While my enthusiasm for the book The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman was not as high as Raych’s, I did enjoy the book. Her review (click here) reminded me to check on just what I did think of it (my review here) and realized that I had not yet written a followup to seeing the flick starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and the amazing Dakota Blue Richards and many, many more fab actors do voices. That movie source to top all movie sources, IMDB, will give you ALL the details…
In four words, THE BOOK WAS BETTER. The film falls flat.
I don’t like to be one of those people that always says the book is better. I very much enjoy reading a story and seeing it transformed visually onto the big screen. I love to contemplate the challenges that the screenwriter had to overcome to tell the same story, or not. Usually when I read a book where I know which actor plays which part and so I easily picture that person when I’m reading their thoughts and actions, usually… I like the movie just as much. Not so in this case.
The movie fails to convey just how very important the souls are, these daemons that are the changeable animals. The book does a better job capturing the charm and vitality of these creatures as a part of the human.
I also was disappointed the ending was more… hopeful. The book takes to the very edge, you are on a heart-stopping O.M.G. ride of how Lyra reaches out to the Daniel Craig character, and and AND…
oh – gotta read the next in the series (which I have yet to do.)
The movie ends with Lyra on voice over (gosh, I hope I’m remembering that right) about how fun it will be to explore these new worlds – basically to tell the movie-watcher to “go see the next movie, coming soon, to a theatre near you.”
The movie did not endear me.
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