This may sound like heresy to Pullman fans, but I liked the film more than the book. Many of the reviews complain that the film is too clunky, too fast paced, not enough character development. For me the book lagged in a lot of places and was unnecessarily repetitive, in some cases the film got to the point much faster. The idea of how the Compass worked was confusing in the book and so to me, it needed the imagery of the film. I’m not sure I understand the choice of where they ended it, even knowing there’s the second installment expected. The settings were fantastic, the animation was really amazing. Though I have an unfailing heebie-jeebie reaction to talking animals, so I have to confess I averted my eyes from that. I do wish there was more steam punk creations. I guess there’s always the sequel. It was a different kind of film, drawn from a book with challenging ideas and an unconventional flow to the story. I enjoyed it. Also I have to say I at least liked the ideas (if not always the style) in Pullman’s book.
Filed under: Film
