The Golden Compass

Ever since Hollywood started to make money on fantasy films like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, there has been a glut of such films based on young adult fantasy series. The Golden Compass is the most recent offering, with some big-name stars (Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, and Sir Ian McKellan) bolster its appeal. The movie got a lot of last year for supposedly being anti-religious. Indeed, the author of the trilogy is fairly hostile to religion, and the books (especially the third) reflect that sentiment. However, it mostly comes off as anti-establishment in the movie. The Golden Compass paints a picture of a world in which all people have animal companions (quixotically named "demons") and where animals talk and magic is commonplace. Like most movies of its genre, there are plenty of adventures, perils, and quests. There are also, however, some mild themes of corruption, pain, and masochism. The ending of the movie is particularly weak because the book ended with the sacrifice of a child, so the movie just ends before that happens. If the film series is successful, the movie makers will face increasingly challenging themes to portray in a children's movie. I doubt that it will make it to a full trilogy, but The Golden Compass is fairly decent by itself.
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