The Golden Compass - Wow!

[dreamshark]

This is a great, great movie. See it.

Data point - I have never read the books, and I had no trouble following the plot. There was a lot of back story, but it was presented both clearly and artfully. The acting is first-rate (love the little girl!) and the steampunk setting is magnificent.

Comments

[michaellee.livejournal.com]

Oh, if you liked the movie you should definitely read the books.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I probably will. I find that I enjoy movie/book combinations more if I see the movie first. Then the book seems like additional back story. If I read the book first I'm likely to find the movie is just "wrong."

[michaellee.livejournal.com]

I can definitely understand that -- I read the books before the movie was announced. And I don't reread books right before seeing an adaptation either -- if it's based on a book I've read before, it is best for the memories of the book to be a bit muddled with time so the book doesn't compete with the film.

I loved her, too, I'm such a sucker for fey, waifish little girls.

[lakeboy-55.livejournal.com]

I read the books a few months back, didn't know they were planning a movie. I was really pleased with the movie. There is a lot of back story that's left out in the opening narration, but the important stuff was all there. Lyra in the movie didn't match my image Lyra, but it didn't matter after a few minutes. I fell in love with her, too, I might even like her better that Lyra in the book. The technology was great. I'm looking forward to what they might do with the other books in the trilogy. There are some great things in the book that could be so cool on the screen, if they can do them right.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I loved the movie, too. It's been long enough since I read the book that I had no trouble over comparing it to the original text, and I thought they did a magnificent job of creating the world visually.