The Golden Compass discussion

[Clara]

Yes I really like that part too, I really cracked up! And advisory how old is Erin? Is she your daughter?? Yes they changed a bit, but the way they changed it was really smooth and understandable. And I so loved Lee and Hester they were halarious. One of my favorite quotes was"Little girls sure do come in handy around these parts". Me and my friends cracked up, and after the movie we kept imitating the quote in a very think western accent, and laughed at it until we were hoast. Its amazing how long a funny quote can last! I think we were standing outside the theater for half an hour just laughing. Any ways a bit"aka a lot" of topic but oh well, point is I think they did the best they could, except for the end, I was a little disapointed when they skipped the last part, but I think it was to no end on a sad note it would have made many people in the theater cry> So I forgive them for that!

[Lazy Leopard]

I skipped supper and instead wandered along to the CineWorld near work yesterday evening in order to see "The Golden Compass". It's not all that bad, and does stick reasonably faithfully to the story. It's fun to see various familiar bits of Oxford in the film (which, incidentally, reminded me of the UniCon held there a few years ago at which Philip Pulman was GoH). There were definitely quite a few places where it felt a bit chopped, though. It felt like it needed to be a bit longer. I was left wondering whether there's rather a lot of film on the cutting-room floor, and if there is, whether there'll be a revised longer version available by the time it goes out on DVD. I can see why they ended the film where they did rather than where the book ends. This way the ending is up-beat, and doesn't scream too loudly about the next movie, so it won't feel too incomplete if they don't get round to making the next one. That said, I hope they do, and I'd assume they'd start by finishing off the first book.

I'll probably go to see it again before the holiday's over...

[Poliester]

Both of my sisters have read the His Dark Materials books and when we saw the movie, they were pretty satisfied. They did say that the story was a little chopped up and some things were left out, but other than that, they were happy with it.

When I saw the movie, I had almost no idea what was going on. In the very beginning, there was a short introduction about dust and how the government banished the mention of it, and that helped somewhat. It bothered my mother that the prophecy wasn't really mentioned until 1/3 of the way into the movie. Was it like that in the book?

The movie seemed to move WAY too fast. Perhaps they should have made it longer or maybe a two-part movie. There were just too many things happening all at once and you had to remember what's happening with all the characters.

One thing about the movie that surprised me was that it was so violent. My sisters did warn me that the book was very violent, but when I saw so many children under 11 in the audience, I thought they would have toned down the gore. [<span class="ev_code_WHITE">I was really surprised when the two polar bears were fighting and one of their jaws got ripped off</span>]. I don't really know if that was a spoiler, but just to be safe I put it in white. Also, in a battle scene, <span class="ev_code_WHITE">The polar bear was held down with grappling hooks</span>. At that point, I started crying. I was surprised because (1) I'm 15, and (2) I didn't notice any of the younger children crying. I did notice the parents gasping when these things happened, but the kids were just shocked I suppose. I don't know if it was because kids just don't really understand the concept of that kind of pain, or if they were all too scared and covered their eyes. I just was not expecting something like that. But at least there wasn't any blood.

Every time someone dies, their daemon turns into dust. This effect was really cool. But, hehe, every time an animal would dissapear I'd shout in my head "YOU CAN'T DO THAT! THAT'S AN ENDANGERED SPECIES!!!" I told my sister that afterwards and she had a good laugh.

The ending of the movie was somewhat unsatisfying, but it definately left room for another movie. I mean, they have to make another movie. There's no way they can end it there. I can't really see how they can start the next movie at that part in the book because it's so dramatic. My sisters told me what happens, and I think they should have put it in the first movie. And then changed the rating to R. Maybe. Eh, perhaps it's best the way they did it.

Over all, I think it was an awesome movie. It's best to see it in theater because you get the full experience of the locations and situations. The graphics were amazing. It's definately a movie to see.

[Kathy Li]

I finally got around to seeing it (I'm always so behind). I enjoyed it, and I thought it was a pretty good adaptation of the book, but I'm always going to wish they'd used Stoppard's screenplay. I felt curiously disjointed and removed from the narrative, and I think the exposition and introduction of all the kid characters at the beginning was a bit muddled. It wasn't until Iorek hit the screen that I got fully engaged.

And yes, loved all the bits of Oxford in the background and that great establishing shot with the Radcliffe Camera front and center (might have been seeing things, but it looked like they were working in bits of Greenwich as well--I think the dining hall in Jordan was modelled more after the Painted Hall at the Royal Naval College than after Christ Church's dining hall).

The funny thing was that I hadn't quite anticipated the amount of visual clutter that would result with everybody having a daemon. That was fun. And you got irritated when you couldn't see someone's daemon. Happy that they pronounced daemon correctly, though. Funny how they say it's based on The Northern Lights in the end credits, but the movie's still titled The Golden Compass.

