www.theredrighthand.co.uk
| The Red Right Hand www.theredrighthand.co.uk |
|
|
|
|
|
THE GOLDEN COMPASS Chris Weitz Starring Nicole Kidman Daniel Craig Dakota Blue Richards Sam Elliott Eva Green Ah, Christmas; the time of turkeys, chocolate advent calendars, snowmen and a whole host of crap that has nothing to do with the meaning of Christmas. One of the latest additions to this long list is the Christmas fantasy film. Luckily, The Golden Compass is a rather fine example of the genre. For those that don't know, this flick is the opener of Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy (originally titled Northern Lights). Working in a bookstore, years ago, I wrote it off as another Narnia/Potter spin-off but it is a very commendable and well-written series that has a lot to offer... apparently. The story opens with an explanation of multiple universes, similar to our own but slightly different. In this particular world, a person's soul is not contained within them but follows them around in animal form - it's an original concept that harks back to ancient mythology. The story is clearly well-paced and developed, introducing a whole hoard of characters while following the travels of Lyra Belacqua [Richards]; an incredibly special and gifted child who can read the last alithiometer (a device which can read into the truth of things). The first thing I need to address is Narnia. C.S. Lewi's book has always been a very clear example of Christian literature, incorporating mass amounts of iconography and doctrine into a children's story, similar to that of a fable. It is extremely evident that Pullman's atheist influences are abundant but I honestly cannot see the harm in them [possible spoilers coming up here, skip to the next paragraph if necessary]. The evil controlling body of the Magisterium and their damning of talk about certain things clearly reflects the attitudes of the Church (not just Christian but most religious governing body's intolerances). However, to be brutally honest, I think what is true in Narnia is true here: if you want to read into the religious undertones of the plot then you can, if not, you won't be forced to. It is all a matter of perception and pre-viewing prejudices. Keenly directed by the Chris Weitz (director of About A Boy), it's quietly clear that a certain amount of subtext has been left on the page. Despite this, the visuals are glorious, emphasised and realised by an astonishingly impressive cast furthering an extremely engaging plot. Surprisingly, Dakota Blue Richards is not one of those annoying twelve year olds cast for the part but a budding young actress that keeps up perfectly with such on-screen legends as Ian McKellen, Nicole Kidman, Derek Jacobi and Sam Elliott... all this despite her middle name being 'blue'. In my opinion, The Golden Compass was far better than the latest Harry Potter instalment; we can but hope the coming sequels will offer as much as this cracking opening chapter. Release Date: UK - 5th December 2007 US - 7th December 2007 The Scene To Look Out For: During one climactic scene Lyra is captured and offered to the only race of creatures not attached to people: Polar Bears - or ice bears as they are called here. Following a quick audience with the King, Lyra tricks him into fighting the true heir, Ioreck Byrnison. The fight that ensues between the Ian Mc's (Ian McKellen and Ian McShane) is very entertaining and will no doubt be a high-talking point of the feature. Oddly enough, McKellen felt miscast, his voice was just... too old - I would have gone with Keith David. Notable Characters: I am incredibly impressed with most of the CG animals for looking so bloody brilliant. It's a given that you know they're not real but it doesn't matter because they look so beautiful. I can't think of a single person that left the screening audience without wondering what animal their daemon-soul would be. Other than that, Sam Elliott gives a great performance as... well, the only character he really plays. I'm a big Western fan and an even bigger Sam Elliott fan, so watching him firing a Winchester into a crowd of...er... Norwegian...wolf-blokes...whatever was rather exhilarating. Highlighted Quote: "Is that all?" In A Few Words: "Narnia for atheists? I suppose you could say that but it's still damn entertaining" Total Score:   8/10Matthew Stogdon |
