His Dark Materials - The Golden Compass - VGF

Sim Kid · 05-19-2007, 05:51 PM

The Golden Compass

Wow, I've been waiting for something like this. If it's done right, this could be as good as Narnia was.

Chunky Kong12345 · 05-19-2007, 06:16 PM

Ah, this is being made into a movie finally.

**Sean P Kelly** · 05-19-2007, 07:09 PM

I don't know much about The Golden Compass other than my brother owns the book.

***Ace Mercury*** · 05-19-2007, 10:16 PM

I reads the first book, backs when I was a teenagers. I finds the concept of a daemon to be megas fascinating; it's the stuffs that I would randomly daydreams about.

**Booyakasha** · 05-23-2007, 08:54 PM

I read the books earlier this year as a favour to my ma (a beleaguered elementary school librarian who didn't have time to check them out personally). They were well-written and everything, but they didn't sit right with me. Mainly because the central message of the series is that Satan is good and God is evil. Not something I'd put in the hands of impressionable children.

**Wyborn** · 05-23-2007, 11:18 PM

Huh. Is that what they're about? "Yay Satan"?

**Booyakasha** · 05-24-2007, 01:41 AM

^They dress it up a bit, and they don't really get into it until about the end of the second book, but yes, that's about the size of it. Spoiler Below

In the third book, we get to see Lucifer lead a second rebellion against the Throne, this time successfully. Oh, and one of the main characters kills God. It's about as blasphemous as you're likely to find in a children's book.

**Wyborn** · 05-24-2007, 01:44 AM

Well, I can see that working if it's handled well, much as it clashes with my upbringing.

I can also see showing it to my pastor and watching him physically explode.

Sim Kid · 05-24-2007, 12:35 PM

You mean he hasn't physically exploded from that Da Vinci Code mess already?

**Sean P Kelly** · 12-08-2007, 10:45 PM

Saw it today. Better than Narnia, not as good as Potter and Rings.

Also, don't get me started on the whole religious fiasco other than the fact that they should have kept the religious references in the film instead of thinly veiled metaphors.

Spoiler Below

A good example being Nicole Kidman obviously talking about Adam and Eve and original sin, but substituting the word "dust" for "sin"

EDIT: It's also interesting how controversy over a a movie can get a book banned from schools 12 years after it came out.

**Kargath** · 12-08-2007, 10:57 PM

Spoiler Below

The point of the story is not so much that "god is evil" rather that "the CHURCH is evil", which is worse for power-hungry fundies.

That Guy · 12-09-2007, 12:00 AM

^ this is true, I also don't think it needs to be spoilered.

**L007 is Undecided** · 12-09-2007, 09:34 PM

Saw it today. Very nice, but they did stray from the book quite a number of times.

WARNING: SPOILERS. Starts off minor, then gets more spoilerish.

Spoiler Below

One particular scene I noticed was the missing of the tomb scene with the daemons inscribed in the medallions. Not that major, but it did give something to do for Lyra.

Spoiler Below

Another scene, a bit more major, was the rescuing of the kid while in the Arctic region. Originally, the kid died, but now they gave hope for him. Also, he wasn't carrying a fish in the movie, he was carrying a cloth. o_O

Spoiler Below

Huge deal with the Bear Kingdom. First off, this scene happened way too early. Second, Iofur's name was changed, and I'm not going to bother remembering what he was called. Third, Iofur never beat Iorek in a fight, Iorek killed a bear in a normal challenge which Iofur made it so the other bear would not stop fighting, not poisoning the king. Lastly, the armor that Iofur had, while very nice, was supposed to be stripped of easily due to his obsession of thinking he was human, putting on poor metal armor. Of course, they also kept out that Iofur had his chest ripped open and his heart eaten, but I was shocked when I saw his jaw knocked off. That image is forever burned into my mind. Oh, and the GOB Quarters was supposed to happen before, not after. Oh well, it made up for that with one of the most brilliant battles I have ever seen in a movie.

