This movie was really good, but not great. I'd give it a 7/10.

I don't care about the movie, but I am loving that 2-disc artwork.

Maladroit wrote:
 I'd rather watch paint dry.

So why don't you? And stay the hell out of discussion groups if you have no interest. Or can't add anything constructive.

Well. I'll give this a rent, but I won't be expecting a huge movie make for me.

Highres artwork added for the single-disc...

I enjoyed it - I think it made enough to warrant a sequel.

Much MUCH better than "Narnia". No comparison.

Yeah smells like LOTR extended release ploy to me (same studio as well)

I thought Chronicles was better...

The problem isn't that the story is bad, the film just feels dull and listless.  I almost fell asleep in the theater.

Beautiful artwork for the 2-disc edition...is this as enjoyable as Chronicles of Narnia?

Or wait for the double dip I spose?
Interesting how this was compared to The Rings.....

The beard goes at what would have been the end of the film. Ther's a shot of Daniel Craig without beard sort of looking in amazement at something (emmitting a bright light) in the trailer. Those who have read the book will most likely know what he's looking at.

Where has Daniel Craig's beard gone? It looks like they took his face from another film....

The focal points of the book and film are different.

The plot of the book (broadly) is freeing the children and Lyra finding Lord Asriel. Which she does at the end of the book.

The focus of the film (from a marketing standpoint as well) seemed to be about 2 bears having a big fight.

I do hope we get to see the remaining 2 films and indeed a fuller version of The Golden Compass.

Pixarfan517 wrote: Unfortunately, I missed out on this movie when it was in theaters. But everyone at school kept saying that this movie was extremely bad.

Don't listen to them.

I'll buy both, like I did for LotR.  It's worth it to me.  At least i'm sure we'll get more with the double dip.

Well, I think Chris Weitz made the ending of the movie at a different point than the book because he wasn't sure if the film would be successful to garner a sequel (I know he said the decision was to give the first movie the best ending possible and give the second film the best opening sequence). Sure, there are a few threads left open (such as the fate of Lord Asriel, Coulter's loyalties and what state Lyra's friend is in). But anyway, it's fine as a standalone film.

I'll get the single-disc... it's cheaper (I hope it has some bonus material like a commentary), looks nicer and I really dig the gold-colored keep case. New Line hasn't done the colored keep cases for a film since the LOTR theatrical cuts.

I had a free ticket to go see this.  I misplaced it, though, and only discovered that it had expired the day prior to finding it.  DEFINITELY a D'oh! moment. So, yea, I never had the chance to go see it anyway.  I will most likely NetFlix this.    

And Harker Studios, as mentioned before, do yourself a HUGE service by blind-buying Stardust.  Definitely one of 2007's best and one of the greatest fantasy/action/rom-com films you will ever see.

I really wanted to see this in theatres and I still can since it still is in theatres in my area but my friend who wanted to see it went with someone else so I might end up just seeing it on dvd!

Love the cover art!  Not sure about some of these comments about the ending I'm hearing. The book was great but I think I would be okay if a little changed.  Changes from the book to movie that I usually like the least are changes in characters.

Hopefully DVD sales will be enough to fuel a resurgence of interest and filming of the remaining 2 episodes of this story.  GC was mildly engaging but what good is a trilogy if you don't get to see the end?

I'm not sure what I'm more happy about the fact that it's getting a bluray release or how awesome the cover is. Sadly I'm on a budget that ends a week after thsi release but oh how I may break it for this film and if it has all the deleted stuff I'm totally there.

Harker Studios wrote: Never caught this in theatres. Great looking cover art. The 2 disk is very classy. I still need to see Stardust as well!

do yourself a favor...rent STARDUST asap!!!  hell...you could even make a blind buy.  Robert De Niro steals the show.  i was not interested in seeing it during its theatrical release...but a friend let me borrow her dvd last weekend and absolutely loved it.

This movie was okay, but way too fast-paced and didn't get what was going on. Obivously I didn't read the book, but I thought it was pretty good. And really nice effects, and deserved more Box office than it did. And the 2 Disc art work looks really nice!

I'm likely to pick up the two-disc as well. But wonder if that neat golden DVD case with the one-disc will be with the two-disc as well..?

I'm loving that 2-disc cover art. I still have to see this one. It's at my 2nd-run theater, so I'll most likely go this weekend. I might get the 2-disc.

I loved this movie, and love the books as well. However, I was a bit dissappointed by the end. Too bad we won't get to see the other two books turned into films

I couldn't stand this movie.Dakota Blue Richards,the little girl that plays Lyla is an amazing child actor though.I only enjoyed the polar bear scene.This flick is strange, I would have liked to see it with all the anti religion stuff in it.Only really sensed a hint of it.

mc_serenity wrote: According to Box Office Mojo, "The Golden Compass" has thus far made:

$68.5 million domestic
$252.9 million overseas

The total take of the film worldwide is actually $321,450,908 million. Worldwide it did really well, in the U.S. not so much.

But why Paul Greengrass? I don't want shaky handicam work for "The Subtle Knife", should that ever get made.


That's good news then regarding the returns oversees. The box office picture isn't as grim as I thought it was.

As for Pail Greengrass, I was just using him as an example the way he took Doug Liman's film and made the 2 sequels his own. He wasn't afraid to take a different approach to the material. The Subtle Knife and Amber Spyglass need someone like that who can do the same.

Also I was just musing on what Paul Greengrass would make of adapting and shooting the books.

I

The 2 disc version looks beautiful. I would like an "extended version" though. The film was too rushed, like too heavily edited.

'Over $300,000,000 worldwide box office'.

Where are they getting those figures from? I thought this film struggled to make $50m at the US box office. I read that it was doing stronger business internationally but $300m. Don't get me wrong, I hope those figures are true as I'd like to see the sequels happen despite a very truncated and disjointed first film.

Interesting to see some of the scenes that would have made up the ending to the film on you tube.

It's a problem really, for New Line. If there isn't the revenue to support the sequels being made, any attempt to reinstate the full ending for any extended edition DVD, (like LOTR) would, in my view, only go to make for an even more frustrating film.

Having nearly finished Book 3, I have extreme doubts any studio would carry on with this series. It needs someone with not only a lot of experience but a fresh approach to adapt the books, as well as 'not the director of Golden Compass' to take ownership of any sequels. I'm probably think of the Bourne sequels as a model here.

I wonder if Paul Greengrass would be up for finishing what's been started?

I was disappointed in the film (like they took off the original ending which matached the book's and it will supposedly pop up as the first act of the second film if it ever gets made).    The book was so much better.