Golden Compass: Book to Movie, Did you love it or hate it? |
 Mar 19 2008, 08:13 AM
Post
#1
|
|
One Half of the DDD  Posts: 8,407 Joined: 5:31pm August 30, 2006 Location: Siriusly Dreaming Somewhere   |
Movie versions of favourite books aren't always as we expect them to be. When reading, most people conjure up images of the characters, the landscape, costume, etc and sometimes what we see on the screen very much agrees with our imagination, at other times its very different, which can be a pleasant surprise or a disappointment.
 How well do you think the Golden Compass movie told the story? There are some wonderful characters in this story, Mrs Coulder, Farder Coram, Serafina Pekala, John Fas, Lord Asriel, Iorek Byrnison and, of course, Lyra Belacqua - do you think the movie introduced the characters sufficiently? What did you think of the way the plot was interpreted, did it have all the essential elements of the story? Did you agree with the way the ending of the movie was changed from the book? Why do you think that was done? Special effects were widely used to create the daemons, the armoured bears, to illustrate the alethiometer's way of providing answers, etc. How well do you think these were done, were you impressed, were they believable, could they have been done better?    How well do you think the movie compared with screen versions of other favourite books? Is it a given that movie versions are often not as good as the books and do you think. Are you disappointed if they're not as good or do you accept that they are different art forms and should be viewed differently? This post has been edited by Dreamteam: Mar 21 2008, 12:01 PM --------------------  November's book will be The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger "THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" |
 |
 
 
|
|
Mar 22 2008, 09:25 AM
Post
#2
|
|
Waiting for Wednesdays  Posts: 9,150 Joined: 7:57am January 28, 2005 Location: Hiding from Hurricanes  |
I rarely like it when my favorite books are turned into films, this is no exception.
The actors were wonderful, and truly seemed to fit the parts they portrayed, I liked the daemons, but the bears reminded me of those cute bears on the coke commercials we see at Christmas. I'm not sure what I expected, but it was not what I received. I think the thing I disliked most was what we didn't see in the movie. Like most wonderful books, I don't want one piece of punctuation cut. I felt like the book's daemon was cut from the movie, it seemed to miss the spark I wanted. -------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Mar 22 2008, 09:52 AM
Post
#3
|
|
Neville's Personal Dietitian  Posts: 659 Joined: 2:20pm September 22, 2007 Location: Hiding in Ron Weasley's wardrobe, waiting to jump out at him and trying not to laugh too loudly =P |
I thought they did an ok job of the film - the special effects were amazing and the acting was generally pretty good, but I have a big problem with the ending. I can't understand why they would end it there - it's such a bad place!! The ending of the book was great because it was such a cliffhanger for the next book, but I was really unimpressed with the place they chose to end the film. Why couldn't they just make the film a few minutes longer? Does this mean that because there is still part of this book to show in the next film (assuming there is one), are they going to cut out some of The Subtle Knife's plot?
I agree with Doris actually, the bears don't look fierce enough. And I think this was probably me being wrong, but I always imagined them as brown. Now that I think about it though, it makes no sense! I didn't think the spirit of the daemons (particularly Pan) was really captured and I don't remember them changing form very often in the film. It has been a few years since I've read the book, but I got the impression that Pan was constantly changing form. One good thing though - Nicole Kidman as Mrs Coulter  She was the perfect choice for the role!So overall, I think the film was simply ok. The book is definitely better, but then again I wasn't really expecting to enjoy the film more than the book. This post has been edited by MuggleQueen: Mar 22 2008, 09:54 AM --------------------
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 22 2008, 12:19 PM
Post
#4
|
|
Leaky Cauldron Napkin Folder Posts: 3,417 Joined: 3:30pm April 5, 2007 Location: In my Gringott's vault. The ride made me kind of....*turns green* |
I thought the movie was great! When I watch a movie that's from a book, I don't look for the book turned word for word into a movie. I look for a good movie, that follows the general plot of the book, and I thought that it did a very good job of that. I do, however, wish that they had gone on a bit further with the movie, and gone on to Roger's death, and the opening of the divide between Lyra's world and the world of Citigazze. I think that would have been a much better place to end it than the current one.
I think the acting was good! Especially that of Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman, and Daniel Craig. Oh, and I think those roles were cast perfectly. Nicole Kidman is a perfect Mrs. Coulter.  All in all, a good movie!
-------------------- "If you believed as he did. Could you take away his soul?" ~Carlisle, New Moon   Thanks to {{voldy}} for the awesome siggies! |
|
|
|
|
Mar 22 2008, 01:03 PM
Post
#5
|
|
Chief Mischief-Maker  Posts: 8,572 Joined: 5:07pm January 28, 2005 Location: The Marauder's Map never lies ... |
To be honest, much as I enjoyed The Golden Compass, it left me feeling slightly underwhelmed.
The characters were portrayed very well by the actors ... Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman were both excellent and Dakota Blue Richards made a really good Lyra. I loved Iorek and of course the special effects were good, but I just felt as if something indefinable was missing - that little extra something which would have made the film into something fabulous. I tend to agree with MuggleQueen - I don't think they captured the spirits of the daemons particularly well - they were a bit flat and lacking in magical quality, if that makes any sense. All in all, I much prefer the books - and you'll all need to bear with me because I can't get my head round The Golden Compass when I'm talking about the book, so it's Northern Lights for me!
