Beowulf and Golden Compass

Last week I saw Beowulf in the theatre. It’s a new 3D animation film based on the classic poem Beowulf, which tells the story of a man named Beowulf who travels to a land in the north, to rid it of a monster that has been attacking it’s halls. This story is pretty simple and that can be seen in the film. I didn’t expect to go to Beowulf for a great story though, but for stunning visuals, realistic animations and intense actions. That I got, along with some good music. All in all it’s not a film to watch many times, but good for entertaining you and your friends for 1,5 hours.

Yesterday I went to see the Golden Compass, the first film in the upcoming His Dark Materials trilogy. In contrast with Beowulf, I really did expect a good story here, since the book that this film is based on is told to be “the best since Tolkien” by some.

It tells the story of a girl named Lyra, who goes on a quest to kidnap her friend who have been captured by “the authority”. This authority, the magisterium, seeks to control the world and if they can, all other worlds as well, by raising the new generation to accept them without doubt and let the knowledge of many things fade away from history. If you think that sounds a lot like the church, you’re right. In the original book it actually is the church, but for the film version they’ve toned that down a bit. Some reviewers see that as a downside, but personally I don’t think it really affects the story either way.

Anyway, Lyra sets out to save her friends, and in doing so we meet a lot of stylish characters, beatiful worlds and thrilling action. The first half of the film is a bit slow, but fortunately the pace picks up later and it gets more interesting. The special effects are great as always, and the casting has been done well. With one exception, that is, because while Ian McKellen does great voice work and everything, his voice just doesn’t suit the armoured polar bear he portrays very well. Casting him feels like a trick to make this film “LotR-ish” to me.

To sum it up, the Golden Compass is a good film, which you must see if you’re into the genre, but don’t expect another Lord of the Rings.