The Golden Compass (2007)

Director:

Chris Weitz

Writers (WGA):

Chris Weitz (screenplay)
Philip Pullman (novel)

Release Date:

7 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

"It is the Alethiometer. It tells the truth. As for how to read it, you'll have to learn by yourself."

Plot:

In a parallel universe, young Lyra Belacqua journeys to the far North to save her best friend and other kidnapped children from terrible experiments by a mysterious organization.

Plot Keywords:

Oxford | College | Compass | Uncle | Orphan

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 26 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Nicole Kidman	...	Mrs. Coulter
Daniel Craig	...	Lord Asriel
Dakota Blue Richards	...	Lyra
Ben Walker	...	Roger
Freddie Highmore	...	Pantalaimon (voice)
Ian McKellen	...	Iorek Byrnison (voice)
Eva Green	...	Serafina Pekkala
Jim Carter	...	John Faa
Tom Courtenay	...	Farder Coram
Ian McShane	...	Ragnar Sturlusson (voice)
Sam Elliott	...	Lee Scoresby
Christopher Lee	...	First High Councilor
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Stelmaria (voice)
Edward de Souza	...	Second High Councilor
Kathy Bates	...	Hester (voice)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Icelandic | Russian | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

South Korea:All | Ireland:12A | Finland:K-11 | Sweden:11 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:PG | Malaysia:U | Taiwan:PG-12 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 | Australia:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43880) | Brazil:10 | New Zealand:PG | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

BCE Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Filming took 100 days. Dakota Blue Richards was in every scene of the film aside from two which required her to shoot for 98 out of the 100 days.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the Bolvangar scene, when the children are writing letters to their families, the nurse is walking from table to table when she stops to see Billy not writing anything. In the same shot while the nurse says "Billy Costa-", Roger is next to Billy with his head down, concentrating on writing his letter.But in the next shot when the nurse says "-why didn't you write anything? Your parents must be missing you terribly", Roger is looking up at the nurse. In the next shot after that while Billy replies, Roger's head is down again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Serafina Pekkala: There are many universes and many Earths parallel to each other. Worlds like yours, where people's souls live inside their bodies, and worlds like mine, where they walk beside us, as animal spirits we call daemons.
Stelmaria: Are we going to see the child?
Lord Asriel: I should think so.
Serafina Pekkala: So many worlds. But connecting them all is Dust. Dust was here before the witches of the air, the Gyptians of the water, and the bears of the ice. In my world, scholars invented an alethiometer - a golden compass - and it showed them all that was hidden. But the ruling power, fearing any truth but their own, destroyed these devices and forbade the very mention of Dust. One compass remains, however, and only one who can read it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Butterfly Tattoo (2009)

Soundtrack:

Lyra

An Unfinished Journey

I am among those who have not read the book and I found it to be initially confusing and boring but the film picks up after Lyra is taken into Mrs. Coultier's lavish house. The pace picks up but it may seem a little too rushed. The ending was sort of continuous, requiring a sequel. I would have liked to see the second movie but unfortunately, there is a rumour that it may not happen which is quite a pity because I thought 'The Golden Compass' was going somewhere. It is not the best movie of its kind but I thought it was not so bad either. The special effects are good. The characters are lively. I loved the daemons. It's got quite a stellar cast but only Nicole Kidman gets enough screen time to be noticed. Gorgeous, glamorous and deceitful, could not picture anyone else for the part of Mrs. Coultier. (I am almost sure that the rest were promised a lengthier role in the sequels). Daniel Craig only has about 15 minutes but he makes the best of it. Sam Elliot is funny. Dakota Blue Richards is a confident young actress and she carries off Lyra well. Overall I enjoyed the world that was created in this movie and the characters. Too bad that it's left incomplete.