Spoiler Below

Finally... the ending. While Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring actually went into The Two Towers (At least that's what I heard), the movie ENDED TOO ****ING EARLY. WHAT THE HELL?!! The book ended with Roger's death opening a portal in the Aurora, but here they're still sailing on Lee's boat! The book had an excellent cliffhanger, and this... is it supposed to make it end happily? AUGH!

**Sean P Kelly** · 12-10-2007, 09:14 AM

^ A few of the issues addressed were answered on Wikipedia:
Spoiler Below

Iofur's name was changed (to Ragnar Sturlusson) to avoid confusion with Iorek.
The final three chapters of the book will now be used as the opening for The Subtle Knife, expected to be released in 2009 (Chris Weitz thought they would make a better beginning than ending).

In addition:
Spoiler Below

I think the main reason the order was changed around was to make the rescue of the children (and the battle that followed) the climax of the film.

**Booyakasha** · 12-10-2007, 07:09 PM

Just saw it. It was kind of a mess. The production was top-notch and the acting was pretty good, but they may have made a mistake in trying to clock it under two hours--everything was bip bip bip, one plot point to the next without time to breathe. Didn't really have the 'epic journey' vibe. It all felt kind of hollow. Two and a half stars.

That Guy · 12-10-2007, 08:57 PM

you mean they eragoned it?

those bastards!

**Sean P Kelly** · 12-11-2007, 09:18 AM

^ No, the film was better than Eragon

**Booyakasha** · 12-11-2007, 10:58 AM

^^Not having seen or read Eragon, I couldn't possibly tell you.

That Guy · 12-17-2007, 03:38 PM

I saw it.

It was better then Eragon of course, what i ment was they tried to condense everything into a freakishly short movie thing.

Anyway, it was good and it had bears and flying texans. They condensed it, but at least the parts that were condensed the most were the not as good parts (the part right after the college and the intercison facilty for instance)

[off topic by a long shot] speaking of eragon, i recently realized that eragon is Star wars disguised as fantasy. i made real good arguement about that too. [/end]

**Booyakasha** · 12-17-2007, 05:59 PM

^Wait, wait, wait. I thought it was 'Willow' that was 'Star Wars' disguised as fantasy (and made by Lucas himself, no less).

05-19-2007, 05:51 PM	#1
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 6,869 Thanks: 9 Thanked 54 Times in 29 Posts Points: 33,001.04 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 33,501.04 Donate	His Dark Materials - The Golden Compass The Golden Compass Wow, I've been waiting for something like this. If it's done right, this could be as good as Narnia was.

05-23-2007, 08:54 PM	#5
Booyakasha Mod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 6,812 Thanks: 75 Thanked 340 Times in 221 Posts Points: 10,059.64 Bank: 20,637.07 Total Points: 30,696.71 Donate	I read the books earlier this year as a favour to my ma (a beleaguered elementary school librarian who didn't have time to check them out personally). They were well-written and everything, but they didn't sit right with me. Mainly because the central message of the series is that Satan is good and God is evil. Not something I'd put in the hands of impressionable children. __________________ Boo--the only dude bad enough to rescue the president Last edited by Booyakasha; 05-23-2007 at 08:59 PM.

05-24-2007, 01:41 AM	#7
Booyakasha Mod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 6,812 Thanks: 75 Thanked 340 Times in 221 Posts Points: 10,059.64 Bank: 20,637.07 Total Points: 30,696.71 Donate	^They dress it up a bit, and they don't really get into it until about the end of the second book, but yes, that's about the size of it. Spoiler Below In the third book, we get to see Lucifer lead a second rebellion against the Throne, this time successfully. Oh, and one of the main characters kills God. It's about as blasphemous as you're likely to find in a children's book. __________________ Boo--the only dude bad enough to rescue the president

12-08-2007, 10:57 PM	#11
Kargath Vibrates On Command Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: kargath64.deviantart.com Gender: Posts: 4,421 Thanks: 364 Thanked 104 Times in 88 Posts Blog Entries: 1 Points: 9,489.00 Bank: 183,741.44 Total Points: 193,230.44 Donate	Spoiler Below The point of the story is not so much that "god is evil" rather that "the CHURCH is evil", which is worse for power-hungry fundies. __________________ Why is it drug addicts and computer afficionados are both called users? -Clifford Stoll