-------------------- Proud Gryffindor
  and OPAST member"Hallows," murmured Dumbledore, "not Horcruxes. Precisely."  |
|
|
|
|
Mar 22 2008, 01:19 PM
Post
#6
|
|
WhizzHard Books Copy Editor Posts: 2,185 Joined: 4:31pm October 9, 2006 Location: At Swamp Bottom, making thread. |
the film was ok- i dont expect ill watch it again unless its on tv over christmas or something though. i do remember leaving the cinema and saying to my sister though-what? but he's not dead? i was very suprised that the film stopped where it did! it makes me wonder where the second one will start...?
edit- also as a british viewer i was annoyed that they left us with the american title- but seeing as how there where no northern lights at the end, maybe golden compass was more suited (that its not a golden compass at all but an altheometer is an entirely different conversation in and of itself!) This post has been edited by shadow_onthesun: Mar 22 2008, 01:23 PM -------------------- Leakys British thread has grown too big for the lounge! Join us HERE for Brit talk, and random Potter-ing  |
|
|
|
|
Mar 22 2008, 02:53 PM
Post
#7
|
|
Resident Tonks Expert  Posts: 1,862 Joined: 9:46pm February 3, 2006 Location: In the clouds  |
Well, I don't know how many times I've talked about this .... but here we go again.
At first I hated it, but then I watched it again and liked it a bit more. I'm ok with it, but I think they really messed up of the arrangement of the last part. Hated that they cut the ending, cuz that was my favorite part, and also disliked some of the dialogue. It was cheesy and choppy. I thought the overall acting was great, though. Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, and Dakota Blue Richards were all fantastic ... wish there would have been more Daniel though.  I'm really worried about the next two. I want them to make them, specially now that New Line belongs to WB and they might be able to make things a bit better for the series, but at the same time I'm worried that if they do make them, that the might screw them up even more. And that's something that we don't need. I will say this, though. If they do decide to NOT make the next two, and they don't show us that extended version of the first film, I will cry with anger. 
-------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Mar 22 2008, 05:24 PM
Post
#8
|
|
|
Waiting for Wednesdays Posts: 9,150 Joined: 7:57am January 28, 2005 Location: Hiding from Hurricanes |
QUOTE(shadow_onthesun @ Mar 22 2008, 01:19 PM)  edit- also as a british viewer i was annoyed that they left us with the american title- but seeing as how there where no northern lights at the end, maybe golden compass was more suited (that its not a golden compass at all but an altheometer is an entirely different conversation in and of itself!) As an American viewer I was annoyed with the name too, so don't feel alone. I've never been sure why they changed the name of the book over here, it makes more sense to be The Northern Lights. Yes - the altheometer is a compass to the truth, but well I just don't get it. (see why I'm not a huge book exec somewhere!  )The ending is something I'm truly puzzled with, so I need to see the next movie and see why it ended the way it did. The Subtle Knife is scheduled to be released in movie form in 2009. (IMDB) Plot line from Subtle Knife under spoiler tag ...... I can wait to see who will play Will. -------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Mar 22 2008, 05:31 PM
Post
#9
|
|
|
Leaky Cauldron Napkin Folder Posts: 3,417 Joined: 3:30pm April 5, 2007 Location: In my Gringott's vault. The ride made me kind of....*turns green* |
QUOTE(DorisTLC @ Mar 22 2008, 05:24 PM) QUOTE(shadow_onthesun @ Mar 22 2008, 01:19 PM) edit- also as a british viewer i was annoyed that they left us with the american title- but seeing as how there where no northern lights at the end, maybe golden compass was more suited (that its not a golden compass at all but an altheometer is an entirely different conversation in and of itself!) As an American viewer I was annoyed with the name too, so don't feel alone. I've never been sure why they changed the name of the book over here, it makes more sense to be The Northern Lights. Yes - the altheometer is a compass to the truth, but well I just don't get it. (see why I'm not a huge book exec somewhere! )The ending is something I'm truly puzzled with, so I need to see the next movie and see why it ended the way it did. The Subtle Knife is scheduled to be released in movie form in 2009. (IMDB) Plot line from Subtle Knife under spoiler tag ...... I can wait to see who will play Will.  I did love all of the CGI in the movie...they did a really good job with that. -------------------- "If you believed as he did. Could you take away his soul?" ~Carlisle, New Moon Thanks to {{voldy}} for the awesome siggies! |
|
|
|
|
Mar 22 2008, 10:50 PM
Post
#10
|
|
|
Perusing the Magical Menagerie Posts: 85 Joined: 9:04am March 11, 2007 Location: Uruguay, Montevideo |
I think the movie was good, but It could have been better.
I love all the actors, but I think the movie had a lot of shorts scenes, they introduced and took out characters too fast. About the end: When they sowed the original end, in the test screenings, some peolple thought that Lyra died, when she walked through the "portal". For that they decided to move that to the begining of the subtle knife. Besides all the movie is about Lyra going to save Roger, if at the end of the movie Roger would have die, the ones who arenīt fans of the book would be dissapointed. |
|
|
|
