Based on what I've heard about the book (I have yet to read the series), there is a strongly anti-religion element in the story. In fact I've even been told that at the climax the children end up killing God. Now I'm not fervently anti-religion, but that sounds like an very interesting take on things. However, as I heard going in, and saw at the movie, most (i.e. all) of the religious elements had pretty much been stripped out in making the movie. Go Hollywood!
Now before I go on and rip the film apart I must warn you that I have been watching a lot of Zero Punctuation lately. And I might come off a bit harsh. So be it.
First off, the film flowed like they tried to jam a 1300 page novel into 90 minutes. This is especially troubling seeing as how the novel is only 432 pages, and the film clocks in at 113 minutes. If you're trying to keep it short for the kids, cut out some of the plot from the book. But in the case of the movie it seemed a bit mature for children who couldn't have sat for more than two hours. Then again I know that the attention span of the population as a whole has shriveled up, so maybe that's the problem. In any case the film gives you the sense that all the action takes place over a two day period.
But enough about the pacing (or lack there of). Let's talk about the cast. Nicole Kidman delivers one of the weakest performances I have ever seen out of her. And that's saying a lot. However, Dakota Blue Richards does deliver fantastically. It had to be sad for Nicole when she is out-acted by a 13-year old with no real prior screen experience. And as for the rest of the cast... Well with the pacing the way it is, and the multitude of characters just thrown at us, it's impossible to judge any of their performances. They all seem to be on screen for such short spurts that rating them on that would be the equivalent of calling someone fluent in French because they could conjugate the verb etre. I liked most of the other players (Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Sam Elliot, etc.) but I had no time to appreciate them.
And then there is the story. Let's keep this one brief and just nail down a couple problems/questions/issues I had.
First off, Lyra gets the compass, has no idea what it is, can't read it, gets a 30-second explanation of how it works from another man who doesn't fully understand it, and can suddenly not only read it but have clear as day visions about what she wants to know? That's some talent.
Two, Iorek Byrnison regains his title as king of the icebears, yet still has his oath to Lyra to repay. So he helps her get to the children they are trying to save. Now these children are housed in a building in the middle of nowhere, guarded by heavily armed soldiers with wolves. So after she goes in on her own, gets in trouble, but manages to get the children out (this I can swallow, somehow), Iorek comes to her rescue, alone. You are king of the freaking bears! They have to do what you say. Bring them along! I mean Iorek alone manages to take out what seems to be half the soldiers. With an army of freaking bears you could complete destroy them. Thankfully a slew of other briefly introduced characters also come to the rescue.
Three, the admission by Kidman that she is Lyra's mother and that Daniel Craig is her father is so forced and poorly acted that I expected Lyra to discover two seconds later that she was trying to trick her. In fact I was all but shocked that Lyra didn't at least use the compass to ask if Craig was her father, rather than just repeat (at least two dozen times) "we need to go save my father". But I'll grant her not looking based on the fact that if any orphan is told that a man she loves is her father she might very well be willing to accept it on blind faith.
In the end, there were entertaining parts of the film, brief as many of them may be. And Dakota Blue Richards did an outstanding job. And it did make me want to read the books (if only to see how badly they destroyed it), and movie that makes you want to pick up a book can't be all that bad can it?
RATING: Worth a cheap matinee or dollar theatre ticket, save the netflix queuing until the other two have come around and you can catch them all at once (or can decide that they really are not worth it at all)