Recent Movie Reviews

Have you heard of the new controversy surroundy the Golden Compass????

Oh jeez. Here we go again. People always have to find something to make conflict. Now people are saying the book goes agains God and is attacking the Church. Oh, my God. I'm Catholic. I haven't seen the movie. I DON'T CARE! It looks like a good movie. It looks like a good book. And if you look at the reviews from the past, all of them are "Fantastic book..." "Must read..." "One of the best books I've read in a while." And if you look at the recent reviews they all say something like "It's bashing God. If you're Christian, don't read it...." Jeez, see what I mean. They only start saying these things when some idiot starts saying that the book bashes religion. People, it's a children's book, let it go and let them enjoy the magic.

Public Comments

1. Well, this controversy isn't so new anymore. And while I don't agree with the level of outrage this book/movie has caused, it is very easy to see why Christians are outraged at this book/movie. Pullman is athetist, and his books are inevitably written that way. However, what some people see as an attack on God and religion, I see it for what it is: a story. Although I am not really fond of the last book, I do really like the first one, and I am able to appreciate the symbolism and style of his writing. Young children (really young) may not be able to understand why in the last book, God dies, but if a parent is worried then they can spend some time discussing the book with their child. It is written at a high level, though, so if a child can understand the book, I think they are intelligent enough to see it as a book, and not as real.
2. It isn't new. It's as old as the books are, even though it didn't become very big in the USA until the movie came out. On the one hand I agree with you. People create hype around something. I wonder if the negative hype disappeared what our economy would do. No rebellious kids buying HP or Pokemon behind their parents' backs... If you don't like the hype, don't participate in it. The hype goes both ways, those ranting for it and those ranting against it. But the problem is that you get ignorant people on either side; that is, people who are only believing what they are told instead of finding out for themselves. I have read the book. All of them, several times, before any hype. And I agreed with what people are saying now, because they are right, not because someone said something. I have yet to see the movie, but I am waiting for my Christmas cash to make itself available... There are a few problems that I have with the books. They are incredibly dark. A child gets murdered in front of your eyes. Cruel torture is done to children. The battle scenes are very gory. They do not have the same sense of innocence that Narnia did, that's for sure. This is not a book for little kids. It has very adult themes and very dark and scary moments throughout. And people are right about the anti-God, anti-church thing. The series was written by an atheist with very strong beliefs. That was bound to come out in his work. The people who are killing and torturing children? The church. God is portrayed as a weak and dying being who cannot help himself, let alone the rest of the world. And the rebel angel in heaven? Taken from a Biblical character in Genesis. One who was originally a good guy. I found that very offensive, and most Christians and Jews I know who take their religion seriously did as well. Fantasy is not taking sacred beliefs and tearing them apart. It is making a story that is obviously not true, but nonetheless enjoyable. It may be a good movie, and a good series, but that doesn't change its message. I found them a worthwhile read. They are very well-written, and very well-though out. But at the same time, they can be very insulting. I am careful who I recommend them to, and when I do recommend them, it usually comes with a warning. I encourage people to actually read the things before they make judgements, either for or against the item in question. If you don't like hype, don't participate in it. Do your own research. Read them yourself.
3. I've done my research and, on my own terms, decided that I have no desire to see the movie. In one of the books, there is an attempt to "murder God." Now, it really wouldn't bother me if an athiest wrote the books, but this direct attack on my religion gives me the right to speak my mind. The book really does bash religion and, if I had a child, allowing them to see the movie would not be on my "to-do" list. Children are naive and will believe almost anything. I don't want them to believe that God can be killed. There are a lot of things out there that get fantastic reviews, but that doesn't mean I have to read/watch them or that I have to approve.
4. The controversy isn't new. But it has definitely gotten more vocal with the film's release. I read these many years ago, before the hype. They do have a quality of dark edginess, and they depict a world in which dangerous and violent things can occur, even to children. But there's no law saying that young adult books should be cheerful and sunshiney. Young people can recognize when situations are genuine and when they're being patronized with sugary pap. Young adults deserve books that address difficult issues - because they're facing difficult issues themselves. I also didn't take the books to be "anti-God," despite Pullman's insistence in interviews that they are. I guess I'm just a believer in New Criticism, but I think that a written work stands on its own. My interpretation, as a reader, is just as valid as the author's - he doesn't get to come out later and tell me what to think of his book. I took the books to be strongly anti-theocracy - against the use of religious dogma to manipulate people and obtain power. One key message of the books is to think for yourself, which is why it's so ironic that fundamentalist groups are demanding that no one read them. Christians and non-Christians alike should decide for themselves whether they want to read something, and once they've read it, whether the content is of value. "Enjoying the magic" is a great way to put it. From a literary perspective, Pullman has crafted a true masterpiece of fantasy. If you don't want your own children to read it, or if it isn't developmentally appropriate for their age and reading level, that's perfectly understandable. But maybe a better solution would be to read these books WITH your kids. Discuss the parts that you enjoy and the parts that don't reflect your beliefs. Discuss why the author made the choices he did and whether you agree with his messages. Maybe you don't like the religious sentiments but admire the tenacity and courage of the main characters. There are lessons to be learned in everything - even, or perhaps especially, the things with which we disagree. Skittles: I know that's what the author said. But that's from a recent interview. I read these books several years ago and "anti-theocracy" is my interpretation. The author can say whatever he likes about his meaning, but a reader's interpretation of a finished work is equally valid. You may not agree, but there we are.
5. Actually, yes it is against God. The athur is an atheist and they only show the good reviews so they can promote the movie. Actually, when the book first came out the athur said it was about killing God.