CINEMA: The Golden Compass

So, after all the controversy and wrangling about the original text’s anti-religious message, is the film of Philip Pullman’s bestseller worth the wait? You bet it is, and then some, with a story of epic proportions and special effects that push CGI to its very limits. Here, the worlds of the real and the imagined blend with such ease you cannot see the join, as armoured Ice Bears clash in the frozen wastes of the north and people’s souls become visible as daemons – animal familiars that never leave their sides.

For those unfamiliar with the books, it’s best to bear in mind this is the first of a trilogy and so, although there is some exposition of the plot, other things remain unexplained because they don’t really become relevant until the third book. This first chapter, set in a parallel universe, concentrates on the adventures of Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards), a feisty ‘orphan’ being brought up in the care of her explorer uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) at the distinguished Jordan College. However, Lyra’s life changes dramatically when the enigmatic Mrs Coulter (Nicole Kidman) arrives to take her to the big city. Suspicious of Mrs Coulter’s motives and with her friends mysteriously disappearing around her, Lyra decides to head north armed only with faithful daemon Pan (voiced by Freddie Highmore) and the ancient ‘golden compass’ that reveals the truth.

From here, the action comes thick and fast as Lyra falls in with a bunch of rag tag Gyptians, befriends an Ice Bear and a garrulous Texan airman (Sam Elliott), finally meets a mythical witch (Eva Green), and engages in battle in order to rescue her young friend Roger (Ben Walker). After the calm and order of the first half of the film, this section is really thrilling and perfectly executed, although very small children may find it dark and frightening.

Like the best trilogies, it leaves you wanting to see more immediately; to want to exist in this magical world where your soul talks to you, where a mechanical device can tell you what people are really thinking, and where friendships forged in adversity will last until death. The controversy is actually irrelevant – this, like all the best fairytales, is simply an enthralling story told with flair and great imagination and once you’re in Lyra’s world you may find you just don’t want to leave again. Dee Pilgrim