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The Golden Compass (La Boussole d'Or) (2008) Nicole Kidman; Daniel Craig

 PG |  DVD
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (386 customer reviews)

Price: $4.07 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Product Details

  • Language: English, French
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Studio: ALL
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (386 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00142UZ30
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,120 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Kids

Customer Reviews

Not enough time to get the right story or the true feeling of the book. Trekkintheplains  |  61 reviewers made a similar statement
Excellent acting, really good special effects. William Oterson  |  45 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
150 of 167 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Not being one who seeks out the seemingly endless line of Harry Potter/Narnia/Lord of the Rings tropes (a little computer generated monster realm goes a long way), THE GOLDEN COMPASS came somewhat as a pleasant surprise. Yes, this is still a fantasy film, but the emphasis is more on stylish creation of various animals (in the forms of 'daemons' that accompany children as their souls, morphing into various animal life at will) than tiresome explosions and flying beasties.

Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) is clearly the star of this adventure that explores the possibility of other, parallel worlds whose interaction with the world as we know it is controlled by various groups of good guys and bad guys, all seeking the source of secrecy contained in a Golden Compass that can only be read by a single girl - Lyra, a poor child living in the presence of scholars. Lyra's uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) places the Golden Compass in Lyra's knowing hands and heads off to the far North to investigate the element that binds all life together - Dust. The tale is set in motion by the enigmatic Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman) who gains Lyra's confidence and offers to take her to the great North. All manner of adventures occur on the journey - friends of Lyra's are threatened to be separated from their various daemons in the cruel hands of the bad guys, Lyra's encounter with a witch Serafina Pekkala (Eva Green), her assistance from a friendly astronaut (Sam Elliott) and an armored bear - and with all fantasies, good prevails - or does it? Tune in for the very obvious next installment.

The pleasures are many, not the least of which are the voices and changing forms of the little animal daemons.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent adaptation of a very complex book July 8, 2008
Format:DVD
The Golden Compass is a very ambitious film based on a very ambitious book. If you haven't read the book, and you liked this movie, you must go read the book. That said, this film really did seem rushed and a lot of the appealing aspects of the book are left out. However, most of what they changed made sense to me (like switching the order of events at Svalbard and Bolvangar) and made the flow of the movie work better.

My main problem with this movie is the same one I had with David Lynch's Dune: You really wouldn't know what's going on unless you've read the book. I saw the movie before I read the book, but my wife, who was watching it with me, had just finished the trilogy and she was able to explain a lot of what I was seeing - much like when I watch Dune with someone who hasn't read the book.

So in the end, The Golden Compass suffers from being too complex and fast-paced in order to do justice to the book it's based on. Yes, I liked the movie a lot (enough to buy it for my library), and it inspired me to read the fantastic novels, but those who haven't read the book may be confused by what they're seeing.

I wholeheartedly recommend this movie, but I really recommend reading the book first to get everything out of it.
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174 of 228 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Fight for Free Will December 7, 2007
The special effects and the cinematography of "The Golden Compass" are wonderful, but it's the subtext that really shines through, making for one of the most unique, fascinating, and entertaining fantasy films of recent memory. Just as it is in the film, the plot of Philip Pullman's original novel suggested that free will was kept under strict control. The film brings this idea to the surface and allows the audience to analyze it; in a parallel universe--in which a person's soul is separate and physically represented by an animal--a ruthless organization called the Magisterium tries to enforce rules against free will. Anyone who challenges its authority will be condemned as a heretic. Because they wanted to ensure total compliance, the Magisterium sought to destroy every last alethiometer, or golden compass--a magical, watch-like mechanism that literally tells the truth by pointing at strange symbols.

The one alethiometer that survived is now in the possession of Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), a college professor who defies the Magisterium by confirming the existence of dust. I'm not referring to the allergy-inducing particles that settle on ordinary surfaces; I'm referring to the magical substance that's somehow related to a rift between their universe and ours. Because this has put him at odds with the Magisterium, he gives the alethiometer to his orphaned niece, Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards), a young girl raised by the professors at a university. Lyra, who absolutely hates being called a lady, is clever, bold, and incredibly headstrong, with an adventurous spirit that occasionally gets her into trouble. Her spirit--or daemon, as referred to by the characters--is Pan (voiced by Freddie Highmore), who hasn't quite decided which animal form to take.
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16 of 21 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Visually Stunning But Lacks a Compelling Story May 3, 2008
Format:DVD
"The Golden Compass" has everything that would make a great fantasy film - great cast including Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and a fresh talent Dakota Blue Richards, plus great visual effects for which the film went on to win the Oscar. But one sad thing is the film itself doesn't have magic. It lacks a compelling story that would make its audiences willing to share the adventures with the heroine.

The film follows the story of the strong-minded young girl Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) living among Oxford scholars. While her uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) travels to find out the truths of magical particles "Dust," Lyra finds herself in the middle of the fierce struggle involving beautiful and commanding Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman). And young Lyra is yet to know that the results of the battles may determine the fate of her world and ours too.

Set in the parallel universe where everyone has his/her own "daemons," "The Golden Compass" centers on Lyra and her long journey to the North. The film has a variety of supporting characters including cowboy aeronaut Lee Scoresby (Sam Shepherd) and great armoured polar bear Iorek Byrnison (voiced by Ian McKellen). Unfortunately, however, we have little time to know these characters. Gorgeous Eva Green appears as green-eyed witch Serafina Pekkala, but she has little to do in the story. And if you blink your eyes, you may miss Christopher Lee.

Sometimes "The Golden Compass" seems only providing the backgrounds for its subsequent films and has forgotten to tell its own story. Lyra remains attractive, and so is Mrs. Coulter, thanks to the superb performances from Richards and Kidman, but there is no character development.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent attempt at an impossibly imaginative tale.
I read the 3 books about 3 years ago. I was not a kid then. I was 66. I found it exciting, mind-bending, deep. The characters were multi-dimensional. The plot was gut-wrenching. Read more
Published 17 hours ago by Louis J. Bookbinder
5.0 out of 5 stars reviwe
im wordles that is my only thougt it was super grate & it was in hd hd is ausum i loved it
Published 1 day ago by carleanne
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent redition of a classic story.
Golden Compass is a classic story made into an excellent movie. Great actors make the story enjoyable to watch. Read more
Published 4 days ago by QUENTIN M JONES
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good!
We rented the Golden Compass as my child was reading the series. It was actually a great movie! I was pleased to see some action and some well told storylines in the same film. Read more
Published 7 days ago by JJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Movie!
I enjoy this movie every time I watch it. I never read the book so perhaps that is why I like the movie as is.
Published 8 days ago by T. Preston
3.0 out of 5 stars Lovers of the book, beware
This was my favorite book as a kid. I haven't read it in at least 15 years (probably more), but it affected me so deeply that as I watched the movie I found myself being able to... Read more
Published 9 days ago by jrbisky
4.0 out of 5 stars ?????
I like the movie but I really hate the ending it was the worst cliff hanger ever, also they didn't even bother to make another one
Published 10 days ago by Sarah Walker
5.0 out of 5 stars Cute movie!
I read the books when I was younger, and obviously, the movie is not a perfect representation of the movie. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Sarah
5.0 out of 5 stars Yes
Great movie my grand daughter loved it. It got here in great condition and on time. I was impressed, wonderful.
Published 1 month ago by Jana
3.0 out of 5 stars Movie OK
Film was obviously designed to have a series of sequels that apparently will never be produced.

The Amazon rental did not offer CC. Read more
Published 1 month ago by T. Stephenson
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