The Golden Compass (Movie Review)

I had the chance to watch "The Golden Compass" and find out for myself:
1. If it was any good as a fantasy flick, and
2. What all the controversy is about.

If you haven't read the books, you're in good company. I haven't either. Not because of any desire to avoid a book that may reflect philosophy counter to my own, but because I generally do not enjoy stories where children are the main characters and are empowered to the point of making all adults look like idiots. It was cool, of course, when I was a kid, but it doesn't do anything for me now.

I should first say that my review is based only on the theatrical film. I have not read any of the books in the series, so I will not be reviewing this based on how it compares to Philip Pullman's book or where the story is going after this film. (My understanding is that the controversy increases in the second and third books of this trilogy.) I'll wait and judge each of those films on their own merit.

First off, I'll look at this from a Fantasy Lover's perspective:

This a was a really good movie. Not mind-blowing, but very good.
The cast all around did a wonderful job and I was pleased that Dakota Blue Richards (the main character) played her part convincingly, despite her young age. The film is peppered with a few stars, but not overwhelmingly so. And everyone is subject to the story. This isn't a vehicle for a movie star.

The costumes and set design of this world were very well done, feeling slightly alien but realistic at the same time. The special effects were certainly up to industry standards, although that still means that CGI looks like CGI. There are lots of animals running around in this movie that look great, for CGI animals. Still, it's a fantasy movie and so I don't think the eye demands as much. But you wouldn't buy these animals as real looking if it were a hard-boiled cop movie.

As for the story, I was refreshed by some fairly original fantasy concepts. While there may be "nothing new under the sun", there were some new or at least rare elements brought to the silver screen. Parallel universe stories are uncommon, but this film centers itself on the concept. Set in an alternate reality from our own, it feels familiar in some ways, but obviously different in others. In this reality, for example, the human soul does not exist invisibly within a person, but visibly in the form of a talking animal called a "daemon". (And yes, it's pronounced the same way as "demon".) A far cry from the usual concept of demons(Biblical or otherwise), the daemons in this film are simply a representation of a person's soul. They are as good or evil as the person they are associated with.

The story involves an appropriately "quest-like" journey that fantasy fans will recognize. There are plenty of characters and concepts to explore. There's not a lot of "magic" in terms of the "spell-casting" variety, but the world itself is magical enough that "sorcery" fans won't feel too great an absence.

The characters are engaging, Nicole Kidman's being one example. Even when the movie ends you're not quite sure what motivates her, or whether to call her evil or just misguided. Actors like Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott and Christopher Lee appear, although I can only assume they will be more prominent in future installments, since they weren't used a great deal in this movie.

The movie feels intense when it should and takes you on a pretty enjoyable ride. I'd certainly recommend it to fans of fantasy.

Now from a Truth-Seeking Christian perspective:

This is still a very good film that I don't think Christians should be afraid of. The philosophical rant in this film is against organized religion that values obedience to church leaders over examination of evidence and seeking out absolute truth. Christians should agree that placing obedience to church leadership over and above examination and obedience to scripture is wrong. In fact, though I'm sure it was not intended, I saw a great opportunity for comparing the Golden Compass (a device in the film used as the ultimate source of truth) to the Bible.

Some in religious authority might try to take the Bible away from us and keep the communication of "truth" in the hands of church leaders. However, we should be searching for truth in scripture just as much as Lyra searches for it using the Golden Compass. I'll quickly get behind the message of "truth over tradition" regardless of where it comes from. In that regard, this movie hits on a point repeatedly that I think is worth repeating.

Are there any sketchy aspects to the movie? Maybe, depending on who you are.

As I mentioned before, human "souls" in this movie's world are called "daemons" and walk around next to their human hosts in animal form. The fact that there are things called demons in this movie may upset some Christians. There are also witches in this movie that seem to be "good guys". The fact that witches and demons appear as good or at least neutral characters may set off some red flags. However, to fans of fantasy this isn't a big deal. Why? Because it's fiction.

In this movie it becomes quickly clear that "demons" in this world are not fallen angels. They are completely different creatures that share the same name. Like George Bush and George Lucas. It's fairly common in fantasy for creatures to be called "demons" and have no relationship to the Biblical concept. Neither is the movie implying that the Biblical concept of demons, that we as Christians believe in, are not evil and should be thought of as friends or sidekicks.

The same is true with witches. L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz" showed us years ago that, in fiction, witches can be either good OR evil if the writer desires. Christian writer C.S. Lewis used "magic" at great length in "The Chronicles Of Narnia" as a force for either good or evil.

Today there are "witches" that uphold many moral values and wouldn't be thought of as "evil" in the public eye. The Bible doesn't support the ideas they believe in and so naturally, as Christians, we should avoid practicing witchcraft. However, the Bible is silent on the subject of enjoying FICTIONAL stories involving FICTIONAL forms of witchcraft.

Enjoying a movie like this, as a Christian, is going to come down to one thing: What do you allow to shape your life? If you find that you or your children change the way you think about the world after watching a well-made, exciting and emotionally involving movie, this is one you may want to avoid. However, if you make a habit (as we all should) of learning truth by examining evidence and being a student of the Bible, you won't be in danger from watching this film.

I'll wait until my son is old enough to understand clearly the difference between fiction and reality before I let him watch this movie and others like it. But to Christians who are willing to explore truth and discern the difference between what is true and what is not, using a critical mind and the scripture as their tools, this movie can still be very enjoyable. In fact, I think some Christians have a responsibility to watch this film. Not all but some.

If you don't know anyone in your life that might enjoy this movie, or fantasy fiction in general, then there's no need to see this movie if you don't have any interest in it. There's certainly no need to protest this film, especially if your goal is to keep people from seeing it. Controversy breeds interest, so leave your picket signs and e-mail campaigns as ideas in your own head, please. The only thing they will accomplish is a confirmation for others that Christians are closed-minded, ignorant and judgmental idiots.

The more productive approach, I believe, is to see this movie and talk about it. If you know someone that seems to live life in imitation of the entertainment they enjoy, you can equip yourself better to minister to them by seeing this movie if they see it, than by scowling in ignorance when the subject comes up.

One great opportunity this movie presents, is to talk about the concept of "Truth". How do we determine what is true? A magical "Golden Compass" would be great if it existed. But without that, how do we know what's real and what's not? What's your Golden Compass? Does it work every time, and if not, how do you know when and if you can trust it?

If you'd be interested in a bridge to that kind of conversation with someone you know, especially if they are a fan of fantasy, offer to buy their ticket and go see this movie with them. It's a very enjoyable fantasy adventure and the car ride home might open up some doors that have never been available before.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence

Quality: 9.0/10

Relevance: 9.0/10