I’ve read Philip Pullman's books and therefore I really can’t say with any certainty whether most people who haven’t will understand the story completely. I do know that immediately after the press screening I attended, I had to answer a bunch of questions regarding the film. I’m also not sure what age group makes up The Golden Compass’ target audience. The story will fly over the heads of younger kids, and even pre-teens are going to have a tough time following what’s going on on the screen. Plus, there’s some fairly scary scenes that might frighten kids.
Dakota Blue Richards in The Golden Compass.
© New Line CinemaAs for the controversial anti-religious elements of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, those religious undertones are there if you’re looking for them. It’s as easy to figure out as inserting the word Church in place of Magisterium. However, it is a ‘fantasy adventure movie’ (that’s the key phrase to keep in mind) and so it is possible to watch it as just a film and not be bothered by anything other than a few wooden performances and a handful of hard to understand accents.
GRADE: B- (for terrific special effects and the ice bears)
The Golden Compass was directed by Chris Weitz and is rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence.
