Excruciating pap
CommentAug 27, 2009
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The Golden Compass (2007)
42
%
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Reviews Counted:187
Fresh:79
Rotten:108
Average Rating:5.6/10
Consensus: Without the bite or the controversy of the source material, The Golden Compass is reduced to impressive visuals overcompensating for lax storytelling.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 1 hr. 58 min.
Theatrical Release: Dec 7, 2007 Wide
Box Office: $70.1M
Synopsis: In a parallel universe, young Lyra Belacqua journeys to the far North to save her best friend and other kidnapped children from terrible experiments... [More]
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott
Director: Chris Weitz
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REVIEWS FOR THE GOLDEN COMPASS
An engaging fantasy adventure that, albeit no masterpiece, is hardly the disaster one might have imagined.
Jul 14, 2008
I realize that when you make a book into a movie you cannot include every single detail, but it seems like Weitz purposely tried to take all of the magic out of the story.
May 20, 2008
This plot may sound somewhat ludicrous on paper, but Pullman has created a logical, well-thought-out world that Weitz has brilliantly translated to the big screen.
May 1, 2008
This kid film noir touching on magic dust substance abuse, cranky clerics, worrisome wizards, goth grownup child abusers and computer-generated homicidal polar bear throat slashers, is less likely to dazzle the senses than exhaust minds of all ages.
Apr 30, 2008
...if I hadn't liked Pullman's books so much, I probably would have liked this movie version more than I did.
Apr 24, 2008
Will it be enough to satisfy fans of Philip Pullman's widely read 'His Dark Materials' trilogy? Hard to say. But for the uninitiated this is an engaging adventure, even when Chris Weitz's screenplay lacks the compelling clarity of Pullman's prose.
Apr 9, 2008
Sam Elliott shows up as a cowboy, who would normally be a pick-me-up, but with Golden Compass I just wanted to find my direction home.
Mar 4, 2008
The Golden Compass should be fun, but it rarely is. It should sweep you away, but it rarely does. For a film suffused with magic, it is, regrettably, far from magical.
Feb 28, 2008
No, I didn't read the novel before seeing the film, and nothing in this shimmering disaster made me want to read it, either. Made me hate polar bears, and I used to love the darned things, so that's saying something.
Feb 25, 2008
Read this review, skip this movie, and instead read the excellent books. Poor Dakota Blue Fanning is the perfect Lyra in a terrible adaptation.
Feb 16, 2008
A beautiful, thought-provoking fantasy film.
Feb 2, 2008
Lyra surpasses the timid drone of Pan's Labyrinth or the Pevensies' do-gooder sap, she's brave, smart, and the best liar in the universe.
Jan 29, 2008
This Compass points to the end of a would-be franchise.
Jan 19, 2008
Suggesting at once Mrs. Coulter's devotion to her Magisterial mission, her fears of soulful and sensual embodiment, and yes, her own split self, her slap-and-hug of her damon all but stops the film's action.
Jan 17, 2008
Deus ex machina ... is the only driving force.
Jan 14, 2008
koyrastika amihani kai sygkehymeni kritiki sto thriskeytiko systima, den parehei oyte kata dianoia arketo allothi gia toys ano ton 16 na asholithoyn idiaitera me aytin tin yperparagogi, poy ehei aytapates megaleioy tin ora poy pashei sto rythmo kai ti syn
Jan 14, 2008
The Golden Compass is an entertaining blend of feisty pre-teen girl heroine, CGI animals both adorable and fierce, and the usual suspects on the human side ...
Jan 2, 2008
The Golden Compass bears the brush strokes of a film produced by a committee of people intent on trying to make some money rather than a good movie.
Jan 2, 2008
All the pieces combined feel like nothing more than a barrage of exquisitely crafted names
Dec 31, 2007
LATEST NEWS FOR THE GOLDEN COMPASS
February 4, 2009:
Exclusive: Inside Pinewood/Shepperton - A Photo Tour
Every year, the BAFTA film awards present a trophy for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Introduced in 1978, the award recognises an organisation or a person's career and influence on the...
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April 28, 2008:
RT on DVD: The Golden Compass, 27 Dresses, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
If you, like many others, opted out of The Golden Compass while it was in theaters, never fear; your chance to watch it at home has arrived. Then again, instead of picking up that or the underwhelming...
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December 20, 2007:
Vatican Gloats Over Weak Performance of The Golden Compass
Attention, filmgoers who have seen and enjoyed The Golden Compass: According to The Vatican, you're either "dishonest" or you haven't been "gifted with a critical spirit."
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December 14, 2007:
Atonement, Control Lead London Film Critics Noms
The London Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its year-end awards, with Anton Corbijn's Control and Joe Wright's Atonement leading the pack at eight nominations apiece.
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December 13, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: I Am Legend Set For Explosive Opening
A wave of new product hits the marketplace at a time when exciting films are desperately needed to end the current box office funk. The science fiction thriller I Am Legend leads the way but will be...
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