The Golden Compass [2007] | ![The Golden Compass [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BkTzME3xL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Chris Weitz
Actors: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Ben Walker, Freddie Highmore
Studio: Entertainment in Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £9.75
You Save: £10.24 (51%)
New (35) Used (7) Collectible (1) from £8.09
Rating:  66 reviews
Sales Rank: 4
Format: Pal
Language: English (Unknown)
Rating: Parental Guidance
Region: 2
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 109 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5017239195600
ASIN: B0010X8FLM
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: April 28, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Perhaps it didn't ignite the box office in quite the way it'd been hoped, but that's little reason to pass over the qualities of The Golden Compass now it arrives on DVD. Based on the Phillip Pullman novel His Dark Materials--itself the start of the Northern Lights trilogy, the film isn't without a few problems, but emerges as a quality adaptation. And you certainly can't fault The Golden Compass for sheer ambition. The story, for those new to the series, is primarily that of 12-year old Lyra, who is in search of her friend who has been kidnapped. Naturally, this proves to be quite a challenging adventure, not least because it's through Pullman's vividly imagined world, crossing dimensions as Lyra travels. The film, while toning down and fiddling with some elements of the source material, stays quite close to the book, and it proves to be a good, if not Lord Of The Rings-standard, adaptation. What helps The Golden Compass, on top of the strong effects work and scope of the production, is a solid cast, featuring the likes of Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman and Dakota Blue Richards. And it certainly whets the appetite for the next instalment in the series. Whether the muted box office returns put pay to that remains to be seen: for now, at least, The Golden Compass is a good, solid family movie that's easy to enjoy. --Jon Foster
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| Customer Reviews: Read 61 more reviews...
 An abomination. May 14, 2008
Luke A. G. Palmer (Norfolk, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Forgive the hyperboly, but I feel it justified.
I adored the Northern Lights, and the whole trilogy. But this film has failed in every respect.
Mrs Coulter was wrong, Lord Asriel was wrong. The Premise was ridiculous - turning the Church into a Universe-conquering organisation headed by Christopher Lee makes the story stupid, and the whole point about why the Church is evil is missed. Which I guess is the point.
The film doesn't end properly, which means the film adaptation of the Subtle Knife is going to have to begin strangely.
Visually, stunning. Very nicely done. This is the first star. The second star is the soundtrack.
In all, the story adaptation and casting (mostly) is an insult to the Trilogy. In a way I'm pleased the film is called The Golden Compass, because that separates it (at least in name) from the magnificence that was Northern Lights.
 A mess May 14, 2008
Mr. R. J. Allen (Shropshire, England)
I loved the books and it was a difficult boom to adapt. Although Lyra's world was well realised the plot was messy and confused, the ending was chopped off and made me felt like we were cheated a little bit. It seems that the makers had some Hollywood mogul's template of 'the big movie' where every box is ticked. I disliked it intensely and I will pretend that the sequels (if they are ever made) do not exist. Let's hope that in 20 or 30 years someone with the ambition or scope of a Peter Jackson comes along and remakes them.
Sadly disappointing adaptation with wooden dialogue May 12, 2008
Big Ben (Bedford, UK)
So sad that Chris Weitz should have ruined the wonderful Philip Pullman trilogy. With a start as bad as this, what hope of significant improvement? The visuals are pretty good but the wooden dialogue with clunky descriptive inserts kills the dynamic.
This wonderful book has been dumbed down all the way with a script whose style would make Noddy sound elegant and sophisticated. Actors seem mostly to be trying hard, but with small effect.
Nicole Kidman could surely have played a bit better, and McKellen is either sadly miscast or poorly directed for his key part. Probably both. A plague on Hollywood!
No extras at all on our copy of the DVD
Not very engaging May 12, 2008
J. Sullivan (Swindon)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
An OK film but it did not really grab us and make us stay in our seats. Nice CGI shame about the story.
Swiss cheese May 12, 2008
Jones the Film (Wales)
A truly sumptuous film with a fine cast; this should have been a winner. However, there are too many holes in it to give it a resounding recommendation.
The scenes felt a little disjointed, which perhaps is inevitable when trying to transfer a complex novel on to celluloid. Also, at the risk of being a bit churlish, I thought the young lead didn't always deliver her lines well.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed it (as did my children), if only for its rich visual splendour. I shall try the book.
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