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MisterBadIdea 
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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 Posted - 12/10/2007 : 02:53:36
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An outright disaster. Unwatchable. You expect this kind of bullshit from cheap off-brand goods like "Eragon" or "The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising." But from an A-list production like this? Inexcusable.
Nothing in this movie makes any sense -- it zooms by at the speed of light with vast chunks of exposition apparently excised for no reason. Even the exposition they left was provided in small, awkward chunks. New characters literally drop from the sky without introduction. No transition, no cohesion -- a horrific pile of meaningless gibberish, an excuse to come up with stupid names for an unending strings of magical objects, far-off lands, or mysterious races of people. It feels like meddling studio execs removed 85 minutes of footage from it.
This movie damaged my faith in God -- I begged God for understanding, understanding of what was happening in the goddamn movie. My cries in the dark went unanswered. This movie is soulless and pathetic. |
Edited by - MisterBadIdea on 12/10/2007 05:27:22 |
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turrell 
"Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh "
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 05:06:18
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| Well then the movie was effective - they have shaken your faith and if they ever make the trilogy you will be a full-blown atheist - just as planned - thanks for sparing my the two hours of my life. |
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ChocolateLady 
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 06:15:45
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| What? And here I thought it was going to be really good. |
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MguyX
"X marks the spot"
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 07:09:11
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I fell asleep for the first 10 minutes or so, as I was riveted by some blood vessel pattern in my eyelids. I awoke and thought to ask my daughter what I had missed. But after watching another 10 minutes, it occurred to me that what ever it was would be inexplicable.
I watched the film with less ennui than I had during Narnia (which made by butt/bum sore at sitting after about just five minutes) but with complete wonder at what the f**k was going on. Frankly, I was glad there was not much exposition, as that would have made it tedious. This way, I could just stare nonplussed at the spectacle, knowing that it wasn't going to make any more sense to me at the end than it did 10 minutes after I awoke.
This is the sort of film I would have loved to have seen in my late teens on LSD. Sadly, I lacked the stamina of my youth and the mindless idiocy necessary to take the trip, so I'm left with a ticket stub that I'm hoping no one checks next time as I slip into another theater.
Spoiler: I learned that having your jaw drop is lethal. |
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Ali
"Those aren't pillows."
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 07:25:17
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quote:
Originally posted by MisterBadIdea
Nothing in this movie makes any sense -- it zooms by at the speed of light with vast chunks of exposition apparently excised for no reason. Even the exposition they left was provided in small, awkward chunks.
You do realise that exposition is not a good thing, right? Asking for more of it in a film is like asking for a hot, steaming pile of shit in the middle of your favourite dish.
Also, the film is not a disaster by any means.
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MisterBadIdea
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 14:49:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Ali
quote:
Originally posted by MisterBadIdea
Nothing in this movie makes any sense -- it zooms by at the speed of light with vast chunks of exposition apparently excised for no reason. Even the exposition they left was provided in small, awkward chunks.
You do realise that exposition is not a good thing, right? Asking for more of it in a film is like asking for a hot, steaming pile of shit in the middle of your favourite dish.
Also, the film is not a disaster by any means.
Hardly. Exposition can be handled badly, true, like in the scene where the prince polar bear gives his entire backstory within five minutes of meeting the little girl. Still, even that highly awkward piece of storytelling felt good to have in this horrible movie; at least with that part I could understand what the hell was going on. Throughout the rest of the movie, it became incredibly apparent that the filmmakers were too incompetent to establish rudimentary character traits, relationships, motivations or a sense of setting.
I wish it had been as anti-Christian as advertised. I would have liked it so much more, not because I have anything against the church, but because it would have provided the movie with something it desperately needed, a point. |
Edited by - MisterBadIdea on 12/10/2007 14:49:54 |
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Ali
"Those aren't pillows."
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 15:10:13
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quote:
Throughout the rest of the movie, it became incredibly apparent that the filmmakers were too incompetent to establish rudimentary character traits, relationships, motivations or a sense of setting.
