Anyone know where there's a decent torrent of this? Every one I try is some wank that says I need 'domplayer' (which is apparently dodgy spyware that you have to pay for the privelige of putting on your machine)
Golden Compass *SPOILERS*
- Thread starter sojourner
- Start date
sleaterkinney
Well-Known Member
Wonderful wonderful film. (Haven't read the book)
Melinda said:
Yeah but I quite like silly kids' fantasy films. Loved Stardust for instance
i was pleasantly surprised, for a Hollywood fantasy franchise I thought it worked very well, looked wonderful, was genuinelhy exciting and moving. I do disagree about the ending: finishing where they did was madness. The 2nd book starts in a totally different mood than the first ends, and that's going to be lost.
Didn't read the book but I liked the movie. I liked the concept. Thought it was badly edited in places though. If not badly edited then something wasn't right with the occasional scene, eg when she was crossing the bridge and there was all this sense that she might fall into a chasm but the next thing you know wey hey she's alright and back on her feet on the other side.
madzone
Physically unfavourable
We went to see it this afternoon. Apart from the fight scene at the end which I thought was good I spent most of the film going 'Why?' 
As for the ending - what the FUCK was that all about??
My husband hasn't read the book so he quite enjoyed it but me and the 2 youngest have and we spent the entire journey home slagging it off
My middle boy had already seen it with school and he had a sly smile on his face as the film started - he knew I was going to be sooooo pissed off
When the film ended there was a palpable sense of most of the audience sitting there thinking 'wtf?'
As for the ending - what the FUCK was that all about??
My husband hasn't read the book so he quite enjoyed it but me and the 2 youngest have and we spent the entire journey home slagging it off
My middle boy had already seen it with school and he had a sly smile on his face as the film started - he knew I was going to be sooooo pissed off When the film ended there was a palpable sense of most of the audience sitting there thinking 'wtf?'
Gromit
International Man of Misery
IMO staying completely true to a book makes for a boring film for those that have read the book.
You need to mix it up a bit, put in some variations to add a bit of interest.
Go too far though and you then get a case of why did they even bother to use the same title as the book?
You need to mix it up a bit, put in some variations to add a bit of interest.
Go too far though and you then get a case of why did they even bother to use the same title as the book?
Strumpet
gypsy girl
I noticed sometimes but didn;t bother me beyond an "oh..." and I hadn't freshly read it just before seeing it. Maybe that would've made a diff?
I really enjoyed it. I don't much care if it is exactly as the book or not tbh.
I let myself get lost in it all and came out grinning
I really enjoyed it. I don't much care if it is exactly as the book or not tbh.
I let myself get lost in it all and came out grinning
madzone
Physically unfavourable
Strumpet said:I noticed sometimes but didn;t bother me beyond an "oh..." and I hadn't freshly read it just before seeing it. Maybe that would've made a diff?
I really enjoyed it. I don't much care if it is exactly as the book or not tbh.
I let myself get lost in it all and came out grinning
If I hadn't read the book last week maybe it wouldn't have bothered me so much. How can it be ok to change who it is who tries to poison Asriel?
I've read it three times. As I've said, as true as a film can be. It would be impossible to recreate the book in its entirety. Perhaps I was more forgiving, and had more of it in my head already, than you were? Having said that I was well prepared to give it a good drubbing, and I was really surprised at how happy I was with itmadzone said:Read it again - it's so far from the book in some places at to be virtually pointless
madzone
Physically unfavourable
sojourner said:
Patronising cow
I finished reading it (for the second time) a few days before I saw the film. It's so far from the book in places that I found it difficult to follow the plot.I think you were definitely more forgiving of it and I'm surprised you liked it so much. It shouldn't be so difficult to come up with a screenplay that accurately reflects the book.
And my kids pulled it to bits as well and they're cleverer than you so
Absolutely wasn't meant to be patronising! What I meant was that maybe I filled in gapsmadzone said:Patronising cow
I think you were definitely more forgiving of it and I'm surprised you liked it so much. It shouldn't be so difficult to come up with a screenplay that accurately reflects the book.
And my kids pulled it to bits as well and they're cleverer than you so
Well, no two people will come away feeling the same about it I guess
madzone
Physically unfavourable
They weren't gaps though - they were bloody great stomping changes to the plot. As a stand-alone film I suppose it was ok (Mr Madz seemed to enjoy it and hasn't read the book) but as a representation of a book I felt it was miles away from several key issues and plot points.sojourner said:
Three people came away feeling the same - me and the two kids
Yeh but you're from Cornwall.madzone said:They weren't gaps though - they were bloody great stomping changes to the plot. As a stand-alone film I suppose it was ok (Mr Madz seemed to enjoy it and hasn't read the book) but as a representation of a book I felt it was miles away from several key issues and plot points.
Three people came away feeling the same - me and the two kids
Okay, list the bloody great stomping changes then.
madzone
Physically unfavourable
sojourner said:
I'll treat that remark with the contempt it deserves
This article sums up a bit of how I feel
On top of those changes there's these:
The bloke from the Magisterium tries to poison Asriel
The Billy Costa thing
The fact she just strolls up to Bolvangar on her own - lamest thing I've seen in a long time
Releasing the severed daemons - no sense of what's going on at Bolvangar
Mrs Coulter telling Lyra she's her mother - wtf? Apart from the fact that missing out the bit about Ma Costa wet nursing her makes a mockery of the fact that Ma Costa gives Lyra such a warm greeting at the beginning.
I could go on but I won't
These things may all seem inconsequential but IMO they contribute to the balls being cut out of this film. You get no sense of the importance of lyra, you don't qustion who she is, why there's prophecies about her - Fuck's Sake she's supposed to be Eve, not some scrawny kid who happens to be quite lucky.
The kid who plays Lyra was the only saving grace - fucikng excellent little actor - they could've got more out of her than they did.
madzone
Physically unfavourable
sojourner said:Lazy arse
Right - so the original (Weitz) screenplay did actually include lots of the stuff eventually missed out, in order to keep the film to the required length. Which is what I said
Not lazy, just fucked in the head and struggling greatly with coherently trying to put my point accross
Apart from the first 2 points, I agree, they do seem inconsequential - they certainly didn't stop my enjoyment, and I don't think they were absolutely necessary to include. I stick to my original comment about not being able to fit everything in, and also film being a different medium.madzone said:On top of those changes there's these:
The bloke from the Magisterium tries to poison Asriel
The Billy Costa thing
The fact she just strolls up to Bolvangar on her own - lamest thing I've seen in a long time
Releasing the severed daemons - no sense of what's going on at Bolvangar
Mrs Coulter telling Lyra she's her mother - wtf? Apart from the fact that missing out the bit about Ma Costa wet nursing her makes a mockery of the fact that Ma Costa gives Lyra such a warm greeting at the beginning.
I could go on but I won't
These things may all seem inconsequential but IMO they contribute to the balls being cut out of this film. You get no sense of the importance of lyra, you don't qustion who she is, why there's prophecies about her - Fuck's Sake she's supposed to be Eve, not some scrawny kid who happens to be quite lucky.
The kid who plays Lyra was the only saving grace - fucikng excellent little actor - they could've got more out of her than they did.
The real sense of who Lyra is only really starts to kick in on the second book anyway.
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