The Golden Compass

Director: Chris Weitz

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Ian McKellen, Freddie Highmore

Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated adaptation since the Harry Potter series has finally made it onto the big screen. Phillip Pullman’s Carnegie Medal-winning novel, Northern Lights, the first volume in the His Dark Materials trilogy is here under its American title of The Golden Compass.

The Golden Compass is an exciting fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where people's souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist. At the centre of the story is Lyra (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who starts out trying to rescue a friend who's been kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as the Gobblers - and winds up on an epic quest to save not only her world, but ours as well.

But this is no cushy, light-weight fantasy children’s film of the likes of Harry Potter. Oh no. The Golden Compass has long raised issues of anti-Catholicism and the Catholic Church has slated The Golden Compass as being 'anti-religious'. Understandably the film studios have not wanted to cause extreme controversy and so have chosen to portray this film, in the words of Daniel Craig, as a story of ‘anti-abuse of power rather than being anti-religious’. But even without strongly drawing on Pullman’s opposition to the Catholic Church, the film remains a high energy questioning of authority and a stunning visual masterpiece.

The film is a showcase for special effects, digitalising everything from the animal dæmons to enhancing British monuments for the parallel world. Like Lord of the Rings, Narnia and Harry Potter, The Golden Compass is on an epic imaginary scale and following the trend of the big Christmas blockbusters, the film provides us with a huge array of stars; Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee and Derek Jacobi are to name but a few. Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Mrs Coulter is menacing, disturbing and a highly praised performance by Phillip Pullman himself.

This surely is a must see for any fans of the book.

Laura Summers