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Based on the first book in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, The Golden Compass introduces viewers to a world that’s parallel to ours—a world where people are constantly accompanied by their daemon, an animal representation of a person’s soul. The movie follows the story of a young orphan named Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards), the niece of a mysterious scientist and adventurer, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig). While dining at the college where she lives, Lyra meets Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), a beautiful woman who convinces Lyra to accompany her on a journey to the North.
Before Lyra leaves with Mrs. Coulter, the headmaster at the college gives Lyra an Alethiometer—the last remaining magical golden compass—which, he tells her, will help her find the truth. But before Lyra even leaves for the North, she realizes that she’s in danger. Mrs. Coulter isn’t as kind as she once seemed, and she may even have something to do with the disappearance of several poor children—one of whom is Lyra’s best friend.
Though its effects are definitely inventive—complete with talking bears in suits of armor and futuristically old-fashioned vehicles—that’s pretty much all The Golden Compass has to offer. There isn’t much of a story—and what story it does have is complex and hard to follow, not to mention drowning in a sea of exposition and minutia.
The film’s greatest offense is that it seems to be too impressed with its own creativity. It goes into exhausting detail about every little gadget—about each particular gadget’s history, along with its workings and its significance. Then, once it finishes explaining its last brilliant little gadget, its two hours are up, and it’s time to roll the credits—even though it feels like the story is only just beginning.
When it’s all over, you’ll know all about spy flies and golden compasses, but you won’t actually know much about the main character. You’ll know how the armored bear, Iorek Byrnison (voiced by Ian McKellan), ended up in his sad, whiskey-swilling state, but you won’t know why, exactly, everyone’s after Lyra (though you’re told there’s something special about her). You’ll know that there’s something called “dust” (something that’s not the normal dust), but you won’t really know what it is or why it’s so important. And, sadly, even after all that explanation, it still doesn’t make any sense. When it’s all over, you won’t really know what happened—or why you should care.
On top of all that, The Golden Compass is filled with inconsistencies. It focuses so much energy on some details, but it’s completely careless with others. It’s supposed to be a kids’ movie, yet it’s shockingly violent—with a body count that’s arguably higher than the average summer blockbuster.
The Golden Compass is a whole lot of talk and not enough magic, and it’s just not worth the time or the frustration—especially when you can take the kids to see Enchanted instead.
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