The Golden Compass was a very, very good movie. The special effects were amazing and not to mention the acting! Nicole Kidman sent shivers down my spine as Mrs. Coulter and Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua was very convincing. There was suspense, drama, and action and adventure every second and your attention could not be diverted. However, there were some minor changes from the book, including some switch of the events and the ending. To tell you the truth, I actually liked the way the escape from Bolvangar occurred after Ragnur (Iofur) was defeated. It felt a lot better and more climactic because that was what Lyra's entire goal was. Also, Iofur's name was changed to Ragnur which I do not really mind. It was a wise decision by Chris Weitz to change it and Iofur doesn't really play a major character anyways. Also, the ending really hurt the entire film. It would have been a heart touching scene to find out that Roger died, who Lyra was trying to save from the beginning of the movie. I was originally furious because of this change, and I was waiting to see it but I guess I can wait until The Subtle Knife. I don't care what anyone else says, but this film was great and entertaining. However, this movie is very dark so some children may not enjoy. The entire controversy about "Anti-Christianity" is absolutely rubbish in my opinion. This is just a wonderful movie based off a wonderful book, and the word "church" is not uttered at all throughout the movie. However, you can still feel that dominating, imposing personality of the Magisterium. As I said before, the acting was wonderful and so were the visual effects. I suggest that everyone should watch this in theaters to see it large screen. However, sometimes the movie felt just a bit rushed, but the entire movie itself makes up for that. The most worst part of this movie just has to be that the ending was cut off, which I was dying to see. Luckily, it is supposed to be in the DVD release. I'm also hoping for the sequel, The Subtle Knife. The Golden Compass deserves a sequel and I will seriously be extremely upset if New Line Cinema does not make it. This movie truly deserves and needs one and it will be so incomplete if the entire series is not done! I'm a fan of the books, and I can say that this movie sticks very close to the original book. The Magisterium is not shown as being like the church, but you can still feel the essence of it. Those parts are toned down, but with the wonderful acting, amazing special effects, an entertaining yet dark story, and the vibrant newcomer Dakota Blue Richards, The Golden Compass is the best movie of 2007 and it truly deserves a sequel and an applause.
