Why would a Christian Reviewer See this Movie?

The short answer is that I like to think for myself. I don't believe in “a secular” and “a sacred.” Everything is sacred for those who are in Christ. This is a fallen world. Nothing here is entirely good, but it was created to be good and if we look sometimes we can see the good hidden in it. I'm not afraid that some satanic movie is going to rub off on me, rather where light is darkness flees. That doesn't mean I shouldn't use discernment about what I soak my brain in. Still, I'd rather view a movie that turns out to be “filthy” with my feelers up than passively absorb a couple hours of TV complacent in the knowledge that network censors protected my innocence.

So Was the Movie as Evil as “They” Said it Was?

Well, Mr. Pullman is a well-documented, self-avowed atheist who set out to write his answer to the “Chronicles of Narnia.” The film reveals a clear repulsion for organized religion which would rather kill someone than let people question authority. “Here, here,” I say to that sentiment. If only it stopped there.

Most atheists strike as a bit too passionate about there not being a God. I can't really hazard a guess what Mr. Pullman's motives were but I know you have to believe in God to be angry with him. Star Dust the books are of course different than the film. I'm speaking only of the film so I'll try to leave Mr. Pullman out of it from now on.

The Plot

The film touts a land where everyone has an external soul in the form of an animal which they innocently happen to call a demon. The children's souls morph into several animals while the adults are stuck with one animal. If you hurt either the soul or the person the other feels it equally. Kill one and the other dies too. Our heroin must recover a pair of boys she likes, find her Uncle and figure out what Dust is. To aid her she is given the last Golden Compass which will tell her the truth about anything she asks it. She also has a loyal band of Gypsies. Along the way she picks up her own armored bear, a balloon pilot, and a pack of witches.

I figured the witches and demons were enough to stir up the fundamentalists, and that's what all the hype was about. There is more though…read on.

The boys are abducted by “GOBlers” who work for the Magisterium trying to separate the youths from their souls. While most of the film sticks to adventure there are two scenes which explain some of the mystery. Those two scenes are likely the objectionable part of the film to most Christians. The first scene is a video of a dust leaving another realm, passing through a man's soul/pet and entering him. This upsets the magisterium because they don't want other realms to challenge their authority. The second scene is when the character Marisa Coulter explains why she saved the heroin from the other children's fate. Coulter explains that (I'm paraphrasing) long ago their ancestors made a mistake that allowed dust into the world and that's why the souls of adults couldn't change form. The magisterium wanted to raise a generation of kids that didn't have a soul so that they would remain unaffected by the dust, rendering them easy to control.

I know what you're thinking. That's it? That's the plot? Pretty week, uh?

Larger Story: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

If the dust represents the knowledge of good and evil then our antagonists are trying to separate children from their souls so they'll be pliable. They are trying to create a false state of innocence. The protagonists are only guilty of wanting to explore other realms of possibilities. This is an old refrain we've heard before. A connection is being drawn between innocence and ignorance, between obedience and slavery. Satin's line is, “God is holding out on you. If you don't open Pandora's box you don't know what you're missing.” God's line is, “You know who I am. I had to put Pandora's box in reach, because without the option to open it you'd be a slave.”

The message of this film is that demons connect us to the spirit realm, and to the power and knowledge we need to make up our own minds. The truth is that the option to know good and evil made not choosing it an act of obedience. It is evil that would seek to rob us of choice and free will. Every Christian believes that Christ died to restore choice to us. It was once a choice of fall or not, now it's a choice of accept salvation or not.

Avoid “Golden Compass” but Not For the Reason you Think

The bottom line here is that, controversy aside; this isn't a great film. The scenery was beautiful, and the steam punk costuming and setting is imaginative but the acting was a little clunky and the plot was full of holes. Sam Elliot was good in his roll but he was pretty much playing himself. Daniel Craig was still 007. Nicole Kidman was beautifully costumed, but a slightly more sophisticated version of her psycho, news-reporter roll Suzanne Maretto in “To Die For.”

As far as the plot holes go, here's an example, why did the “GOBlers” have to transport the children they stole to the remote arctic lands in order to experiment on them. They couldn't find an empty barn in the countryside I guess. What about the Armored Bear who becomes king of his people. Why can't he bring his army of ninja bears along to the fight?

In general the film just fell short of spectacular. It's not awful just not worthy of the buzz.

God Bless and Happy Viewing.