The Golden Compass

In the tradition of the great fantasy epics of the past (Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia) Philip Pullman wrote his own work in retaliation to Lewis' Chronicles called His Dark Materials. The first novel in Pullman's trilogy was recentally adapted into a film by Chris Weitz called The Golden Compass. The film has been subject to much criticism from the church as the trilogy was intended to be an alegory for atheism and being targeted toward kids. In the end, the film is very fun to watch and rather challenging to think about the allegory. The film may be scary if watched by children (as recomended by the PG-13 rating) but it is enjoyable for older kids and for adults. Be sure to watch out for this film in the technical awards nominations come Oscar time.

*** 1/2