Phillip Pullman Fans

Meira said:

Please see my Golden Compass thread in the movies section when you’ve seen the flic. I will probably have to wait a week to get any feedback, as I may have been the only AW member to have seen the sneak peak last night. However, I am dying to hear what people think.

For the record – I was considerably disappointed.​

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I just started reading The Golden Compass, and I really love it. Now you've got me worried about the movie

Meira said:

. I just think the screenwriters did a very weak job and failed to capture the magic and depth of meaning of the books.)

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Therein may lay the reason you didn't like the film.

I always try to judge a film on its merits alone, as a film, rather than as an interpretation of a book. It is almost always impossible to capture the "magic and depth of meaning" of any book when it is turned from a written medium into a visual medium. Stories are just told differently in those two mediums. There's no getting around it.

Now I'll be curious to know what folks who've never read the books think about the film.

ChaosTitan said:

Now I'll be curious to know what folks who've never read the books think about the film.

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I'll let you know. The books have been on my list for years, but I never looked hard for them.

From what I've been hearing, you're not the only one who is disappointed.

I had read the first 1/3 of the book before going to the movie. I'd heard the last three chapters were cut out of this movie. Aside from that and hearing some rumblings from both sides about the movie/books (which I tend to ignore), that's all I knew about the movie (and book). Like ChaosTitan mentioned earlier, I try to judge movies and books on their own merits. I thought the book started slowly. There seemed a lot of set-up before the real meat or action of the book got going. That's just my opinion. By watching the movie, I was enticed to go back and continue to read the book. I enjoyed both. While the book was obviously more layered, the movie was visually impressive and entertaining too. The movie changed some of the story order around, but I thought for the movie, it worked. It kept the focus of the heroic adventure Lyra was on on her that way -- which led up to the altered ending - which again I suppose worked for the movie. I don't want to spoil it for those that haven't watched or read - but the movie's ending was a heroic plateau for Lyra - she succeeded in one of her adventure goals but left the door open for more successes (or failures).

I'm now currently reading the second book...

Take care all -

Okay, I finally got to see the movie. First off, the little girl who played Lyra was tops. She really nailed the character (IMHO!) Secondly, the setting, scenery, etc. were wonderful. I love intricate sets and exotic settings. But, on the other side of this, the plot wasn't as strong as book's (again, just my opinion!) But I would say that if you have no problem watching HP movies after reading the books, you'll probably fare well at this movie.

And Meira, you are so right. The books are brilliant!!

[Note: my youngest daughter, aged nine, was a little frightened by the movie. Not terrified, just uneasy. Not sure I would recommend the movie for really little kids...]

Scenery - nice.
Ice bridge - trite.
Lyra's story to the bear king, and the bear fight - rocked.
The compass - the results seemed kind of visually ambiguous. And it was underutilized.
Lord Azriel - treatment of Lyra was pretty shallow.
The Magyar guys (or whatever they're called) were pretty weak, too. Where were their barracks? Not much concealment in a frozen over, windswept slab of ice. It's like they sprang out of the ground. What were they doing there? What do they eat? Why do we never see any of them inside the fortress?
Witch appearance - unsupported and too convenient.
Eva Green - she should be in more of the movie.
Nicole Kidman - slinky and chillingly insane. Good stuff.
The Mysterium - can the bad guys get any more trite and boring? YAWN.

All in all I just thought the plotting was weak, and the incomplete ending was totally unsatisfying.

Well, I haven't seen the movie yet, so I'll only comment here: for those reading the BOOKS ... I've talked to few readers who -- even loving the books -- don't agree that the story goes a little off rail in the middle. But it comes back nicely in the third book. So hang in there.

I'll admit, I don't like Pullman's going out of the way to knock Christianity

He can say anything he wants about religious bureaucracy, the Inquisition, or the moral defects of murderous witches ... I just think there's no reason to put negative vibes into a children's and young adults' book.

But then, they say Palestinian kids' books take a negative tone about Jews, Israel and the U.S.A. ... so who's to decide what's appropriate reading for kids these days?

I'd be pissed if he went after Judaism or Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism too in such a blanket way.

Yes, I understand his personal beliefs, his right to express them, and that "He just has his characters say those things, in a Fantasy context etc" --

If he's the "anti" CS Lewis ... I get that too.
Obviously, the moviemakers interested in creating another LION, WITCH, WARDROBE and LOTR series of big $$$ movies ... decided that atheism would cost them ticket sales and cut out some of Pullman's steam.

That said: as someone who DOESN'T like his attitude -- the books are still well worth the read, as Fantasy books.

If it causes Jihad or Darwinian ape-wars in the 4th grade playground ... blame Mr. Pullman

I wouldn't know who to bet on, if it came down to ape-wars however ...

I hear the movie was a very limp #1 at the box office ... but really I do hope they have enough success to keep making the whole trilogy. I love me some armoured polar bears!

Supposedly the movie is selling more tickets overseas ...

Damn you people. I have ENOUGH to read.

Sadly, another example how mainstreaming something with an existing fan-base (with the faulty logic that fans will rush to see the film no matter how much the studios screw it up. Aeon Flux or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, anyone?) usually winds up appealing to no one. Suggestion: next time you adapt a novel, leave in the frigging ending!

Tony_LaRocca said:

Suggestion: next time you adapt a novel, leave in the frigging ending!

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WHAT? They took it out... Oh, no. I was going to be so forgiving, too.

small axe said:

I'll admit, I don't like Pullman's going out of the way to knock Christianity

He can say anything he wants about religious bureaucracy, the Inquisition, or the moral defects of murderous witches ... I just think there's no reason to put negative vibes into a children's and young adults' book.

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I finally finished the book, and I agree. I was really into the story until it was derailed in chapter 21. There was a huge section where Lord Asriel goes on and on about original sin, etc. I'm not sure how much a kid would get out of it (and, I suspect, many of them would probably just skip over this part because it is very talky), but, as a reader, I hate being preached to, and felt that this part really detracted from the book.

Having said that, I fully intend to read the next two because the story itself is captivating and book #1 ends with a real cliff hanger!

Tony_LaRocca said:

Suggestion: next time you adapt a novel, leave in the frigging ending!

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I loved the film. I also loved the books.

The problem with films is that they can only be a certain length, esp. if they are aimed at the kids market. In that light taking the end of the book off and prob putting it into film 2 makes perfect sense--it was something that Peter Jackson said in his directors commentary in LotR that each film has to be able to stand alone and that was the reason of him ending LotR: The Fellowship where he did and not at the end of the book.

I cannot wait till film 2 comes out, also I cannot wait until I got time to reread the books.