Overall, I was happy with the film, just a little disappointed. And definitely hoping they managed to get all three made.

BTW, the theater I was in also ran the Inkheart trailer; I have to say it also makes me happy and hopeful (not only because Cornelia Funke said that she wrote Mo with Brendan Fraser in mind; too bad they didn't get Bob Hoskins as Victor).

[vashmata]

Is The Golden Compass the one where at the end (<span class="ev_code_WHITE">a girl's friend(maybe) goes through a magical gate(or something like that)?</span>)
IF it is, then that's all I remember, besides the northern lights(was that in another book also?).

[Lazy Leopard]

I'm pretty sure that at least some of the Oxford college location filming was in Exeter College where the 2000 Unicon was held. The dining room looked familiar (though the furniture didn't), and the Chapel is instantly recognisable.

I'm really hoping there's a DVD release with a longer and less-disjointed version of the film in it. The film worked, but it wasn't as good as it could have been.

vashmata: "Northern Lights" is the same book as "The Golden Compass". The UK and US publishers just cose different titles. It happens. Take a look at the second feline wizards book; "To Visit the Queen" in the US, and "On Her Majesty's Wizardly Service" in the UK.

...and yes, the film ends a chapter or two short of the end of the book. The book ends on an intensely memorable and not exactly up-beat note.

[vashmata]

I didn't mean the title- I meant did something happen in it that had to do with the northern lights, and what is it. And is what I wrote the actual ending or not?

[Lazy Leopard]

Ah. I guess I wasn't reading carefully enough. Yes, the book does end up under the Northern Aurorae, where the veil between the Universes is thin and the Dust comes through. The film didn't quite get there.

...and yes, (to answer wolf_wizard's point below) it's a critical plot point, but it leads into the next book, so from a film-maker's point of view it probably makes sense to put it into the beginning of the next film. This way the audience can leave the cinema feeling up-beat about things going right. Holywood likes up-beat endings, especially on films being released at this time of year. There are so many worse ways they could have made the ending up-beat. At least this way they have the option of taking the story forward closely following the book, even if the end of book one ends up in the beginning of the film of book two.

[wolf_wizard]

what? but that is an important detail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, well. I guess i'll get over it eventually. I think they should have at least included that part, but I'm not sure how they are going to make the other two, so I guess they might tie it in later.

Dai all.

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Originally posted by Lazy Leopard:
Yes, the book does end up under the Northern Aurorae, where the veil between the Universes is thin and the Dust comes through. The film didn't quite get there.

Well, you could make the argument that it got there -- after all, AsrielLordAsriel (oops, sorry) did show the wizard photograph of the city in the Northern Lights at the beginning. (And that really ticked me off, it wasn't supposed to be a nod to Harry Potter...)

[Dragon Writer]

Let me guess? Moving photoes? I finished the book, recently. Might have to wait on the movie till it's on tv...All i will say on the matter, therefore, is what i have said already: You can't look at a movie in terms of a book. You'll always be disappointed if you do so, because they always change SOMETHING, even if it's only something small, and that something will ALWAYS be something SOMEONE wanted to keep.
And if they didn't finish the book, how can they get to the second movie? The book actually ENDS with her going THROUGH the aura, and into the new world. If they don't get that far in the movie, then how can they lead it into the sequal? (And boy did i use a lot of caps there. :P)

[vashmata]

AHA! I was right! Someone does end up going through a portal! Can someone tell me the setting of the story? 'Cause all I remember is the ending.

[wolf_wizard]

Maybe they felt the movie was to controvertial (is that how you spell it?) to create a sequel, and so they just wanted to end it like that, and not want to push their luck until they knew how the movie would do in theaters before considering a next one, in which case they would/will just make up a different way in which she goes through the portal.

[christmas]

The second one is listed as being in pre-production on imdb, so I would assume that they're making it. They probably cut the movie where they did so that it would seem more finished. After all, the book does end in a really random spot. (I don't know how the author got away with ending a book like that. What if it didn't seel and he didn't get to publish the second one?)

[crazy_bookworm]

To whomever asked if the prophecy was mentioned 1/3 of the way into the book, yes it is. [<span class="ev_code_WHITE">They're meeting with the witches' clan for some reason (I haven't read TGC in a while), I think it's to ask for their help in the war, and Lyra is asked to go look for the cloud pine branch which Serafina Pekkala(sp?) uses. She finds the cloud pine branch really quickly and ends up hearing the end bit of the prophecy.</span>] I like how the books end with cliff-hangers. It makes you want to read the next one even MORE.