# The Golden Compass



## Byakuya (Dec 9, 2007)

I just got home from the cinema, kinda disappointed. It was pretty boring and uninspiring for the most of the time, but had one or two okay battle scenes.

Who else has seen it?


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## Sasuke (Dec 9, 2007)

_I keep seeing the previews on TV it looks interesting but really I have no idea about it except it's based on some books lol, looks a little Lion the witch and the wardrobe-esque.

What's the dealio with it?_


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## Slips (Dec 9, 2007)

Byakuya said:


> I just got home from the cinema, kinda disappointed. It was pretty boring and uninspiring for the most of the time, but had one or two okay battle scenes.
> 
> Who else has seen it?



You cant expect much from the first movie.

Similer to the first Lotr is just blah blah blah setting everything up for the following 2 movies to come


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## kannoos (Dec 9, 2007)

After having read many bad reviews, I've decided not to see it. Why wasn't it called Northern Lights anyway?


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## YamiHikari (Dec 9, 2007)

Read a book(s)! Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman.  It's up there with Harry Potter and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.  You should definately check it out.  I'd say it's a cross between TLWW and The DaVinci Code.  It's a good fantasy/mystery/adventure/conspiracy book.

And yeah movie doesn't come close to doing it justice... Disappointed.


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## Cooli (Dec 9, 2007)

I havent and from your response i wont


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## YamiHikari (Dec 9, 2007)

I thought I should clarify when I said this book is like the Narnia books.  The Golden Compass and the others in His Dark Materials have the same fantasy adventure aspect as Narnia, the sane traveling between worlds, ect.  But they are polar opposites as far as theology or overtones goes.  In fact The Golden Compass has been called the "Anit-Narnia".  Narnia's message is to stay a child, remain innocent.  The Golden Compass is about growing up and living each day in the present.  Narnia is pro-Christian and His Dark Matierals is slightly pro-atheist, or at least says it's ok to wonder about religion.  But if you're not into that stuff (and really who is?) The Golden Compass is a great story with amazing characters.

Unfortunately, New Line cinema in an effort to try and protect themselves from Christian groups, bastardized the story and characters, rendering this movie to be crap.  (And as we all know got the wrath of Christian groups everywhere, calling for a ban of the movie, something they didn't even do to the DaVinci Code.)  Irony here being Wrath is one of the seven deadly sins, and the only word that describes the Christian attack on this book/movie.


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## Sean Connery (Dec 9, 2007)

these bible thumping christian groups can go F them themselves


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## Chu-kun♥ (Dec 9, 2007)

My school is going on a trip to see it,only my grade ^^


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## Denji (Dec 9, 2007)

Most of my interest would be based on reviews, which were mixed, so I'm not too hyped up to see it.


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## Sasori-Puppet#23 (Dec 10, 2007)

It hasn't come out yet in Italy. I've read the book and it was interesting.


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## Sean Connery (Dec 10, 2007)

Denji said:


> Most of my interest would be based on reviews, which were mixed, so I'm not too hyped up to see it.



plus I can't stand Nicole Kidman


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## Graham Aker (Dec 10, 2007)

I'll be watching it I suppose... only because of Eva Green. 
I might pick up the book though.


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## Rukia (Dec 10, 2007)

Eva Green and Nicole Kidman were the only things I liked about it.  But I can just watch Eyes Wide Shut and The Dreamers if I want to see them.  

Bear-Bear combat simply doesn't interest me.


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## Wuzzman (Dec 10, 2007)

YamiHikari said:


> I thought I should clarify when I said this book is like the Narnia books.  The Golden Compass and the others in His Dark Materials have the same fantasy adventure aspect as Narnia, the sane traveling between worlds, ect.  But they are polar opposites as far as theology or overtones goes.  In fact The Golden Compass has been called the "Anit-Narnia".  Narnia's message is to stay a child, remain innocent.  The Golden Compass is about growing up and living each day in the present.  Narnia is pro-Christian and His Dark Matierals is slightly pro-atheist, or at least says it's ok to wonder about religion.  But if you're not into that stuff (and really who is?) The Golden Compass is a great story with amazing characters.
> 
> Unfortunately, New Line cinema in an effort to try and protect themselves from Christian groups, bastardized the story and characters, rendering this movie to be crap.  (And as we all know got the wrath of Christian groups everywhere, calling for a ban of the movie, something they didn't even do to the DaVinci Code.)  Irony here being Wrath is one of the seven deadly sins, and the only word that describes the Christian attack on this book/movie.



being hit in the head by christian groups doesn't excuse the fact that the book is lame and the movie lamer.


