The Golden Compass

I have always enjoyed such fantasy movie such as Harry Potter & Narnia. This Golden Compass springs from the same world of quasi-philosophical magic, but creates more complex villains and poses more intriguing questions. I think it’s a darker, deeper fantasy epic than Narnia or the Potter films. In fact, it fails to capture my concentration during the first 30min. The gold wings served in Gold Class were more alluring.

I just did a little research & found out that the author of Golden Compass series, Philip Pullman was an atheist and that he so despised C.S. Lewis' Narnia that he wanted to write stories for children that killed God. Now, that's quite a declaration. But sorry, i think I prefer watching Narnia & Potter which are both able to capture my attentiveness right from the start.

Overall, there are many charming elements in this film, but they don't quite add up to a fulfilling whole. I enjoyed the bit about souls scampering alongside people in the form of animals like dog, rabbit, mouse etc but I find the scenes of armoured polar bears fighting quite disturbing. The Golden Compass is an enjoyable, albeit confusing diversion. However, be forewarned that it is a trilogy so be expected that the story ends in a way that pave the way for its sequels. Unlike Potter & Narnia’s usual ending. By the way, i'm looking forward to the coming-soon: The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Gotta re-cap the storyline by reading the book again liao.