12-10-2007, 09:14 AM	#14
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,245 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 177,987.94 Bank: 65,034.45 Total Points: 243,022.38 Donate	^ A few of the issues addressed were answered on Wikipedia: Spoiler Below Iofur's name was changed (to Ragnar Sturlusson) to avoid confusion with Iorek. The final three chapters of the book will now be used as the opening for The Subtle Knife, expected to be released in 2009 (Chris Weitz thought they would make a better beginning than ending). In addition: Spoiler Below I think the main reason the order was changed around was to make the rescue of the children (and the battle that followed) the climax of the film.

05-19-2007, 06:16 PM	#2
Chunky Kong12345 BEEP BEEP I'M A JEEP Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: ogmftwbqq Gender: Posts: 16,436 Thanks: 61 Thanked 212 Times in 155 Posts Points: 293.05 Bank: 84,672.20 Total Points: 84,965.25 Donate	Ah, this is being made into a movie finally.

05-19-2007, 07:09 PM	#3
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,245 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 177,987.94 Bank: 65,034.45 Total Points: 243,022.38 Donate	I don't know much about The Golden Compass other than my brother owns the book.

05-19-2007, 10:16 PM	#4
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 18,950 Thanks: 360 Thanked 1,506 Times in 785 Posts Blog Entries: 1 Points: 98,498.30 Bank: 12,446,091.72 Total Points: 12,544,590.02 Donate	I reads the first book, backs when I was a teenagers. I finds the concept of a daemon to be megas fascinating; it's the stuffs that I would randomly daydreams about.

05-23-2007, 11:18 PM	#6
Wyborn Zelda Mod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: All over the place Gender: Posts: 12,325 Thanks: 86 Thanked 438 Times in 269 Posts Points: 15,055.55 Bank: 72,951.74 Total Points: 88,007.29 Donate	Huh. Is that what they're about? "Yay Satan"?

05-24-2007, 01:44 AM	#8
Wyborn Zelda Mod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: All over the place Gender: Posts: 12,325 Thanks: 86 Thanked 438 Times in 269 Posts Points: 15,055.55 Bank: 72,951.74 Total Points: 88,007.29 Donate	Well, I can see that working if it's handled well, much as it clashes with my upbringing. I can also see showing it to my pastor and watching him physically explode.

05-24-2007, 12:35 PM	#9
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 6,869 Thanks: 9 Thanked 54 Times in 29 Posts Points: 33,001.04 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 33,501.04 Donate	You mean he hasn't physically exploded from that Da Vinci Code mess already?

12-08-2007, 10:45 PM	#10
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,245 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 177,987.94 Bank: 65,034.45 Total Points: 243,022.38 Donate	Saw it today. Better than Narnia, not as good as Potter and Rings. Also, don't get me started on the whole religious fiasco other than the fact that they should have kept the religious references in the film instead of thinly veiled metaphors. Spoiler Below A good example being Nicole Kidman obviously talking about Adam and Eve and original sin, but substituting the word "dust" for "sin" EDIT: It's also interesting how controversy over a a movie can get a book banned from schools 12 years after it came out.

12-09-2007, 12:00 AM	#12
That Guy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: lo-ca-tion; Noun- 1. a place or situation occupied: That house is in a fine location Gender: Posts: 5,232 Thanks: 279 Thanked 144 Times in 108 Posts Points: 15,682.72 Bank: 27,447.41 Total Points: 43,130.13 Donate	^ this is true, I also don't think it needs to be spoilered.