All of which means fuck all. All due respect, these are illiterate reasonings. Film is story. Lyra has to go to the North Pole to save Roger. That's it. That's all you need to know.
It's not a great film, but it's not a disaster.
Here is a tip from Uncle Ali. Film 101: Exposition sucks. Narration sucks.
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MisterBadIdea
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 15:49:41
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I have to admit, I'm baffled by your definition of storytelling, Ali. What you say makes no sense to me.
quote:
Lyra has to go to the North Pole to save Roger. That's it. That's all you need to know.
So it really doesn't matter to you:
1) What Lyra is saving Roger from
2) Why these mystery people are attacking Roger to begin with
3) How Lyra knows where Roger is
4) How she found out that she needed to save Roger
5) Why Lyra cares about Roger
6) Say, who the hell is this Roger guy anyway?
7) For that matter, who is this Lyra girl?
These are all the things you need to know for the movie to make any sense, and most of them are unanswered. I'm not asking for voiceover or long windy speeches (show, don't tell!), I'm just asking for a movie to take the time to answer these simple questions. Characterization, you know. Storytelling. Imagine if Frodo was taking the ring to Mordor for no established reason. |
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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 16:54:22
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This really is a very good film. Not perfect, and certainly, as with any extended story, a bit too ploddy in its set up. But - although the trilogy of books made it clear this was an overarching story that permitted the reader to work with the author to create the most thrilling and intellectually satisfying experience, and one which won myriad awards, but hey, what do those judges know, they only spend their lives evaluating -- breathe - even so, there's plenty here to keep a packed cinema quiet and on the edge of their seats.
For over a decade I used only to see films either in a preview theatre full of fellow critics, or at home via tape/disc. I dunno, maybe UK audiences have far different expectations. Though enough US critics have recognized The Golden Compass for the superior film experience it is. The audience of kids and parents certainly did. The buzz afterward was all about the film and certainly not about pizza.
The acting is terrific. Kidman's really discovering a range of different evils - this one with enough soft edges to prepare you for ... well, I won't say. The kid, for an untrained amateur, delivers intelligence, humour, passion, cool sophistication, and compassion. She also isn't projecting either cute or girly and is therefore an appropriate screen presence for the character.
The animal voices lend dimension to some truly stunning visual fx. And the production design -- well, it's astounding. The world we think we're so familiar with is just off-kilter enough to convey that nevermind Kansas, Toto, this is another world. The quasi-retro machinery of life seems to come from a backward chronology when with a slight adjustment it's clear this society has harnessed a power that's quiet and clean. Those glowing powerpacks might be atomic or something else, but they're not of the Earth.
Actually, I can see that if you're not familiar with the books - and I urge you to read them, they are just SO much better written and conceived than Potter or Narnia, nevermind the element of religion/philosophy - the screenplay choice to separate into parts what is essentially an integrated story, that's a choice that will confuse.
But I still believe there's enough here, if you're willing to do some concentrating, to satisfy your sense of awe and adventure. I'm aware of the decided dissatisfaction expressed in this thread, and I wonder if it does have at least something to do with cultural expectation. Who knows.
Yup, I did like it a lot, but I'm also aware among a very mixed audience I was in the majority. Since I always sit front row centre, I'm always aware of the loo factor with family films. The loo count here was almost nil.
Well, I suppose you can't really put that on a poster, can you -- The Bladder Count!
So for those who hated it, I urge you to give it another chance. And if you've got children, I also urge you to read the books with them. And please don't tell me you're afraid a trilogy of children's adventure stories [which are, yes, jam-packed full of ideas and champion the notion that individuals should question rather than accept meekly] - that a trilogy of such books have the intention or the means to turn you from deist to atheist.
None of which takes away or adds to the fact that this is an excellent piece of filmmaking.
