Cam's In-Depth Review of "Golden Compass"

[CamDawg]

Outstanding.

 

Off to read the books.

[Caedwyr]

I take it by your comment you hadn't read the books beforehand, correct?

[CamDawg]

I had not, but I had read some articles on the 'controversy' of the books and movie. I'm hoping Christians start protesting, so ticket sales go up enough to guarantee the sequels.

[icelus]

I went to see it this weekend, partly to rile up the Christian nay-sayers, but I have to say that I was wholly unimpressed. There's a reason the Lord of the Rings movies were three hours. While the effects were nice, the story was jarring, and the editing was atrocious. I couldn't connect to any single character enough to pull me into the movie--to care about the people and their outcomes. Hopefully the sequels will be better, but on its own, I thought the movie left a lot to be desired.

 

And, no, I've not yet read the books, but I intend to do so. Despite the poor job the movie makers did, the story concept is interesting.

[devSin]

Story? I must have missed that part.

 

Otherwise, I agree with ice (minus any book-reading intent).

[Caedwyr]

The books are worth a read. I didn't figure out exactly why it had Christians up in arms until the second book, but they are solid stories in and of themselves and put an interesting spin on things when you step back and think about them.

[Miloch]

Heh. I got an unsolicited email a while ago about the movie forwarded from gf's father's friend or some such. The worst sort of spam. Thought I'd reproduce it for posterity:

Movie to avoid, THIS IS NOT A JOKE

 

This made me sick to even read, but please click on the link and read

the article about the new movie that is coming out this holiday season

that is geared toward CHILDREN!!!!!

 

Confirmed by snopes 2007.

 

A movie to avoid - The Golden Compass

 

We need to get the word out about this movie - it is

coming out in December - an atheist produced it,

it is marketed for children and in the end they kill

God. Send this to everyone you know.

 

http://snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

 

======================================

My reply:

 

It certainly sounds like a joke to me. I read Tolkien and C.S. Lewis as a

kid and didn't become a Cathoholic. Are they really thinking kids are

going to care a whit about the author's ideology? No... they'll think

it's cool (or not) fantasy, as kids do. I can't believe the bible

thumpers are freaking out about this.

 

I don't think the original e-mail is accurate, and shame on snopes for

reflecting it as so (bad enough their site is adware now). The Archbishop

of Canterbury recommends Pullman's books should be taught as part of

religious education in schools as examples of how dogmatism can be used to

oppress. Maybe they should listen to his viewpoint.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml...ixartright.html

[Caedwyr]

Really, the central theme that "the winners write the history" isn't exactly a new concept.

[berelinde]

Just goes to show how uninformed people can be. The irony of the friendship between C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien is that it survived the radical difference between their religious beliefs. Tolkien was the Catholic, by the way.

 

So let them rant. It gives them something to do.

 

Now I really want to see the movie.

[Miloch]

Tolkien converted Lewis to Christianity. At a picnic I think it was. Lewis was a professed atheist before that, and somehow ended up an Anglican, although Tolkien was a Catholic (different flavours of the same brand, I guess, and maybe Lewis was raised in the Church of England/Ireland, whatever).

 

All that is evident in their books. Aslan = Christ, Gandalf = Christ - both admitted as much, although Tolkien later retracted the admission, probably to avoid getting flamed.

 

Anyway, I haven't seen the movie or read the Pullman books, but neither have the people who are trashing it.

[Caedwyr]

The books are worth a read. I first picked them up and read the series this fall, and while they aren't the pinnacle of sci-fi/fantasy literature, they are a good read and thought-provoking.

[Kulyok]

I went to see it this weekend, partly to rile up the Christian nay-sayers, but I have to say that I was wholly unimpressed. There's a reason the Lord of the Rings movies were three hours. While the effects were nice, the story was jarring, and the editing was atrocious. I couldn't connect to any single character enough to pull me into the movie--to care about the people and their outcomes. Hopefully the sequels will be better, but on its own, I thought the movie left a lot to be desired.

 

That's what I heard, too. The books I found just boring, so it all adds up: I am not going.

 

 

Incidentally, I think "Enchanted" wasn't bad.

[theacefes]

I for one adored Enchanted and definitely want to see it again.

 

As for the Golden Compass, all I can say is that I don't understand why people are getting so uptight about it. You didn't see atheists running around screaming in panic because they decided to make epic movies of the Chronicles of Narnia.

[Rabain]

I read the books and came to the same conclusion as Kulyok...boring. My friend on the other hand thinks they're great...go figure.

 

Not interested in seeing the movie.

[Lord Ernie]

I started reading the first book, but after a few chapters, well... I quit. For some reason, it didn't pull me in. Apparently, a controversial theme - which sounded interesting, to me - is not enough for that. I might try to read it again later, but for now I'm working on Pratchett's "Making Money" .

 

As for the movie... I might watch it, if only to see if my idea of the books is confirmed. That, and movies tend to go faster than books, so it might get to the interesting parts quicker.