Cast: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards
Direction: Chris Weitz

Even if you’re not a fan of fantasy dramas like the Harry Potter movies or the Lord of the Rings films, you still might want to check out The Golden Compass for the sheer visual experience it offers up.

Set in a parallel universe where people’s souls live outside them in the shape of talking animals called 'daemons', the story follows a feisty 12-year-old orphan girl Lyra, played by Dakota Blue Richards, who’s raised by the scholars of a freethinking university.

When one of her friends goes missing under mysterious circumstances, Lyra goes on a journey to the far north that involves her explorer uncle Lord Asriel (played by Daniel Craig), and a powerful woman named Mrs Coulter (played by Nicole Kidman) who’s taking a keen interest in Lyra.

A stunning and spectacular adventure that stretches your imagination as far as it can go, The Golden Compass is at its most basic level a good versus evil story, but it’s narrated so dramatically that you’re instantly willing to suspend disbelief and go along for the ride.

Adapted from Philip Pullman’s novel of the same name, a part of the His Dark Materials Trilogy, this film successfully brings to life the book’s unimaginable world on screen by creating a reality where the skies are filled with flying witches, enormous talking bears and old-fashioned airships.

Now under normal circumstances, it’s difficult to believe such a world could actually exist, but sitting there in your seat watching The Golden Compass on-screen, you’re pretty much transported to that world yourself.

Let me confess, having not read the book on which the film is based, I often found myself confused about the plot, the characters and their motivations. But if you’ve got patience and you’re willing to wait it out nevertheless, I think you’ll be rewarded ultimately because everything falls into place and the jigsaw puzzle makes full sense eventually.

I won’t say it’s an immensely engaging story, but I will say The Golden Compass is an immensely watchable film because who doesn’t have an appetite for sensational special effects? So that’s three out of five for The Golden Compass, find a nice seat somewhere at the far end of the cinema where you don’t have to crane your neck too hard so you can fully enjoy the visually delightful experience.

Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)