POLAR bears clashing in ferocious combat. Now that’s what I call a winter blockbuster!
Based on a bold and ambitious story by Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass is the kind of creation that was confined to the realms of the imagination not long ago.
But now that we have tumbled into the era of computer generation, the vivid thoughts of authors can be transformed into something of a visual sensation.
Many naysayers and directors of yore slate modern cinema but this is an exciting time for fantasy fans.
Because films like this rely on their aesthetic qualities to push the story forward and to allow the viewer to suspend their belief. The Golden Compass - the first instalment of a trilogy - gets the balance just right.
This is a parallel universe to our own where all humans must be accompanied by a daemon (that take on a variety of forms from insects to monkeys).
The story focuses on Lyra Belacqua, a student of Jordan College who falls into the clutches of the cool and calculating Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman).
Lyra soon uncovers the truth about a group that kidnap children called ‘the gobblers’ and becomes entangled in an epic struggle to free them.
Although the end battle may be a bit intense for very young viewers, this is great Christmas fodder for the family.
But if you want to avoid being surrounded by children at the cinema, I’d advise seeing this in the evening.
