The Golden Compass
Okay, I was warned. Visually, I loved The Golden Compass. Unfortunately, the plot sucked.
Even the gorgeous easter eggs for readers of having Fra Pavel turn up 10 minutes into the film, and having Lord Boreal in one of the Magisterium scenes didn't save me from absolutely hating the butchery of the plot. (For that matter, having Fra Pavel do the poisoning, not the Master, is about the one plot change I actually liked. The logic behind having the Master try to murder Lord Asriel was always a little fuzzy, to me)
I was told that they finished the movie three chapters before the end. I was told it was to make the ending 'happier'. I've never been more acutely depressed at the end of a movie than I was at the end of Compass.
No betrayal. No gorgeous shots of Lyra standing under the Aurora and seeing all the possibilities now open to her. (Come on, they could just have promoted the movie off simple shots of Lyra standing there with Pantalaimon, looking up/into the Aurora) No plot resolution. Just Lyra sitting in the balloon, on her way to see her father, spouting off naively to Roger about her plans about what they're going to do next. "We're going to see my father! The alethiometer has told me that I'm bringing him what he needs for his research!"
OH LYRA! *weeps*
That's their 'happy ending'? Sure, if you know nothing of the books, it's happy. If you've read even Northern Lights in its entirety, it's depressing and painful, because you know what Lyra really has to do.
The abysmal lack of gore in the movie also affected me. No heart-eating? No slicing up seals to use their blubber? If you can't do that for a PG rating for Compass, how the hell do they plan to get through Subtle Knife, where Will running around missing two fingers and with his hand all infected for 3/4 of the story is actually an essential plot point?
However, the costuming for the movie was absolutely wonderful, the steampunkness of Lyra's Oxford was delightful and quirky, the sets were gorgeous and practically all the Daemons (except for the Tartar's wolves) were so real-to-life, with lovely smooth transitions and that added magic when they died. I loved the designs of the metal insects. The casting was all-round excellent. Lee Scoresby, Hester and Iorek stole my heart once more, just like they did in the book. I liked the witches and the touch that they simply had to hold cloud-pine, not ride upon it. Bringing forward later Magisterium characters was a touch of brilliance.
Why oh why did the plot have to let me down? I'm feeling a bit like I just saw PoA again, for the first time, with the end of the movie as my breaking point, instead of Greyhound!Werewolf!Lupin. Unfortunately, the subpar plot is going to be what people remember, not the wonderful technical and set work.
I still hope they make The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. I desperately want to see Will, the Knife, the mulefa and both The Betrayal and The Fall. I'm eagerly anticipating the outcry over gay angels who are escaping from the Metatron and The Authority. I'm just sad that the movies are never going to live up to the greatness of the books.
Even the gorgeous easter eggs for readers of having Fra Pavel turn up 10 minutes into the film, and having Lord Boreal in one of the Magisterium scenes didn't save me from absolutely hating the butchery of the plot. (For that matter, having Fra Pavel do the poisoning, not the Master, is about the one plot change I actually liked. The logic behind having the Master try to murder Lord Asriel was always a little fuzzy, to me)
I was told that they finished the movie three chapters before the end. I was told it was to make the ending 'happier'. I've never been more acutely depressed at the end of a movie than I was at the end of Compass.
No betrayal. No gorgeous shots of Lyra standing under the Aurora and seeing all the possibilities now open to her. (Come on, they could just have promoted the movie off simple shots of Lyra standing there with Pantalaimon, looking up/into the Aurora) No plot resolution. Just Lyra sitting in the balloon, on her way to see her father, spouting off naively to Roger about her plans about what they're going to do next. "We're going to see my father! The alethiometer has told me that I'm bringing him what he needs for his research!"
OH LYRA! *weeps*
That's their 'happy ending'? Sure, if you know nothing of the books, it's happy. If you've read even Northern Lights in its entirety, it's depressing and painful, because you know what Lyra really has to do.
The abysmal lack of gore in the movie also affected me. No heart-eating? No slicing up seals to use their blubber? If you can't do that for a PG rating for Compass, how the hell do they plan to get through Subtle Knife, where Will running around missing two fingers and with his hand all infected for 3/4 of the story is actually an essential plot point?
However, the costuming for the movie was absolutely wonderful, the steampunkness of Lyra's Oxford was delightful and quirky, the sets were gorgeous and practically all the Daemons (except for the Tartar's wolves) were so real-to-life, with lovely smooth transitions and that added magic when they died. I loved the designs of the metal insects. The casting was all-round excellent. Lee Scoresby, Hester and Iorek stole my heart once more, just like they did in the book. I liked the witches and the touch that they simply had to hold cloud-pine, not ride upon it. Bringing forward later Magisterium characters was a touch of brilliance.
Why oh why did the plot have to let me down? I'm feeling a bit like I just saw PoA again, for the first time, with the end of the movie as my breaking point, instead of Greyhound!Werewolf!Lupin. Unfortunately, the subpar plot is going to be what people remember, not the wonderful technical and set work.
I still hope they make The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. I desperately want to see Will, the Knife, the mulefa and both The Betrayal and The Fall. I'm eagerly anticipating the outcry over gay angels who are escaping from the Metatron and The Authority. I'm just sad that the movies are never going to live up to the greatness of the books.