The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass. From the first preview, I wanted to see this movie. It's yet another movie based upon a fantasy trilogy, but it looked like it had some cool ideas, and polar bears fighting. Can't go wrong there right?

The movie opens up by giving us a bit too much information about things to come, but it ropes you in. Short and sweet credits, I'm ready for a ride. At first the star(another girl named Dakota) Lyra seems a bit annoying. She always looks angry, wearing a perpetual sneer. Eventually it changes to perpetual confidence. She is completely unflappable, which becomes endearing. Daniel Craig has a small role, but does well with it. I'm sure he'll play a larger part in the next two movies.

I'm not going to talk about the plot too much, but I liked it. Nicole Kidman is just alright, not shining. I think she can be a lot scarier. In each movie she is in, the "work" she's had done becomes more obvious and detracts from her more.

The movie is a lot of fun, good story, and a lot of good CGI which is extremely well integrated. I'd definitely recommend this movie. After I got home from the movie, I started poking around, and a lot of people really didn't like this movie. They are mostly in two camps : People who loved the book and thought it didn't compare, and religious nuts. I do want to read the book, so I can comment on that part later. Religious nuts tho, give it a break. It is soooooooo annoying, and you're winning neither friends nor converts by protesting movies and books.