidnapped and taken to the ‘North.’ She must escape from the Magisterium and the watchful eyes of Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman in a cold and sinister performance). She has allies- the Gyptians and an armoured polar bear named Iorek Byrnison (voiced by fantasy staple Ian McKellen). What follows is an epic adventure with magic, witches (lead by the delicious Eva Green as Serafina Pekkala), massive polar bear fights, a flying ship and veiled metaphors alluding to the Catholic Church.

My problems with the film are mainly due to disjoint scenes. The plot is entirely driven by deus ex machina, wherein at every point of conflict in the narrative, some object, character or plot device comes to the rescue of Lyra. However, the film did keep me engaged. And in the end, I did wish to see a sequel. What this film has going for it are the wonderful characters and the actors playing them. The color palette for the film is vibrant, and the cinematography is aptly over the top. The disjointedness of the narrative comes because of lackluster production design. At times the sets do not fit in with the overall mood of the film. And sometimes it feels too kitschy.

Despite it’s flaws, I enjoyed the fare. But it’s nothing more than a pleasant distraction.