Somewhere between the graceful heights of the Lord of the Rings and the mucky low of Eragon, lies The Golden Compass. To be more precise, it leans more towards gracefulness, but it certainly is not that great. But oh my, am I comparing movies here?
Perhaps so. Since a particular trilogy set the benchmark, movies have struggled to meet that standard. That's a little sad, since movies like The Golden Compass (based on Pullman's Northern Lights book) are mighty entertaining and a whole lot of fun to watch. Nonetheless, it still is very much flawed. And despite all the glitz, overall it could still do with a lot of polishing.
Everything is here: big-budget special effects, lavish sets, characters with British accents and uh, Gandalf. His voice, at least. But does it work? Not really. The movie itself is told rather jerkily: we are treated with one scene and then dragged onto the next, with no smooth transition whatsoever (this is my feeling, of course). When movie jargon is explained, its explained to us as in a lecture, like a dictionary definiton. Mechanical. (Unlike, say the Lord of the Rings, where terms where thrown around so nonchalantly that we accepted it just like that)
The ending is well, not an ending. Clearly we are to expect a sequel. The problem is, if this movie bombs then, uh, we will probably never see one. But it looks good and is entertaining enough for people to want to go. In fact, they ought to go watch it. It's one of the better fantasy movies out there. And to be frank, there aren't many "good" fantasy movies.
On a side note, a few of my (Christian) friends have called for a boycott of the movie. Too bad; I doubt if they have even read the book or seen the movie. I haven't read the books myself, but from the movie one can see that only Roman Catholics get some bashing here. That I don't mind. :P
Perhaps so. Since a particular trilogy set the benchmark, movies have struggled to meet that standard. That's a little sad, since movies like The Golden Compass (based on Pullman's Northern Lights book) are mighty entertaining and a whole lot of fun to watch. Nonetheless, it still is very much flawed. And despite all the glitz, overall it could still do with a lot of polishing.
Everything is here: big-budget special effects, lavish sets, characters with British accents and uh, Gandalf. His voice, at least. But does it work? Not really. The movie itself is told rather jerkily: we are treated with one scene and then dragged onto the next, with no smooth transition whatsoever (this is my feeling, of course). When movie jargon is explained, its explained to us as in a lecture, like a dictionary definiton. Mechanical. (Unlike, say the Lord of the Rings, where terms where thrown around so nonchalantly that we accepted it just like that)
The ending is well, not an ending. Clearly we are to expect a sequel. The problem is, if this movie bombs then, uh, we will probably never see one. But it looks good and is entertaining enough for people to want to go. In fact, they ought to go watch it. It's one of the better fantasy movies out there. And to be frank, there aren't many "good" fantasy movies.
On a side note, a few of my (Christian) friends have called for a boycott of the movie. Too bad; I doubt if they have even read the book or seen the movie. I haven't read the books myself, but from the movie one can see that only Roman Catholics get some bashing here. That I don't mind. :P
1 comment:
by pullman's own admission, his books are about killing God.
i got quite a few alarmist emails calling for a boycott of the movie. don't really agree with that. got a much more balanced one that said we should understand it and teach our children to understand it, rather than fearing it. that's more like it, in my opinion.
the Gospel has stood for centuries and it will outlive pullman's books. no point getting all panicked about a pretty piece of fiction.
Post a Comment