Marginal Revolution: The Golden Compass

November
S	M	T	W	Th	F	St
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

« Tyrone on rent control | Main | Illegality means illiquidity »

The Golden Compass

It lacks direction.

Posted by Alex Tabarrok on December 8, 2007 at 09:30 AM in The Arts | Permalink

Comments

It has some pretty scenes, and the actors did what they do, but the storyline was so fluid that it resembled a dream. Too condensed.

Posted by: Dima at Dec 8, 2007 10:17:35 AM

I knew I should have just bought the $5 version at Wal-Mart instead of getting the fancy, expensive compass.

Posted by: Yogi at Dec 8, 2007 10:58:02 AM

That's too bad. I love the books (and not only as "children's" books - I just think they are a fine read) and was really looking forward to the film. I'll probably still go and see it, but the fault is sadly predictable. You can't fit a 400 page book into a movie-length treatment without lopping out big bits of storyline, which is probably why the most successful adaptations have always either been done from short books or have taken liberties with plot.

*Minor spoiler alert for those who have read the book*

I understand they stopped the story short of the end of the book. I don't understand how they can do that without changing the presentation of many of the characters and the meaning of many events. Guess I'll have to go and see it and find out.

Posted by: tom s. at Dec 8, 2007 11:01:13 AM

Being a Christian grade school teacher, I read it to understand what all the hoopla was about. I'm disappointed; there is actually not much in the Compass to challenge anyone's faith, but it does tease those Christians addicted to the power of the Church. It's not anti-Christian at all, it's anti-Church, anti-injustice. I think anyone who's scared of the Compass should read it immediately. The key storyline, that of separating innocents from their souls, reminded me of what many Catholic church leaders did to native Canadian children, as recently as 40 years ago.

Posted by: shirley at Dec 8, 2007 11:59:53 AM

Posted by: shirley at Dec 8, 2007 12:00:51 PM

Alex, your review was almost as amusing and concise (well, more concise) as Ebert's recent review of Guy Ritchie's "Revolver."
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071206/REVIEWS/712060303

Posted by: cris at Dec 8, 2007 12:07:09 PM

I haven't seen it yet (in puerto rico, US films are distributed one or two weeks after their US release), but my test of any film, book, or work of art is: is the work so bad that it should not have been made in the first place (since those resources used in making it could have been to some other use). Admittedly, my test is a quite liberal and forgoving one, but I should disclose that I don't have a TV - that's why I love going to the movies, art museums, bookstores, etc.

Posted by: enrique at Dec 8, 2007 1:11:31 PM

I thought it was great.

Posted by: stuart at Dec 8, 2007 1:40:31 PM

http://www.qwizx.com/gssfx/usa/tpirhorns.wav

Posted by: Urstoff at Dec 8, 2007 2:46:46 PM

I thought that it was dumbed down too much for the american audiences. Liked the book better, but the film, on its own, holds its merits.

Posted by: Chewxy at Dec 8, 2007 3:01:45 PM

the book was amazing, the rest of the trilogy even more so. problem is that the best part is the depth of the story and charaters and the creation of a whole new world w/ its own history and culture. to present this in a hollywood film would be almost impossible. honestly it would have to be bigger scale than Peter Jackson's LotR. and that kind of budget and time will never exist for any book lesser known than Tolkien.

Posted by: Ellen at Dec 8, 2007 3:04:25 PM

oh, and to shirly, I agree that the Golden Compass delves very little into religion, if you want to be shocked read the rest of the trilogy (the Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass) they get more and more philisophical (and blasphemous) as you go.

Posted by: ellen at Dec 8, 2007 3:06:42 PM

Ellen: So God and his angels are made of Dust. Big effing deal. Seriously, I don't see why that is balsphemous. Afterall, scientists do speculate on anything, so why not speculate on the subject of God (whether He/She/It exists is another matter) as well?

It becomes blind faith if you don't question. And people with blind faith? Lemme name some: Osama, and all the suicide bombers.

Posted by: Chewxy at Dec 9, 2007 2:37:31 AM

I think I'd just be okay with a poster of Nicole Kidman in that suit she's wearing in the ads. That's more exciting than anything else I've read about the movie.

Posted by: Jarick at Dec 10, 2007 10:50:44 AM

chewxy:
1: i didn't say blasphemy was bad or blind faith was good, i said that if shirly wants to be more shocked she should finish the trilogy
2: (spoiler alert) i don't think its the Dust thats the issue, its god being a puppet/ cover of a malevolent angel...

Posted by: ellen at Dec 10, 2007 12:20:13 PM

As for the quality of the movie. Read the interview with the author of the Golden Compass in Forbes. The interview delves into how the movie is different from the book, how the producers were afraid of the Christian right and that if the movie were true to the book, that it would get boycotted and lose money. What a surprise! Fear of losing money generates change in Hollywood.

Posted by: techreseller at Dec 12, 2007 10:54:02 AM

Hi Allow me to offer my heartiest wishes. I would like to know more about this I'm an chinese writer who love to read international literature.feel free to contact by sdggc and bjseek-无缝管|无缝钢管|数据恢复|RAID数据恢复

Posted by: 无缝钢管 at Dec 13, 2007 2:02:47 AM

hi,I University majoring in the legal profession.After graduation,I 徵信 the work of the strong interest.Has worked in several徵信社.Has a wealth of experience. Now I immigrants France,Hope to continue to engage in the work of徵信 credit.

now, is to wake up every day to drink 咖啡, shopping. I hope that early awareness of Boles.

thanks,thank very much.

Posted by: Tonny at Mar 18, 2008 4:15:51 AM

^^ nice blog!! thanks a lot! ^^

徵信, 徵信社,徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 徵信, 徵信社, 外遇, 抓姦, 離婚, 外遇,離婚,