COMPASS FAILS TO LIGHT UP ON THE BIG SCREEN

The Golden Compass

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Dakota Richards, Ian McKellen (Voice), Daniel Craig
Release date: December 5th

Plot: Set in alternative, futuristic Oxford, where human souls take the form of animals, a young girl called Lyra (Richards) is living under the care of her uncle (Craig). When her best friend is kidnapped, Lyra goes on a perlious quest to get him back, and aided by a special truth compass and allies she makes along the way her journey takes her to the bleak north. However when she arrives, she finds terrible experiments are taking place. Who is the mysterious Mrs Coulter (Kidman) who has appointed herself guardian of Lyra, and what is her motive?

Polar bears, talking animals, witches and gypsies; all elements that you would think conjure up a new and exciting fantasy drama, especially as the production team behind the scenes are New Line, famed for the fantastic Lord of the Rings films. However another Rings, it is not! The Golden Compass fails to enthrall in the same way.

Philip Pullman's 1995 award winning book has been transferred to the big screen by american director Chris Weitz (best known for his comedy American Pie) and the whole film feels very american-ised. The books are not for children, and yet here the darker and religious elements of the book that made it so exciting, have been toned down and advertised as a kids film.
The books were never a huge success in the US like they were here in Britain, which is obviously why the film makers were so desperate to set the tone more suitable for a younger audience. The title is also re-named The Golden Compass; probably because they were worried little american rag-muffins wouldn't understand Northern Lights, (de-ja-vu as when Harry Potter was changed from Philospher to Sorcerer). Unfortunately, Americans are already unimpressed with the film, as underperforming box office takings have been announced and started to appear online.

Another huge problem is that the leading parts are grossly underwritten, so much so that you cease to care about the characters an their missions. It's obvious that they are racing through the film to keep it to a chld friendly running time, and the characters suffer because of it. Pullman writes in such detail, and yet here Daniel Craig's Asriel barely has ten minutes total screen time. Poor Eva Green's witch is given the embarrasingly boring role of narrator and only turns up really in the fight scene at the end of the film. Do we care at this point? However it's Nicole Kidman's beautifully portrayed Mrs Coulter who is most affected. Her talents are so sorely overlooked in a role that should take centre stage with Lyra. The richness and diversity of the characters has been completely sucked out!

Introducing unknown Dakota Blue Richards as the lead is a good choice, but here performance doesn't charm us in the same way the pevensie children from Narnia touched our hearts, and there is even a hint of arrogance that we hate to see in child actors, (think The Mummy Returns and Legend of Zorro kids). It's a huge insult to Pullman, who has produced some of the most intreguing and exciting characters in literary history.

The end result is messy and confusing, (even more so to those who have not read (His Dark Materials) and the plot just ends up becoming a cat and mouse game, in which the ending is such an anti-climax with such a dissapointing result, that we just wonder: 'What was the point?"

As my 'Pullman virgin' friend summed up so eloquently when I turned to her and asked what she thought, she replied: " I don't see what all the fuss was about!"

VERDICT ** Dissapointing! Entertaining, but no amount of special effects can make up for the mess and lack of development. It just goes to show not every book can be transferred to screen successfully!

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All images were taken kindly from the empireonline.com website