In a parallel England, Lyra (Richards) roams the back alleys of Oxford with her Gyptian buddy Roger (Walker). But when her academic uncle Asriel (Craig) starts researching mysterious particles called Dust, he catches the attention of the monolithic Magesterium, which is doing its own experiments at the North Pole. When Roger is kidnapped by the Magesterium, Lyra accepts an offer from the too-nice Mrs Coulter (Kidman) to travel north to see what's up. And if she can figure out how to use it, the strange golden compass Lyra's been given will tell her what's really going on.

The story gallops at a brisk pace, although it sometimes gets bogged down in strangely named characters and elaborate plot exposition. In the lead role, Richards is spiky and engaging, despite her pirate-like dialog, and Kidman deepens her arch slinkiness into something very intriguing. Craig adds some badly needed earthy authenticity to the mix in his few scenes, while the more intriguing side roles go to Green (as a very dramatic witch) and Elliot (as a knowingly gruff air cowboy).

Meanwhile, the effects are a bit uneven. Lyra's daemon (her visible soul) clearly had the largest budget, and its shape-shifting form is superb, even if Highmore's voice is a little squeaky. But the other daemons are rather dodgy (Mrs Coulter's monkey is terrible). On the other hand, McKellen's internally conflicted arctic bear is terrific, as are the spectacular settings and thrillingly big set pieces that flow naturally from the dramatic thrust of the story.

Even better is the tension between Lyra's simple desire to rescue her friend and the portentous talk of a prophecy about her future role in things. And the upbeat ending (which comes considerably before the book's climax) will leave audiences itching for the next instalment. Even so, there's a nagging feeling that the studio pressured Weitz to make the story more America-friendly, adding more violence, toning down the anti-church rhetoric and aiming for a tone exactly in between Narnia and Lord of the Rings. Hopefully part 2, The Subtle Knife, will find a tone of its own.

themes, violence, suspense

25.Nov.07