12-09-2007, 09:34 PM	#13
L007 is Undecided Axe Shreddin' Mod Join Date: May 2001 Location: Farmerland. Gender: Posts: 7,343 Thanks: 90 Thanked 292 Times in 172 Posts Points: 2,394.50 Bank: 16,603.91 Total Points: 18,998.41 Donate	Saw it today. Very nice, but they did stray from the book quite a number of times. WARNING: SPOILERS. Starts off minor, then gets more spoilerish. Spoiler Below One particular scene I noticed was the missing of the tomb scene with the daemons inscribed in the medallions. Not that major, but it did give something to do for Lyra. Spoiler Below Another scene, a bit more major, was the rescuing of the kid while in the Arctic region. Originally, the kid died, but now they gave hope for him. Also, he wasn't carrying a fish in the movie, he was carrying a cloth. o_O Spoiler Below Huge deal with the Bear Kingdom. First off, this scene happened way too early. Second, Iofur's name was changed, and I'm not going to bother remembering what he was called. Third, Iofur never beat Iorek in a fight, Iorek killed a bear in a normal challenge which Iofur made it so the other bear would not stop fighting, not poisoning the king. Lastly, the armor that Iofur had, while very nice, was supposed to be stripped of easily due to his obsession of thinking he was human, putting on poor metal armor. Of course, they also kept out that Iofur had his chest ripped open and his heart eaten, but I was shocked when I saw his jaw knocked off. That image is forever burned into my mind. Oh, and the GOB Quarters was supposed to happen before, not after. Oh well, it made up for that with one of the most brilliant battles I have ever seen in a movie. Spoiler Below Finally... the ending. While Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring actually went into The Two Towers (At least that's what I heard), the movie ENDED TOO ****ING EARLY. WHAT THE HELL?!! The book ended with Roger's death opening a portal in the Aurora, but here they're still sailing on Lee's boat! The book had an excellent cliffhanger, and this... is it supposed to make it end happily? AUGH!

12-10-2007, 07:09 PM	#15
Booyakasha Mod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 6,812 Thanks: 75 Thanked 340 Times in 221 Posts Points: 10,059.64 Bank: 20,637.07 Total Points: 30,696.71 Donate	Just saw it. It was kind of a mess. The production was top-notch and the acting was pretty good, but they may have made a mistake in trying to clock it under two hours--everything was bip bip bip, one plot point to the next without time to breathe. Didn't really have the 'epic journey' vibe. It all felt kind of hollow. Two and a half stars. __________________ Boo--the only dude bad enough to rescue the president

12-10-2007, 08:57 PM	#16
That Guy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: lo-ca-tion; Noun- 1. a place or situation occupied: That house is in a fine location Gender: Posts: 5,232 Thanks: 279 Thanked 144 Times in 108 Posts Points: 15,682.72 Bank: 27,447.41 Total Points: 43,130.13 Donate	you mean they eragoned it? those bastards!

12-11-2007, 09:18 AM	#17
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,245 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 177,987.94 Bank: 65,034.45 Total Points: 243,022.38 Donate	^ No, the film was better than Eragon

12-11-2007, 10:58 AM	#18
Booyakasha Mod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 6,812 Thanks: 75 Thanked 340 Times in 221 Posts Points: 10,059.64 Bank: 20,637.07 Total Points: 30,696.71 Donate	^^Not having seen or read Eragon, I couldn't possibly tell you. __________________ Boo--the only dude bad enough to rescue the president

12-17-2007, 03:38 PM	#19
That Guy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: lo-ca-tion; Noun- 1. a place or situation occupied: That house is in a fine location Gender: Posts: 5,232 Thanks: 279 Thanked 144 Times in 108 Posts Points: 15,682.72 Bank: 27,447.41 Total Points: 43,130.13 Donate	I saw it. It was better then Eragon of course, what i ment was they tried to condense everything into a freakishly short movie thing. Anyway, it was good and it had bears and flying texans. They condensed it, but at least the parts that were condensed the most were the not as good parts (the part right after the college and the intercison facilty for instance) [off topic by a long shot] speaking of eragon, i recently realized that eragon is Star wars disguised as fantasy. i made real good arguement about that too. [/end]

12-17-2007, 05:59 PM	#20
Booyakasha Mod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 6,812 Thanks: 75 Thanked 340 Times in 221 Posts Points: 10,059.64 Bank: 20,637.07 Total Points: 30,696.71 Donate	^Wait, wait, wait. I thought it was 'Willow' that was 'Star Wars' disguised as fantasy (and made by Lucas himself, no less). __________________ Boo--the only dude bad enough to rescue the president