IGN reports: Currently slotted for a Boxing Day release in Australia (and December 7 in most other, more fortunate regions), The Golden Compass is the first of three films based on author Philip Pullman's celebrated and cherished all-ages fantasy trilogy, 'His Dark Materials'. Since the public trailer contains moments expanded on in the sneak preview, that's our focus for this feature. Unlike the immediate start of the public trailer, the extended look at The Golden Compass opens with a fly-over of Oxford. As the bronze airship passes silently over the art-deco-machina, alternate 1920s cityscape, you'll push aside your doubts. The Golden Compass and the subsequent releases are going to be fine films. This will not be another Eragon pratfall, nor the overblown fluff offered by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The Golden Compass AU Eyes-on Preview
Get a taste of the next big fantasy trilogy coming to theatres this Christmas.
Currently slotted for a Boxing Day release in Australia (and December 7 in most other, more fortunate regions), The Golden Compass is the first of three films based on author Philip Pullman's celebrated and cherished all-ages fantasy trilogy, 'His Dark Materials'. It follows the adventures of a rough-edged and rebellious girl named Lyra Belacqua, an inhabitant of a parallel Europe, where all humans have inseparable animal companions known as Daemons, and religion hinges around a mysterious universal substance known as Dust.
When Lyra's schoolyard companion, Roger, gets kidnapped, she sets out on a rescue mission, aided by a compass-like device known as an Alethiometer - an exceptionally rare and powerful truth-telling tool. Across three books, Pullman's tale takes on impressively mature themes with depth and sensitivity. He tackles and carefully questions religion versus atheism through his critical look at The Magisterium; the story also deals with class values and race, and tells most of the tale through the perspective of a young girl, which adds a dose of youth-friendly charisma and naivety.
We were shown two compilations of footage - the first, eight minutes of partial sequences from the first film (adapted and directed by 'About a Boy's Chris Weitz, cut together like an extended trailer. The second, which will be available online in a matter of days, is the public teaser. Both reveal about as much as each other in terms of locations and broad storytelling.
The public trailer begins with a very familiar image - The One Ring, spinning and turning through the air. It's a quiet reminder of the current reigning king of fantasy cinema. However, as it falls, the ring morphs into an Alethiometer. New Line (The Lord of the Rings' parent company) knows what it's sitting on with this series. The Rings parallel is a bold statement, but from what we saw, we're profoundly confident that they're right on the money.
Since the public trailer contains moments expanded on in the sneak preview, that's our focus for this feature. Unlike the immediate start of the public trailer, the extended look at The Golden Compass opens with a fly-over of Oxford. As the bronze airship passes silently over the art-deco-machina, alternate 1920s cityscape, you'll push aside your doubts. The Golden Compass and the subsequent releases are going to be fine films. This will not be another Eragon pratfall, nor the overblown fluff offered by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
We got our first look at Jordan College's halls, offices and grounds - Lyra hiding inside the closet and peering out at Lord Asriel as he gesticulates on Dust, The Magisterium and his intended journey. All of this feels like it has been carefully and accurately pulled from Pullman's pages. Of course, we only got to view snippets of each sequence, so it's impossible to assess the depth of the dialogue to any major degree.
In the film, Lyra is played by newcomer Dakoda Blue Richards. Our initial fears in casting an unknown in a lead role of this importance have been sated. Richards has definite screen presence and a much darker and more mature tone of voice than her slight build suggests. It's a relief, to be sure.
Lyra is shown tiptoeing over the tiled rooftops of her Oxford school and home, Jordan College, with her Daemon, Pantalaimon. At once, we were relieved to see that Daemons are being handled with the same seriousness and presence of Gollum. These are not computer-generated cartoon characters. These are CG lead characters with enough personality to not only hold your attention, but steal scenes.
Case in point: Iorek, the Armoured Bear. His debut in the extended cut of the trailer sees him bursting through the walls of a wooden shack in a small snow-covered village, to the shrieking dismay of the locals. While his face is expressive, with surprisingly convincing lip movement, there is no mistaking that Iorek is animal before all else, regardless of his ability to speak.
For fans of the book, there were countless subtle references, lifted directly from the richly descriptive pages of Pullman's tomes. Everything in Oxford is cast in an amber hue. Buildings are seemingly forged in brass and pieced together with care, brick by brick. Glass arches, supported by brass beams, hint at the balance between the pseudo-20s-era architecture and high-technology. In fact, the term we're being careful to shy away from using is 'steampunk'. That's not quite a perfect fit - there is far more steam than punk, but it comes close.
