It almost became a tradition in the cinematographic world, that a fantasy movie is released around this time of the year. Last year we had Eragon, while two years ago we had “The Chronicles of Narnia,” but this year it’s time for the $200 million adaptation of the Philip Pullman books “The Golden Compass,” to draws us to the movie theaters.

And if you don’t plan on minding all the controversy sparked by movie-director Chris Weitz, then you’ll surely enjoy the cinematographic experience.

The main story is about a young orphan girl named Lyra Belacqua, played by Dakota Blue Rcihards, who lives in a alternate universe, much like England in its Victorian years. Raised by scholars at Jordan College, Lyra has an uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), who is an arctic explorer and claims he has found "Dust".

The Dust is elemental component that flows between each parallel world and into adults through their daemons. The daemons, pronounced demons, are little creatures that are bonded with each man, woman or child. Children’s daemons are changeable until they reach maturity when the little creatures will shape into an animal, who reflects the moral character of its owner. For example, Lord Asriel’s daemon is a snow leopard while Pantalaimon (voice of Freddie Highmore), Lyra’s changing daemon can be a hawk, a rodent, a fox, a cat or whatever she likes.

The conflict of the movie emerges when we found out that The Magisterium, a bureaucratic organization lead by First High Councilor (Christopher Lee), is trying to keep secret the true nature of Dust.
Also, The Magisterium’s General Oblation Board is secretly kidnapping children and experimenting on them to further try and suppress the detrimental concept of Dust. Also, The Magisterium suppresses the truth, because it represents an alternative to its thought control.

Soon, Lyra will find herself caught in a storm of events as her friend Robert (Ben Walker) is kidnapped by Gobblers, henchmens of General Oblation Board. Lyra decides to travel North to find him and to reveal the evil nature of The Magisterium.

That’s when the Golden Compass appears in a story. This magical tell-only-truth device, called also Alethiometer, handed to Lyre by an elder who believes she is the girl in the Prophecy of the Witches, the one born to find the truth and set the human will free.

Lyra meets Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), who suspiciously offers her a trip to the north, but soon it will be revealed that Mrs. Coulter, who has as a daemon a nasty little golden monkey is linked with The Magisterium.

In her quest to find the truth, Lyra will find new allies, such as a white witch called Serafina Pekkala (Eva Green), the aeronaut cowboy Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliot), the Gyptians, boat people similar to Gypsies and an armoured polar bear by the name of Iorek Byrnison voiced by Sir Ian McKellan.

Of course, like in any good fantasy, in the end the viewers will get their fantastic, epic battle between the forces of good an evil.

Though is visually stunning with all the effects and big action scenes, the movie fails to become another Lord of the Rings, as New Line Cinema obviously hoped. The 118 minutes of the movie are not enough to explain all the plots and implications and overall it gives the feeling that a sequel must absolutely follow.

Sometimes is hard to follow as the events are succeeding too fast and many facts are left unexplained.

But the cast is great. The 12-year-old Dakota Blue Richards plays a very convincing Lyra, a mind that searches for the truth no matter what are the obstacles. Nicole Kidman as Marisa Coulder, the blond bombshell capable of everything, is freighting and attractive in way that wonderfully portrays her duplicity. Unfortunately, Daniel Craig’s presence seems rather a spoiler for upcoming sequels rather then a full part in the movie.

The movie is surrounded by controversies and it was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelicals saying that the film will convey children to read Pullman’s book and fall into the individualistic world and atheism.
But the controversial religious content was cut in the movie in order to make it more commercial and maybe this is one of its shortcomings. One example is that in the movie the evil organization that dominates the world is not “the church” as in the book, but the “Magisterium”, that still receives critics because it is a Catholic term.

The actors also defended the movie and denied there is any anti-Christian content, rolling out the film's stars in a last minute public relations blitz.

"I don't see it as that, but it's always laid out for interpretation," said Nicole Kidman for CBS News. "But I would be surprised if people actually saw the film and felt that."

Actor Daniel Craig said the incident was overblown. "I think the Catholic Church will survive," Craig said. "It's survived much worse things than this."

But let aside the religious controversy, the movie will totally worth your time, because, with all its shortcomings, it gives a sense of grandeur and fantasy.

Though you must know that the movie received mixed reviews form the critics. For example, based on 29 reviews, Metacritic.com has give The Golden Compass 53 out of 100 score. RottenTomatoes.com, anoter movie reviews aggregator, lists an average rating of 5,6 out of  10.

The Golden Compass

Directed by Chris Weitz; Screenplay by Weitz from a novel by Philip Pullman; Photographed by Henry Braham; Edited by Peter Honess, Anne V. Coates and Kevin Tent; Music by Alexandre Desplat;

Running time: 1:53 h

Cast

Lyra ... Dakota Blue Richards
Mrs. Coulter ... Nicole Kidman
Lord Asriel ... Daniel Craig
Lee Scoresby ... Sam Elliott
Iorek Byrnison ... Ian McKellen\Dakota Blue Richards

MPAA rating: PG-13 (for sequences of fantasy violence)