I went to see The Golden Compass. I would have probably skipped this story altogether except for the controversy swirling around it… which, like any controversies, found its way into my email inbox. So not only did I see the movie but I also read the entire book series - called His Dark Materials (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass). Here are my thoughts.
SUPER-QUICK SUMMARY
The Golden Compass (the movie) is a great story captured in a well-made cinematic fantasy-scape that I enjoyed, and I found it fairly benign for kids despite the emails warning of impending doom. The book series that the movie comes from, however, is not as innocent. Although aimed at kids, it’s not nearly as kid-appropriate as the movie, and decreases so from book to book (as does the quality of the storytelling).
THE MOVIE
I thought the movie itself was well worth seeing. The special effects were impressive, although I have become numb to great CGI after the Lord of the Rings film trilogy’s mastery of the device. I also thought the casting was splendid - with a very demure and poised Nicole Kidman and a very wild western Sam Elliot (who is one of my faves). The little girl playing the lead character Lyra was Dakota Blue Richards, who in her first ever movie role managed to encapsulate the Lyra character almost identically to my perception of her from reading the book prior… impressive.
For everything negative about the books you may read in this post, keep in mind that I don’t apply that to the movie. The only caution would be if seeing the movie may lure your kids into reading the books… books you may find inappropriate.
THE CONTROVERSY
Now for the controversy - I have been sent emails that warn me to not give any “support” to this movie and to warn every parent I know to keep their children far away from this movie. That’s really quite overblown. The emails also warn that there are clearly anti-church, anti-Christian themes in the books. That’s quite TRUE.
Though, let me interject here that with the thousands of people involved in the business of movies (from making to marketing to merchandising) there does not exist a blockbuster movie whose ticket revenue doesn’t support someone evil somewhere… so if you don’t want to give “support” to anything evil join an Amish community.
Anyways, this controversy is SOMEWHAT similar to the clamor over the Harry Potter books… and although I haven’t read any Potter I have enjoyed the movies and thought them harmless fun. Despite the outcry that Harry Potter would swoon young children into a dangerous curiosity with witchcraft, the reality is that young children long for the flying broomsticks, scaled dragons, magic wands (that shoot lightning), and fairy creatures - these things are not only part of Harry Potter, but are largely found in The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. But REAL witchcraft is more like mixing a special hot tea to get that promotion you’re looking for, or drawing a circle in the dirt and standing in it to imagine the face of your soul-mate, and no kid is interested in such “mundane” witchcraft.
THE BOOKS
In PARTLY the same way as Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia, The Golden Compass is a children’s story rich in creatures, magic, compassion, oppression. HOWEVER, the book series (His Dark Materials) does go way beyond the generic “good versus evil” tale. There are clear counter-Biblical messages which the author does not deny.
Now the counter-Biblical messages in His Dark Materials can be compared to The Da Vinci Code, except that the latter was never meant for children, and adults would see it as readily filled with enough historical nonsense that there was no semblance of truth to be mistook (at least not by anyone intelligent). But kids are much more innocent and impressionable, and there are indeed - in His Dark Materials - specific counter-Biblical messages found directly in the storyline… it is very subtle in the first book, more open in the second, and blatantly obvious in the third. In fact, the third book’s dialog holds messages that would surely confuse impressionable young Christian children.
From what I’ve read online the author of His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman, is a self-assigned Atheist and decided to write His Dark Materials as a sort-of counter-Narnia story. Pullman would have done better to just write a solid epic children’s story, because although the first book is great, he starts to meander into an amalgam of preachy open-ended bunny trails that bear little resemblance to the exciting start of the tale. Indeed, the further you read the more convoluted (and counter-Biblical) the message gets - until the end of the third book when the reader is doused in a horrid yawn-fest of anti-climax.
If you are looking for an Atheist children’s story complete with homosexual fallen angels, pre-teen main characters who have sex with each other, and “God’s” military general of Heaven’s army getting horny for Nicole Kidman… then this is your book series.
Here is a great critique of the book series: His Dark Ending by James Schellenberg.
Here is an Amazon customer’s rant about the book series… it reads like something I would write. 
Web designer and developer. Loud discerner. Software engineer and 
You’ve convinced me to read them. If anything is poisoning the minds of children these days it’s organized religion.
Does anyone smell flame bait?
Harpy, next time read the post first.
The Chronicles of Narnia was intended to teach kids about Christianity i think. C.J. Lewis (the author) was i strong Christian.
Well, I’m finding the book fairly enjoyabel thus far. I’ve caugth a few subtle anti-Christian things in it so far. I’m reading it as part of a research paper about Athiesm. Thank goodness that my lit teacher is Catholic like me or I could end up being slapped down for what I’m going to put in the paper. Well I’m a little past the middle of the first book, and i’m hoping to actually publish a full sized article in a news paper. Well, look at that. It’s the 26th today and the last day of Christmas (not winter) break is Wednsday the second, with a rough draft of the paper due on Thursday. Looks like I got to stop typing and start reading to beat the deadline. Catch ya on the flip side, Jack!
I’ce seen a few subjects related to this movie from a christian perspective about at some point “killing God” or something similar to that? this confuses me, when a person is already fully aware that ‘Christ’ died for the sins of humanity. i haven’t seen the movie but i’m looking forward to finding any symbology behind or within it.
have a gr8 new year! ~Richard
@ General Jango :: You are correct. Narnia was still pretty metaphoric, but Dark Materials becomes even less so in the later books.
@ John3Sobieski :: Good luck on your paper. The first book is by far the best, and a good story. Read them all of course… but be prepared for an anti-climactic letdown at the end.
@ TheDemiprist :: The whole conept is flawed to begin with… which is partly to blame for the storyline falling flat on its face by the time you get to the end of the third book. If God exists, a human ain’t gonna’ be able to do anything to Him. Enjoy the movie, though.
Well, I’ve finally finished the books, all three of them. Heres my take. The series is designed to suck you in with the good writing and a good start of an epic in the first two books. Then, it comes out and blatantly says that there’s no Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Paradise, or God. We’re just dust in the wind. How fitting.
All theological matter is inherently flawed, in more than he says there’s no God. For example, he writes some on the nature of angels. He writes that when an angel dies, he drifts apart like dust in the wind. Well, angels can’t die, and even if they could, they are an indivisible oneness that cannot be taken apart because they are one pure spirit, with no parts. Thats just one flawed theological matter.
Obviously, he demeans the nature of the Church, saying that we want to control everything and destroy all that is enjoyable. I belong to the Church and I know how to have a real good time. Of course, that’s just one example. I can go on and on about them, though I won’t.
Yes, it was anticlimactic.
There is a much more appropriate name for these books. His Most Atrocious Blasphemy. It should only be read by people who know their faith and won’t fall victim to what Pulman has to say. The best use for the books is to dive into the mind of Atheists to see how they work. That’s all I’ve got for now
Oh, yeah, the movie. I’m waiting for it to come out on DVD so I can check it out of the library for free, that way none of my money goes to a man who wrote these books for the obvious though unexpressed purpose of stealing souls. Well, Now thats all I’ve got, for now
@ John3Sobieski :: The movie, like the first book, is good. I’m sorry you had to suffer the anti-climax… truly disappointing given the quality at which the story begins.
Yeah… once he delves into angels and the connection between daemons and dust the storyline plummets pathetically into a pit of incongruent blather.
Lewis was best friends with J.R.R. Tolkien and the two often compared notes on their books. Tolkien was also a very religous man.
I understand that the movie cost around 200 million to produce while they only made about 70 million in the theatres. If they don’t make a killing on DVD sales there may not be a second movie.