"We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it."
-- Madeleine L'Engle

I'm not upset that best-selling author Phillip Pullman loathes C.S. Lewis and The Chronicles of Narnia. If I remember correctly, J.R.R. Tolkien also criticized Lewis' Narnia series. Rather, what upsets me is that with all the hype and controversy surrounding Pullman's The Golden Compass, the movie fails to put me in the front seat of an exciting adventure and capture my imagination.

What I saw was a watered-down Hollywood adaptation of the book. For example, the movie is conveniently missing Chapter 21 of the book, where a character corrupts Biblical passages (similar to what The Da Vinci Code did fictionally) to explain a phenomenon. Instead, we have a colorful movie full of eye-popping set pieces and an aeronaut cowboy that seems very out of place in a winter wonderland.

The Golden Compass (AKA Northern Lights) is the first book of Pullman's trilogy, His Dark Materials. The story begins with 11-year old orphan Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) and her animal-shaped daemon (i.e., the soul of a conscious person) as they hide out in a "wardrobe" and witness a member of the Magisterium (a church order) poison a drink intended for Lyra's uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig). Lyra saves her uncle from being poisoned and finds out he has discovered Dust (elementary particle; original sin) from a parallel universe and plans to travel up North to find it.

Meanwhile, Lyra's friends are kidnapped by the Gobblers and taken up North for a secret experiment. Lyra vows to rescue them with the help of an alethiometer, which resembles a golden compass. This device reveals the answer to any question asked by the true owner. Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman) offers to help her and take her up North as her assistant. But Lyra's journey is delayed as she is deceived by Coulter, who is the head Gobbler, and wants the alethiometer.

Pursued by the Gobblers, Lyra is saved by the nomadic Gyptians. Along the way they meet up with other allies, including the witch, Serafina Pekkala (Eva Green), Lee Scoresby the aeronaut cowboy (Sam Elliott), and Iorek Byrnison the armored polar bear (voiced by Ian McKellen). Together, they journey to the North to save Lyra's friends and other children from being "cut in half" by the Magisterium.

Pullman is definitely a great storyteller. The British world he envisions is extraordinary and the appearance of the daemons as representations of the human soul is interesting. Though it sounds ridiculous, I like the idea of a kingdom of polar bears who are the fierce warriors of the North. The violence between the bears may be too much for young children, but the path of Iorek Byrnison from outcast to fighter is dramatic and thrilling to watch. McKellen's fiery voice gives a commanding presence to the bear who would be king.

As sweet as Richards' portrayal of Lyra is, unfortunately, she does not possess a child's natural curiosity and wonder. The reason why we can relate to Frodo Baggins, Lucy Pevensie, or Harry Potter is because we feel the awe and see the magic through their eyes as they stumble upon the new world before them. Richards' performance comes off as too arrogant and rebellious, far too jaded for an innocent young girl. Kidman does a great evil turn as a sophisticated agent who may or may not have a shocking connection with Lyra. Craig has limited screen time (and is absent at the end of the movie, unlike the book), but I'm sure his importance to the story will grow more in the upcoming movie sequels.

Director Chris Weitz (About a Boy) seems to have only read the Cliff's notes version of the book. The Golden Compass doesn't come close to the cinematic achievement of The Lord of the Rings or the Harry Potter movies. It may be compared to The Chronicles of Narnia, but the one thing that is deeply missing from The Golden Compass is the struggle of a hero's journey (Lyra) and a compelling reason to care for her in the first place. The climatic battle in which Lyra has a chance to show her heroism is disappointing and a bit uninspiring. Also, a villain is never really established in the beginning. The Magisterium is mentioned briefly but we only know the order is controlled by someone ... or something. Lyra is never properly introduced to a powerful bad guy like the Eye of Sauron, He Who Must Not Be Named, or Darth Vader.

The Golden Compass may delight some members of the audience that loves fantasy tales, but I doubt it will captivate imaginations around the world the way that storytellers such as Lewis, Tolkien, and Rowling have done. Missing from this film is the rich thematic elements and memorable characters that have inspired a generation of loyal readers. For an atheist trying desperately "to undermine the basis of Christian belief," we really have nothing to fear from the dangerous mind of Phillip Pullman. As movie critic Jeffrey Overstreet boldly states, "Let's not be afraid. Discerning, yes. But not afraid."
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