Last night, me, Mon and Bert invited ourselves to watch The Golden Compass at SM Megamall. I was excited to watch this movie because of its well told and likable story, though many have said that the premise is actually attacking some Catholic beliefs and has stirred numerous controversies among religious groups. The movie is a tamed version, though i haven’t read the book, i must agree on some areas, the movie dwells more on issues regarding “free will and spirituality” than about religion, so there i still think that no harm was done, it’s just a movie … and i’m not easily influenced by a mere movie. Not just yet.. haha!
Anyway, as the movie progresses, the storyline becomes more interesting.. the pacing is a bit slow, and the technical execution lacks magic. Maybe i should be reading the book and not just depend on the movie only.
The distinction of the story? why it’s so interesting is the idea of a soul-mate. Pullmans idea of connecting an animal spirit to every human character making them a force to reckon with is way too cool. This design not only grabs every human imagination but also tells us that there is something inside us that tells us what to do, like a conscience perhaps? that someone or something is always ready to communicate with us, be it be talking to oneself subconsciously or just some imaginary shadow you can share your frustrations and fears.
The movie isn’t heart warming enough, but then again the actors should be given credit because of their excellent job. Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) as the silver tongued heroine gave an excellent performance, considering that it’s her first film. Nicole Kidman as usual gave her best, and err… James Bond slash Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) is a mere extra. I suppose he will play a bigger role on the sequels to come.
So there… i’m looking forward to the remaining sequels. Right now.. i recommend that you watch this movie as well. Great effects and excellent character execution. Too bad the magic wasn’t there. Watch it… 150 pesos isn’t a waste of money for a movie like The Golden Compass.