Josh Tate

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:48:06 -0800

I agree that the religious material is more explicit in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Assuming The Golden Compass does well enough to get sequels green-lit, I'm extremely interested to see how the filmmakers handle it. It's one thing to neuter the Magesterium. It's quite another to figure out a way to handle all of the angels that crop up, the battle of Heaven and the death of Adonai.

ccacarch

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:48:47 -0800

I have read quite a number of reviews of this movie over the last couple of days, and I think that it interesting how people perceive the movie and in many ways the novels' religious overtones. I have read the novels twice and saw the movie last weekend and I feel that the first book is way more subtle than many are remembering. It is over the course of the three novels and in many ways the ending of the third that it becomes clears the depth of Pullman point of the importance of free will and how without it we can all be mindlessly ruled over. Give the audience a little credit as well, the Magesterium is just as evil and crocked in the movie as they are in the books and it seems clear to me who they are. But I think it good and no doubt smart when its your $180 million on the line, to let the audience make up their own mind. I agree that it feels rushed at time and I can't tell if that is because I know the novels so well or if it just feels rushed. The ending is also appropriate considering the circumstances and shows some faith that the people behind this movie believe more is definitely on the way. It is most beauty though and the debate it brings up proves that it has already done more than most movies of this kind do.

LAist: Movie Review: The Golden Compass

Josh Tate

ccacarch