| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MisterBadIdea |
Posted - 12/10/2007 : 02:53:36
An outright disaster. Unwatchable. You expect this kind of bullshit from cheap off-brand goods like "Eragon" or "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising." But from an A-list production like this? Inexcusable.
Nothing in this movie makes any sense -- it zooms by at the speed of light with vast chunks of exposition apparently excised for no reason. Even the exposition they left was provided in small, awkward chunks. New characters literally drop from the sky without introduction. No transition, no cohesion -- a horrific pile of meaningless gibberish, an excuse to come up with stupid names for an unending strings of magical objects, far-off lands, or mysterious races of people. It feels like meddling studio execs removed 85 minutes of footage from it.
This movie damaged my faith in God -- I begged God for understanding, understanding of what was happening in the goddamn movie. My cries in the dark went unanswered. This movie is soulless and pathetic. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Demisemicenturian |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 17:33:26
I'm glad that at least the film gives across enough interest to make people want to read the great books.
Good idea about a T.V. series. They would really suit that much more than films as they are fairly episodic, and there would be breathing space to reinforce the quite sophisticated ideas and give the gentler aspects chance to shine through. |
| Beanmimo |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 16:23:55
quote:
Originally posted by BaftaBabe
quote:
Originally posted by Beanmimo
bafta, They should have had the foresight to make 'Northern Lights' as two movies and therefore pack everything in.
I watched the Golden Compass and was confused but intrigued by the idea running throughout that i read the three books backtobacktoback and loved them.
So scrap the Golden Compass and begin again with a five movie deal
Northern lights 1 & 2
The Subtle Knife
The Amber spyglass 1 & 2
let that be the end of it.
Nail on head about the books -- if you/your kids want a real treat - they're a great read. I wasn't planning it either, but once I started I read them all right through. Exhilarating!
As to da moovies - I've often thought how I'd adapt it. I think at one point I was convinced it would work best as one of those old-fashioned Sat AM serials, maybe 10-15 minutes a pop. Oh, yes, I have PLENTY of ways to re-work the universe 
And get Timm Burton to direct it of course, either all the miovies or the saturday morning serial. |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 16:18:49
quote:
Originally posted by Beanmimo
bafta, They should have had the foresight to make 'Northern Lights' as two movies and therefore pack everything in.
I watched the Golden Compass and was confused but intrigued by the idea running throughout that i read the three books backtobacktoback and loved them.
So scrap the Golden Compass and begin again with a five movie deal
Northern lights 1 & 2
The Subtle Knife
The Amber spyglass 1 & 2
let that be the end of it.
Nail on head about the books -- if you/your kids want a real treat - they're a great read. I wasn't planning it either, but once I started I read them all right through. Exhilarating!
As to da moovies - I've often thought how I'd adapt it. I think at one point I was convinced it would work best as one of those old-fashioned Sat AM serials, maybe 10-15 minutes a pop. Oh, yes, I have PLENTY of ways to re-work the universe
|
| Beanmimo |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 15:54:01
bafta, They should have had the foresight to make 'Northern Lights' as two movies and therefore pack everything in.
I watched the Golden Compass and was confused but intrigued by the idea running throughout that i read the three books backtobacktoback and loved them.
So scrap the Golden Compass and begin again with a five movie deal
Northern lights 1 & 2
The Subtle Knife
The Amber spyglass 1 & 2
let that be the end of it. |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 12/26/2008 : 17:23:52
quote:
Originally posted by Salopian
.
Thanks, Sal!
////////////////////
Sorry, couldn't find the original thread for The Golden Compass [phrase search took ages and came up with zilch - sorry]
But I happened to see this recent interview with Philip Pullman answering questions from around the world - kids and grown-ups, and this is what he replied when someone asked whether there would be a sequel/s from the remaining two books:
quote:
I doubt whether they will now. The film lost so much money in the US that I think the studio will be very careful about making a sequel.
Of course, my theory is if you wait long enough someone will "take a chance". Sometime.
|
| Demisemicenturian |
Posted - 05/12/2008 : 16:36:01
Not spoilers about The Amber Spyglass, but in case you don't want to know anything about it: It hadn't occurred to me that anyone liked the parallel evolution. It annoyed me so much. The anatomy seems extremely unlikely. Parallel legs along the sides have developed separately in various kinds of animals on Earth. If the weird diamond shape were advantageous, some of them would surely have ended up with that structure. It particularly makes no sense for the winged creatures, assuming they or any relatives can fly. Secondly, Pullman then undermines it by saying that that world has vertabrates too. To be convinced that the diamondees could flourish, we ought at least be made to think that they happened to develop right at the beginning of boneyness. |
| Ali |
Posted - 05/12/2008 : 16:08:51
Some very brief, and some might say spoilery, thoughts on the final book.
And it's a cool meme, too.
|
| randall |
Posted - 05/11/2008 : 11:24:30
Finally caught it on DVD. I agree with those who said the exposition was handled clumsily, but can't really tell whether or not it was tough to follow, since we'd already read the books. We really hated the daemons. Not one of them was convincing in the slightest; it showed the underside of the CGI process. It felt like a B-flat fantasy and did not draw us hither with the wish to see more. I thought the RINGS pictures ran rings around this one. |
| randall |
Posted - 03/02/2008 : 21:41:47
quote:
Originally posted by Randall on Dec. 10, 2007
My spider sense tells me that there will be no #2 or #3. This could even cost Bob Shaye his job; watch and see.
Hmmm. And so it goes... |
| Chris C |
Posted - 01/20/2008 : 17:59:32
Finally got to see the film earlier this week (Me, Mrs C and 11yo daughter).
The verdict: Mrs C and daughter really enjoyed the movie (despite being Christians  , and Mrs C not having read the book). Me - I thought it was good, but was missing a certain something, but I haven't yet worked out what that something was.
We are in agreement with Baffy - everything you need to know about the film (what is a daemon, who are the gobblers, why is Lyra on a mission and who is she rescuing) is explained in the first 15/20 minutes, and some of the acting is first rate.
Would I watch it again? Possibly not, but I have no doubts that the rest of the family will be. |
| Ali |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 12:22:14
Give it up, BB. The film's a flop.
|
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 12:16:45
So, after three weeks in the UK top #1 spot, tGC has been bumped to #2 by Enchanted. My local cinema manager tells me tGC is still packing them in, though.
I told him about the difference of opinion on fwfr, and he agreed with me that there are big cultural differences between US and UK expectations.
Hey ho. 
|
| turrell |
Posted - 12/29/2007 : 00:56:13
I wonder if atheists and pagans, etc. liked this movie more than others - just an observation (no judgements) from what I've read here - I have not seen it and its pretty low on my screener priority list. |
| Ali |
Posted - 12/28/2007 : 07:48:54
Even after some creative accounting, for which New Line is renowned, I would say it's nigh impossible the studio will recoup its original investment. We are talking about a budget well north of 200m USD, including marketing costs and the like. In order to warrant a sequel, the film would, traditionally, need to make about twice as much globally, if not more. There is no way The Golden Compass will clear the 500m mark globally.
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| randall |
Posted - 12/27/2007 : 19:14:15
quote:
Originally posted by dem8nic
Given the current international sales and the inevitable huge boost of DVD sales next year I'd be very surprised if the film didn't make back its investment - it would also be a huge admission of failure if New Line didn't go ahead and complete the story. If it stays as one film that would be an even bigger shame than the underwhelm I felt watching the first one.
I would be astonished if the film did make back its investment. And very surprised if there were a #2 and #3. |
