Direct MP3 link. My comment is 23:36 in.

be completely unsuccessful; fail totally

From Bridge to the Stars:

Whilst Harry Potter is in a league of its own, that The Golden Compass came in nowhere near even the first Lord of the Rings and made just $4 million more than Eragon is worrying. Indeed, Slashfilm call the numbers a “disaster”. Cinematical say it has “crashed and burned”, writing that “with muted buzz at best, expect Golden’s numbers to plummet next weekend, especially with a new crowd of pre-Christmas contenders packing in, and total domestic box office to top out at around $80 million. Ouch.”

Industry blogger Nikki Finke calls it a “bomb” and a “flop”, citing also low per screen averages. Paul Dergarabedian at Media By Numbers, a tracking firm, says “It’s below expectations, but it’s not an out-and-out debacle.” News agency Reuters’ headline on the matter is “Golden Compass disappoints at Box Office”.

“It’s a little bit disappointing,” said Rolf Mittweg, president and chief operating officer of New Line’s worldwide distribution and marketing operations. The Guardian reports Mittweg as saying exit polls were favourable and that he was hoping word of mouth would help the film in coming weeks, especially with school holidays starting. “It’s all about longevity,” Mittweg said.

Looks like we won’t be getting a The Subtle Knife. I’m very sad.

The first thing I noticed about Lyra’s world is how unlike it is from my expectations of it. It’s bright, shiny, and beautiful. The beauty carries throughout the entire movie, with awesome special effects. Matching the special effects are its actors, who were aptly casted. Dakota Blue Richards was Lyra, as other reviewers and Pullman himself have said.

The press has been hard on The Golden Compass so far, painting it as “atheism for children”. Hogwash. This film is not an atheist’s dream. Although the Magisterium may resemble the Roman Catholic Church of times past, that is the viewer’s connection to draw. To me, its theme is more easily interpreted as being against totalitarian authority. I must admit though, before I think of Soviet Russia, I think of the Church. I complained in the past that watering down the anti-religious theme bothered me, but in this film adaptation, I’m satisfied.

The Golden Compass moved far too fast for my liking, and some of the differentiations from the book (explained in the review I linked to) do bother me. If I had not previously read the trilogy, I may have been confused. The trips to Svalbard and Bolvanger were reversed, and there were no mentions of Grumman, a critical character in subsequent books.

The movie contained a controversial ending. Rather than Roger’s inevitable death and an opening to a new world, as written in Pullman’s book, the movie ends with Lee, Serafina, Lyra, Roger, and Iorek in Lee’s aircraft, with an uplifting speech given by Lyra. This ending gives suspense, yes, but I still find the original ending better. Philip Pullman’s take on the movie’s ending is can be seen in video here.

In the theatre that I watched the movie in, there were several annoyances. Loud children who wouldn’t keep quiet sat in the row behind my viewing party. The children kept yelling about shiny things or bears, which agitated me to no end. In redemption, there was a warm theatre-wide celebration when Iorek took the jaw off the king of the bears. An adult woman revealed her character to us as she watched the film. When Mrs. Coulter hits her Daemon, the theatre-goer declared, “How could she hit her daemon? That’s her soul, isn’t it? I wouldn’t hit my soul.” The symbolism wasn’t very hard to spot, which made her comments particularly entertaining. I, for one, laughed aloud.

I have one pressing question. Will I get to see a The Subtle Knife movie?

In a previous post, I complained that the trailer did not refer to Lyra’s special instrument as an “alethiometer,” but instead as a “golden compass.” Luckily, in an interview with director Chris Weitz, my complaints are thwarted.

In the film it’s called both an “alethiometer” and a “golden compass.”

I can live with that.

I’ve been saying it for months, but I’m still looking for people to join me to see my favorite book on the big screen. It’s going to be a good time.

I’m still looking for friends to come see it with me. If you’re interested, let me know.

When we see them for the first time with Lyra, Lee is not that old: he’s fifty, sixty, something like that, so they’ve [he and Iorek] known each other for a long time. But I wanted to write a story when they first met as they were young, and I’ve just written it.

I’m pumped! There will be a new book sometime down the road, and The Golden Compass movie is still on track for December 7th. I’m still looking for people to take with me to see it.

If you didn’t know, my favorite book series ever is Philip Pullman‘s His Dark Materials. The Golden Compass is the first book of the trilogy, and the movie for the book will make its debut on December 7, 2007 (a date which will live in infamy).

This trailer is awesome because it relieves some of my fears about the movie. First and foremost, the trailer clearly states that the antagonist of the movie will still be the Magisterium (church), enabling the movie to stay true to its roots.

The Magisterium seeks to control every world, and every universe. Nothing will stop them from trying to take over. Nothing but you.

Next, we’ve finally been given a glimpse at Dakota Blue Richards in character. If I had a test for who is fit to play Lyra, the book’s protagonist, she would pass it. I don’t ask for much, just someone who I won’t hate. The entire movie just seems wonderful, and I really can’t wait until December.

I’m looking for a group of people to take to see the movie, so if you’re interested, let me know. You might think it’s absurd to plan so far in advance. You’re right. Something this awesome calls for absurdity.