Review of The Golden Compass (2007) by Richard P — 27 Nov 2010

To all the Hollywood producers and executives who want to select a book for movie development and choose one with the intent to create a movie 'franchise' rather than to create an amazing story first, listen to the immortal words of the Cranberries in their song, "Salvation": "...Don't do it, don't do it, because it's not not what it seems, it's not not what it seems." This movie, so obviously intended to start another movie franchise with a likable child character set in a parallel universe fantasy, is flat and blows. There are spots of the characters being likable and moments where the story interests or the special effects trigger a mild, oh, that's a little cool. It's like this movie story is lacking a soul, gives you some rather odd medicine, and then the ending doesn't resolve anything, it just lets you know that they want to make another movie to tell you a story about the coming war with the Magisterium, the ruling body that wants to control this and all universes.

Skip this movie: If you want a world class fantasy movie, see the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. If that is too heavy for you, go to the lighter, smaller scale but entertaining Narnia Chronicles. If you want to enter a really entertaining world of wonder and great characters, try the Harry Potter movies. Great fantasy movies create a world of wonder. This isn't it, not even close. In that vein, another bummer, considering all the great actors in this movie, too.