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Re: 2007 Film List
Just added The Golden Compass, one of the best straight adaptations I've ever seen of a children's movie - yes, even with the ending chopped off. That unfortunately doesn't make as great of a movie as it might sound. The first third and change is burdened by exposition that is tiring when the same information was conveyed gracefully and intriuging by Pullman on the page. Otherwise, the film's shortcomings are the book's shortcomings: in particular an episodic nature that never quite justifies itself to the reader/viewer. Much like C.S. Lewis's Christian fantasy epic, the rules of the universe never quite convalesce into a solid cohesive hole. Just when we've bought souls that live as animal daemons, we're introduced to seafaring gypsies, witches, balloon-flying Texan cowboys and finally talking polar bears. The book made all of the induvidual elements work staggerly well, and the movie also succeeds with immaculate casting. The characters felt like they leaped out of my imagination. In addition to staggering newcomer Dakota Blue Richards, who perfectly balances all of the facets of Lyra's character, Nichole Kidman puts in a performance as Mrs. Coulter that is a character best. She was born to play this role, and the result feels like the character lept out of the book. We don't see much of Lord Azrael as a result of the abridged ending, and he doesn't visually match what I imagined, but he does a good job of capturing both Azrael's passion and recklessness. He's the opposite of Mrs. Coulter's uptight rigidity, but no less dangerous feeling even though Lyra seems blind to his imperfections. Sam Elliot is, of course, fantastic as Lee Scoresby. And the visuals are magnificent.
The dry, exposition-heavy first half hurts my opinion of the film. As it is I'm leaning between 3 and 3 1/2 out of 4 stars. I marked a 3 for now, but that might change.
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