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## infinite (Dec 10, 2007)

I wanted toi see the movie, but after reading is, I guess I should search for the book instead.


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## Sean Connery (Dec 10, 2007)

Wuzzman said:


> being hit in the head by christian groups doesn't excuse the fact that the book is lame and the movie lamer.



remeber the bible thumpers are like Jack Thompson, they have nothing better to do with their lives except find things to bitch about that go against God and the Bible, hell I am surprised they didn't go after Jurrassic Park since there were Dinosaurs and Christians claimed they never existed, since it wasn't in the bible


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## Hibino (Dec 10, 2007)

Slips said:


> Similer to *the first Lotr is just blah blah blah* setting everything up for the following 2 movies to come



WHAT??? I guess you're not a fan...


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## Juno (Dec 10, 2007)

I loved the books so I was really looking forward to the films. I don't particularly like the huge emphasis on the armoured bears, since they aren't what's interesting about this series, and I'm completely pissed off that they cut out the last scene. 


*Spoiler*: _In case you don't want to be spoiled on the book's ending_ 



The two major driving forces of the story all come to a head in the last scene - Lyra's search for her father and to rescue her friend roger, which promptly ends in disaster when her father kills roger and then leaves to kill God.



It was the perfect ending for that story with a bucket load of tragic irony to boot. Why cut that out?




I've no idea why they cut out the best part of the book, and I can only assume it will be the first scene of the next film... but that seems so utterly pointless and out of place. Add to that, that some of the CGI animation was a bit... meh anyway...

It was alright, but it wasn't great, and the fact that it could easily have been much better is what annoys me, but instead they watered down the main theme of the story to the point of completely removing it. I dread to think how they handle the next two books which focus even more heavily on the theme that New Line has done its best to avoid mentioning. God forbid there ever be a Hollywood movie that features anti-religious tones.


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## YamiHikari (Dec 10, 2007)

Seabear said:


> I loved the books so I was really looking forward to the films. I don't particularly like the huge emphasis on the armoured bears, since they aren't what's interesting about this series, and I'm completely pissed off that they cut out the last scene.
> 
> 
> *Spoiler*: _In case you don't want to be spoiled on the book's ending_
> ...




I agree I was shocked they cut it out.  According to New Line Cinema it is because they wanted to set up a cliffhanger so people will see the second movie.  The chapters that were removed from the end of this movie will open the second.

Again...WTF are you thinking New Line?!  The Subtle Knife is captivating cause it opens 
*Spoiler*: __ 



 with a new character, Will, in our world, doing things we do and it seems normal. (Well maybe we don't hide our crazy mom from the government but you know what I mean.)  The first mystery is how this kid relates to it all!  The first scene in The Subtle Knife with Lyra in it, is from Will's perspective and it's unique interesting and now it's ruined.




And also, how can you expect a movie with no ending to be praised by critics?  How do you expect people to see it?

Basically it's a movie studio crapping on it's source material to try to make it more dramatic and make it a blockbuster.  And they failed.  The movie sucked.

At least they didn't cut the ending for religious reasons.  That's the only solace in that.


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## Suigetsu (Dec 11, 2007)

when I saw the trailer on the cinema I got like wtf why are they putting the music of gladiator as a background and wtf this movie has to do with lotr?

After seeing the trailer that movie its in my No watch list, besides it seems waay to pretentius.