This was also our first opportunity to hear a sample of the dialogue and critically, how well the actors have delivered it to the screen. It's still not clear how much is a direct lift from the story or simply a paraphrase, but given that master playwright Tom Stoppard's script was rejected, we're guessing the current draft must be half-way decent in the least.
Some scenes, such as Serafina Pekkala's moderately wary and hostile interaction with Lyra, warning her of impending conflict, was delivered with panache. Other times, particularly with one of the Jordan College Fellows' snide "That's heresy!" quip, the delivery came across as too throaty and self-important. Part of this keeps with the self-importance of these side-characters on the council, but part of it is surely poor delivery. Of course, it's far too early to judge, but we're still very confident that the acting will be on par with the Rings trilogy.
Nicole Kidman, the impossibly pretty face who requires no introduction, is the ultimate casting choice for the severe and bewitching Mrs. Coulter. Although we're not sold on her rather meek voice in the scenes we sampled, she clearly gets into the menacing character later in the film, when confronting Lyra and pressing her for the Alethiometer. We also see her tucking Lyra into bed, attending a regal function and displaying her alluring powers over other guests in attendance.
Equally menacing is her golden monkey Daemon. Its inclusion is instrumental - given that Pantalaimon and Iorek were handled with skill, we were pleased that the Golden Monkey comes across as just as warped and barely-constrained as at was in the novel. Watching it pull at the wings of a butterfly-form Daemon is gut-wrenching in its suggestive cruelty.
Daniel Craig, the Blonde Bond-shell (sorry) from Casino Royale, sports a beard and looks very much the part as Lord Asriel - scientist, accomplished explorer and Lyra's uncle. Again, having seen him addressing his panel of intellectuals (taken from early in the novel), we think he's perfectly cast. He's got the sophistication to make his status as the height of critical intellectual society credible.
We see him operating the slide-projecting Photogram in his Jordan College office, as well as operating out of his mountain research lab, where he and Lyra discuss the importance of his work and her place in it.
We were delighted with the decision to cast Sam Elliott as the gunslinging balloonist Lee Scoresby. Seen most recently as the cancer-addled Marlboro Man in Thank You For Smoking and as The Stranger who narrated The Big Lebowski, Elliott is the ultimate dirt-kicking cowpoke. His presence adds instant credibility, working well as a substitute father figure and travelling companion to Lyra.
The Gyptians in their boat-village shantytown are pulled straight from the pages of the book. Jim Carter plays the ultimate crook-nosed John Faa - leader of the gypsy community. We loved the portrayal of the boats, tied together and sporting ramshackle canvas sails. Again, if you've read the books, you'll appreciate the accuracy.
Witches play a major role in Lyra's world. The dark and ethereal beauties have less in common with the wrinkled crones of traditional witch mythos, and more with the besotted elves in Tolkien's Middle Earth. One in particular, Serafina Pekkala, takes a pivotal role throughout the series. In the film, she's played by Eva Green - seen most recently as the brunette temptress in Casino Royale, opposite Daniel Craig, also in The Golden Compass.
Blending old-world style and lavish sets with seemingly incongruous futuristic airships, tri-wheeled carts and other impossibly streamlined technological creations, The Golden Compass looks striking and fully-imagined. We were particularly impressed with the portrayal of the North - there are some impressive icy vistas, and the titular Northern Lights playing overhead makes us long for the arguably more subtle 'Northern Lights' moniker instead of The Golden Compass.
Watching Lyra gallop bareback on Iorek's bear-back sealed the experience for us. When a coven of witches swooped down to begin battle on the frozen tundra at sundown to startlingly macabre and intense effect, we realised that The Golden Compass may truly collect the fantasy-trilogy-torch that The Lord of the Rings has been loath to pass. December cannot come soon enough.
6 comments - Add yours
#1
Excellent article. I'm looking forward to seeing this teaser!
# June 22, 2007 17:20 by L!NK
#2
That certainly was a thorough - and very optimistic - report about the movie. I can't wait for December 7th.
# June 22, 2007 18:54 by yokata
#3
Very excellent, although that sounds like the trailer we've seen. Perhaps re-done. Or a new one?
I actually really appreciated Pavel's delivery after Craig's impressive performance (yet mannered so well that every bit of it was believeable) selling his idea to the Scholars. So very "factual because we are told thus" following Asriel's speech of enthusiasm and passion and exploring and science!
# June 22, 2007 22:54 by Phit
#4
It seems they liked it a lot, let us hope it will be as good as it promises!
# June 23, 2007 04:52 by Ardanawen
#5
Is it just me or is that article one article posted two times straight underneath the first one?
# June 25, 2007 09:32 by anna11
#6
Good call. Fixed.
# June 25, 2007 15:00 by JParry