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Post by Andorinha on Dec 17, 2007 9:44:01 GMT -6
Finished the trilogy, most of what some would consider the "anti-god" material, does indeed show up in the final volume. Like the Gormenghast trilogy, the last volume of "Dark Materials" seemed rushed, not as satisfyingly well-crafted as the first two volumes. Still, worth the read.
Now, I'll have to pick a day, hour when the kiddies are not too much in evidence, and go see the movie version.
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Post by Andorinha on Dec 18, 2007 20:01:33 GMT -6
Well, we went to see "The Golden Compass."
Hmmm... It will get a mixed review from me. I think the concepts/ philosophies/ and theology of the book were not effectively translated to the screen, so that both the basic plot and character motivations remained rather vague. I frequently found myself having to tell others (who had not read the book) "what was going on."
This movie is also going to be a hard sell here in the U.S., not because of any (fancied or real) assaults on religious hierarchy -- but more, I think, because it was unclear who the "bad "guys were, and equally unclear as to what they were up to and why. Nor were the "good guys" any better defined, and only the precocious "little girl," Lyra, and the Panzer Bear came off as truly sympathetic characters. Sam Waterford's Texan-drawling cowboy-areonaut did a credible job, though most of the big laughs in his scenes were stolen by his daemon/ soul, Hester the wise-cracking jack rabbit.
Perhaps also unforgivable for U.S. audiences (with a short attention span) the movie positively dragged at times. The guy behind us fell asleep -- four times -- and gurgled most unpleasantly (like a snoring Gollum), until a renewed blast of sound would force him back into a modestly conscious state again.
Too bad. The books deserved better. But, the special effects were quite good, despite the CGI "blue-toned," obscure screens. But, for me at any rate, there was no real magic, no real engagement with the film. It seems the story, which works better in written text, was just too complex for this production team to handle as a movie.
Oh yes, no kids were present -- about a dozen "older folks" were all who showed up at this Tuesday afternoon showing. I think the special effects might have some appeal to a younger audience, but the abbreviated attempts to get the philosophies across, would probably have them gurgling in their seats.
Not sure whether or not to reccomend this flick? I guess it was -- "OK," but nothing better from my point of view. Would be interested in seeing how others get along with it.
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Post by Andorinha on Dec 23, 2007 8:37:25 GMT -6
The New York Times has a "not so bad" reception of the movie: movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/movies/07comp.htmlHas anyone else seen the show? Wikipedia has the following synopsis: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Compass_(film)"Reviews of the The Golden Compass have been mixed.[51] At review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, which divides the number of positive reviews a film has received by the total number, it has an overall 43 percent score, a "Rotten" total rating based on 159 reviews,[52] with a 54 percent rating from selected "notable" critics.[53] At the similar website Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to each review, the film has received an average score of 53, a "Mixed or Average" total rating, based on 29 reviews.[54] "James Berardinelli of ReelReviews gives the film 2 1/2 stars out of 4 and writes, "Constrained by a rushed feel and too little character development, this movie never seems to flow quite right."[1] "Manohla Dargis of the New York Times writes that the film is "hampered by its fealty to the book and its madly rushed pace."[2] "Time rated it B and called it a "good, if familiar fantasy," adding, "The find is Dakota Blue Richards ... who's both grounded and magical." [55] "Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated it four stars out of five, praising Nicole Kidman's casting and saying it had "no other challengers as this year's big Christmas movie." [56] "James Christopher of The Times was disappointed, praising the "marvelous" special effects and casting, but saying that the "books weave a magic the film simply cannot match" and citing a "lack of genuine drama."[57] "Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert awarded the film four out of four stars and called it "a darker, deeper fantasy epic than the Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia or the Potter films. It springs from the same British world of quasi-philosophical magic, but creates more complex villains and poses more intriguing questions. As a visual experience, it is superb. As an escapist fantasy, it is challenging ... I think [it] is a wonderfully good-looking movie, with exciting passages and a captivating heroine."[58] "The North American opening weekend return of $25.7 million[59] was "a little disappointing" for New Line Cinema,[60] although international figures were "solid". As of December 20, 2007, The Golden Compass has earned $44.4 million in North America and a higher figure of $91.5 million overseas, totaling $135.9 million so far. Australia, Japan and Latin America have yet to premiere the film.[61]"
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Post by Desi Baggins on Dec 31, 2007 17:14:03 GMT -6
The previews I have seen just really haven't done it for me, I am not really interested in seeing it....maybe on DVD sometime!
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Post by Andorinha on Jan 1, 2008 11:04:14 GMT -6
Yeah, I kind of think I'd have been better off waiting til the DVD came out too. But I see that Roger Ebert gives this movie four out of four stars...
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Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on Mar 23, 2008 23:08:10 GMT -6
I saw this on DVD recently and I have to agree with what Andorinha has said. The movie does not seem anti-Christian to me, just a criticism of what organized religion can sometimes become. A warning against blind faith and terrible deeds done in the name of God. As an agnostic myself, I'm inclined to agree with these criticisms and I think the story has a valid point.
The fundamentalist backlash against it is disheartening to me. Then again, fundamentalist backlash against anything tends to get on my nerves. There seem to be a whole lot of people in this country who can't accept anything that challenges or is different from their belief system. I find that sad and a bit worrisome, especially given the influence these opinions have on politics at times.
Regardless, I also agree with Andorinha that this was a somewhat confusing movie. I too had trouble following everyone's motivations at times, having not read the books. It was enjoyable though and offered a unique fantasy world unlike any other I've seen. It won't be joining the ranks of my favorite fantasy films but it was entertaining.
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Post by Desi Baggins on Mar 24, 2008 7:52:04 GMT -6
My question is do they use the term God? Or is it more like god where it could be like the muslims god and how they do suicide bombings in his honor? I guess I'll have to either get time and read it or watch the movie........
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Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on Mar 24, 2008 18:00:23 GMT -6
My question is do they use the term God? Or is it more like god where it could be like the muslims god and how they do suicide bombings in his honor? Not sure that I see the distinction. The Christian God and the Muslim God are essentially the same being, interpreted through different traditions. And both versions have been used as justification for terrible things over the centuries. That seemed to be the point the film was making. That whatever name or face we assign to God, we must be careful not to use that to justify evil deeds or become so focused on extreme dogma that we stop thinking for ourselves. Seemed like a good message. It wasn't meant as an attack on Christianity, just a warning against what can happen if the teachings of religion-- any religion-- become corrupted. I haven't read the books though so if the criticism goes further than that, I didn't see it in the film.
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Post by Desi Baggins on Mar 31, 2008 6:08:41 GMT -6
So basically it is never said that it is the christian god...that is what I was getting at.........it could be interpreted as any religions god.........
If it could be interpreted as any religions god then it is so silly to have the christians all in an up roar over it.
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Post by orwell on Jun 24, 2011 17:45:34 GMT -6
I have not read these books. I was put off by the author's views on CS Lewis for a start. I read the first page or two of Compass, which I found turgid. And then I saw the movie which I found boring - though it's first few minutes were good. Is the author one of those guys who takes himself too seriously?
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Post by Andorinha on Jul 1, 2011 12:17:07 GMT -6
Hi Orwell,
I've not seen Pullman's comments on Lewis, do you have a source URL handy?
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Post by orwell on Jul 4, 2011 6:07:32 GMT -6
I think I read it on wikipedia when I looked up Pullman. I will look it up again when I have time and get back to you.
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