The Golden Compass ~~

A great film for the under 12's - not to denigrate those under that age - but otherwise the film might be a bit of a bore.

Great looking, with a great cast but ultimately, compared to the book, light weight and a bit disappointing. Nicole Kidman hams it up great as the mysterious and school-marmish Mrs Coulter. The best find in a child actor since the Harry Potter lot - Dakota Blue is smashing and believable - someone to watch out for should she decide to continue acting. Blink and you'll miss him Daniel Craig looked promising whilst I was overly happy to see one of my favourite actors ever, Tom Courtney.

It's an adventure story of a film. The book covers so much more and is so much darker than the film - it covers religion, growing up and so much more. The film, maybe understandably given the range and depth of the subjects covered in the books, does not get to grips with the issues of importance. Nevertheless, the effects are pretty wonderful - especially the polar bears and the animal daemons each of the characters have. It does get a little brutal in some of the bear fight scenes (several grown ups in the audience were heard to 'oooh' at that point) and the scene in which the main character Lyra is subjected to an experiment is very tense and touching.

I did like this film but it's difficult in my mind to separate the Philip Pullman books and the flick. I do hope they get the go ahead for the next two books but hope the future makers stick a little closer to the original substance of the novels.

I would like to comment on the costumes and scenery - pretty much how I had imagined in the books and really pretty wonderful. I loved the architecture of the wealthier houses and the griminess of the docks. The transport was particularly stand out - the coach without horses and sky balloon ships were great.

Another endearing element was in the closeness the film was able to present the relationship of the characters to their corresponding daemons - Lyra's Pan was sweet whether a mouse, moth or pine-martin whilst Mrs Coulter's monkey was a hideous orange monkey-type creature with evil eyes and twitchy fingers. Just as I had imagined (except without the orange hair!)

I really shouldn't be too hard on this film. I'm thankful that it wasn't Americanised - apart from the change in title!!??!!!. Oxford, as a setting, was really refreshing.

This has to be the Christmas film to go and see. It's fun and touching and I will go and see any that follow in the series.