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 17:30:10
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| The most ominous thing is that nobody much went to this $180MM film the first weekend. Its only hope now is buzz, which seems in short supply from fwfr's unscientific sample. |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 18:43:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Randall
The most ominous thing is that nobody much went to this $180MM film the first weekend. Its only hope now is buzz, which seems in short supply from fwfr's unscientific sample.
Uhm -- isn't it currently number one in the US bo charts?
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MisterBadIdea
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 19:05:32
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Yes, but a film of that magnitude has to do more than just beat out smaller films to be considered a real success. It did lower than expected, and far lower than New Line execs had hoped when they first signed off on the project.
And while I do not begrudge your opinion of the film, BB (although I would point out that the movie will undoubtedly play better if you've already read the books and can explain what's happening), I would point out that most U.S. critics have given the movie terrible reviews. Rotten Tomatoes has it lower than Bee Movie. (I don't agree with that, I hated The Golden Compass but I realllly hated Bee Movie.) |
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BaftaBaby
"Always entranced by cinema."
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 20:20:02
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Yeah, MBI, much as I suggested most of the unfavorable reviews come from the US and most of the thumbs ups come from the UK. As I so often do, I find myself mostly in synch with Roger Ebert, in whose critical company I'm quite content.
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RockGolf
"1500+ reviews. 1 joke."
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 20:30:34
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I saw Lord of the Rings without reading any of the books. In the first film was a bit difficult to keep all the characters straight, but I still enjoyed it. Loved the next two films. (Probably because I rewatched Fellowship & Towers literally the day before going to see Return.
I haven't read Compass either, but it certainly sounds like it has to be read to enjoy the movie. Always a bad thing.
I bought the book for my daughter who is verging on teen-hood. She goes to a Catholic school, so as soon as there was a whiff that the books might be banned in her library, I purchased them & she'll get them at Xmas.
From what I'm reading everyone who read the books, loved the movie, while those who didn't read them hated the movie. If so, then I'll take a pass.
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RockGolf
"1500+ reviews. 1 joke."
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 20:37:08
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| One further note: Juno earned almost half a million at only 7 theatres. That's a per average screen value eight times higher than Compass. |
Edited by - RockGolf on 12/10/2007 21:55:48 |
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MguyX
"X marks the spot"
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Posted - 12/10/2007 : 20:46:52
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Sorry, BB, I disagree entirely. The utter turbidity of the plot detracts from everything. If I have to concentrate to find something redeeming -- like focusing on whether Nicole Kidman's becoming a better actor -- there's something wrong with the film.
All this film has going for it is the production values, which the FX people handled very well. It IS a spectacle ... but that's not enough to redeem it.
I recall seeing the film "Hannibal" and initially feeling that the reviews were unduly harsh. I was ecstatic about seeing Hopkins reprise the role, but then, I had read the book and utterly loved not only the story but its manner of telling; Thomas Harris blossomed powerfully with that book. I enjoyed the film, because Hopkins is great in general with that role, and I already knew the story. But I have to admit that without such fore knowledge, I would have royally panned the film as well, which, even with my fore knowledge, was not as satisfying as I had hoped it would be.
If one must have read the book to understand the film, then the film is a failure. They are two different media with disperate measures for determining their efficacy. That being said, mere spectacle is not enough, just as simply reprising an actor in a particular role is not enough. The film had the flavor of "The Phantom Menace" -- an interesting yet ultimately unsatisfying apperatif.
MBI: while I agree that exposition can be handled well, it nearly never is, thus I tend to agree with Ali's observation; there's almost always a better way to tell the story in film than "telling the story."
Personal note: With no offense intended toward my UK and American-expatriate friends, I offer that my patience has worn thin with the conceit that all "other worlds" are populated by humanoids who speak with an English accent. While it is endearing in films set in various UK dominions, it rings contrived in canned success spectacles like this one.
While I did not loathe the film as much as MBI, I unreservedly sympahize with his sentiment. |
Edited by - MguyX on 12/10/2007 23:51:41 |
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The Golden Compass