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## fireofthewill (Dec 11, 2007)

People, please don't judge the books because of the movies. My highest recommendation for you is to read the books first, and possibly watch the movie after you've finished the books. I'm already hearing back from friends who are deeply disappointed in the movie and I have to keep on telling them that the books are masterpieces compared to the movie, which is mediocre at best. Hopefully, they'll improve the movies if they make sequels but until then:

*READ THE BOOKS*

I loved reading them and I would recommend them to anybody (unless you're extremely religious. Personally, I think the message of the book is more against the intolerance and vices of religion rather than religion itself, but I could see how some people could be offended).


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## Juno (Dec 11, 2007)

Suigetsu said:


> when I saw the trailer on the cinema I got like wtf why are they putting the music of gladiator as a background and wtf this movie has to do with lotr?
> 
> After seeing the trailer that movie its in my No watch list, besides it seems waay to pretentius.



To be honest, these days I wouldn't dream of judging a film by its trailer. I've seen too many films that are completely different from what the trailer highlights, and any film that deviates slightly from the usual genre of romance, slap-stick comedy, or horror, tends to get mishandled in the advertising stage and lumped into one the three aforementioned categories. Now 'epic' films are all given the same brand of trailer sound effects and music ripped off previous epic films or that E. S. Posthumus record, and to be honest, it's so lazy. And the cheap trick of referencing LOTR in the Golden Compass trailers gives a bad impression... because other than the fact they're both trilogies, the two stories are not even comparable. LOTR is pure, unadulterated sword-and-wizard fantasy. Dark Materials is science fiction with theological overtones, but somehow New Line have done its best to disguise that, and the trailers give a piss-poor representation of the personality of the series.

The books are far better. The presence of daemons and bears is more subtle and serve a purpose to the main theme of religion, God and souls, whereas in the film tends to take the "WEEE LOOK, TALKING ANIMALS N' SHIT" approach, and yes it comes off as pretentious in the trailers, but the films are not as much, and the books are just leagues better any day.


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## Tokio_no_Go (Dec 11, 2007)

I hate most movies of this nature, but I thought this one was pretty good. It is a bit crazy moving through plots and scenes like crazy. I seriously think that just the first movie could of easily been three. X_x

But, this is all coming from someone who didn't read the books. All in all easily worth my 2 hours.


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## YamiHikari (Dec 11, 2007)

Seabear, excellent post!  Subtle is the right word for the use of themes and devices in the Dark Materials.  (And I should have gotten it with "The Subtle Knife").  But that's really what bugged me most about the movie, how characters and the plot took a back seat to fighting bears and deamons.  Pullman creates a world where you just get so familiar with Deamons, you don't even think twice about them by the end of the book.  It's just so smooth how they're used.  And the movie destroyed that.  The movie was overblown, nothing subtle about it.

Pullman should have been consulted on this script like JK Rowling and her Harry Potter.  Or even better, he should have wrote it, like Louis Sachar and Holes.  Name a better book-to-movie than Holes.

In short: If you want a good story, intriguing plots, and to be taken away, read the book.  If you want to sit around and watch talking animals... watch the movie, (or take LSD and go to the zoo.)


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## Ponko (Dec 11, 2007)

I loved the books and was looking forward to seeing the movie. It is disappointing to hear what they did to the ending. I will still go see the movie though once work slows down.

I can't wait for the second movie though. I like Will more than Lyra myself.


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## Lenalee (Dec 11, 2007)

I liked this movie, and overall I was impressed by the acting and CGI, but the cutoff at the end annoyed me. :/


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## Jagon Fox (Dec 28, 2007)

Saw it didn't want to see it, aaaannnd it stunk! what do you guys think about it?


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## Noushi (Dec 28, 2007)

Jagon Fox said:


> Saw it didn't want to see it, aaaannnd it stunk!



Could you tell us what "stunk" about it?


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## Ironhide (Dec 28, 2007)

my little brothers and sisters watched it they said it was good


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## Jagon Fox (Dec 28, 2007)

sure I can, it was boring, when the action finally started rolling and it was getting really good it ended.  the animation was amazing the plot and storyline were good but it took off too slow, and I hate slow movies.


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## Mr.Jones (Dec 28, 2007)

looks like an alright movie. wouldent go outta my way to see it though


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