ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

CHRISTMAS has become the season for epic fantasy adventure films. Following in the wake of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and The Chronicles Of Narnia, The Golden Compass comfortably fits the bill with its eye-catching special effects, noble quest, dastardly villains and mighty animal protectors all combining to make this ideal family entertainment.

The blockbuster adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel The Northern Lights finds a new star in Dakota Blue Richards as the 12 year-old Lyra Belacqua, a tomboy adventuress who could have stepped from the pages of Enid Blyton or Alice In Wonderland.

She lives in a world that is very similar to our own but with some subtle differences including the fact that everyone has a daemon who represents their inner essence. Lyra is also befriended by Iorek, a polar bear protector with the voice of Ian McKellen.

When Lyra's uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) defies the orthodox religious order Magisterium and sets out for the North Pole to investigate parallel worlds, Lyra finds herself the owner of an alethiometer known as The Golden Compass. Wicked Mrs Coulter (Nicole Kidman) would love to get her hands on this valuable object and so the chase is on.

The plotting in The Golden Compass isn't always easy to follow and the pacing is a little uneven at times, but the sense of spectacle and derring-do is more than enough to sweep you along.

Nicole Kidman is a splendidly icy villainess and the fim is suprisingly violent at times. Even with some reservations, The Golden Compass is still a perfect film for that Christmas visit to the movies.

Director: Chris Weitz
Stars: Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Christopher Lee, Tom Courtenay, Sam Elliott, Kristin Scott Thomas
Screenwriter: Chris Weitz based on The Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Certificate: PG
Running time: 113mins
Country: USA
Year: 2007

© Allan Hunter, 2007