An undeniably great-looking movie that loses its way. An aura of disappointment takes hold midway into Golden Compass blu-ray and becomes undeniable by the finish. Suggesting at once Mrs. Coulters devotion to her Magisterial mission, her fears of soulful and sensual embodiment, and yes, her own split self, her slap-and-hug of her damon all but stops the films action. Although this might be a tad convoluted and distant for the younger set, The Golden Compass is still a truly fantastical journey filled with wondrous imagery. The action is crisply paced, the cast is committed to playing it straight, and if the script is pulling its punches, that doesn’t weaken the story’s headlong energy. An enormous scrap at the end, involving witches and warlocks, does little to illuminate, or leaven, this pudding.
May 01