Review of The Golden Compass (2007) by Caleb M — 17 Dec 2010

A failure, but an astonishing visual achievement and a delightful discovery in Dakota Blue Richards, who is an astonishing discovery as Lyra. The one thing Chris Weitz really pulled off was casting her, because although the rest of the film is filled with (occasionally) distracting star cameos, her performance cements you in this fantastical world of deamons, fighting polar bears and quasi-religious allegory.

Weitz doesn't have much control over pacing, and the film cops out entirely on a satisfying conclusion, vying instead for a "get ready for the sequel that will never happen" ending, but you can tell he's a fan of the source material.

All the talk about the religious themes being toned-down are true in a sense, but this is still a very blatant attack on organized religion and centralized power.