Of Serendipity and "Rainy-Day Banana Pudding"

Today's post begins with a fractal called Sunny Flower. I picked it largely because it was yellow and green (like bananas) and because the shape looked like tropical leaves. It's a very slim connection but you can't always have a perfect connection between every image and post. ANYway--on with the post!

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Serendipity. The word has fallen out of fashion and that’s really too bad because it has such a wonderful definition. The Dictionary defines “serendipity” as “an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.” It can also be defined simply as “good fortune” or “luck.” I’m going to take a break from the movie reviews and random rants to tell you about a bit of serendipity that happened to me.
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The Saturday after New Year’s Day is almost my least favorite day of the whole year. That’s the day all the Christmas stuff comes down at our house--putting an end to the holiday season. That's the day the season is officially over and lets me know it's time to go back to the dull, Real World and all it's problems. It never helps that the day always seems to be gray and cold. This past Saturday (January 5) the day was compounded by a night of hard rain and the promise of even more rough weather to come. We’d had an indifferent lunch (at a Restaurant that’s usually pretty good) when I saw they had Banana Pudding on the menu! (At $4.95 no less--and that for a single serving!) Banana Pudding was something my Mom used to make a lot when I was a kid. It was usually a summertime treat but I decided I wanted some even in the dead of winer.
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I remembered it as being fairly easy to make so I suggested to Robyn that we go and pick up the ingredients--since we had several bananas at home--that would have ended up being thrown away if we didn’t find a way to use them. (My titian-haired everluscious lady had her doubts--no doubt becayse she's had experience in the kitchen with me. Still, this time she was willing to give it a try--just because it made me happy.) Luckily there was a Ralphs Supermarket close to hand. I remember the Banana Pudding recipe my Mom used as being on the “Nilla Wafers” box. We got the wafers--only to find that the pudding recipe had been replace with, of all things, a recipe for “instant” Tiramisu! (Is it me or is that really a utterly disgusting as it sounds?) Still, I thought I could remember how my Mom had done it back in the day so we bought the wafers, a six-serving box of Instant Banana Pudding and a small container of Cool Whip then headed home to see what we could make with the ingredients.
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While Robyn made up the pudding and sliced the bananas I lined a 9X13 inch pan with Vanilla Wafers. Once the pudding was mixed Robyn added the sliced bananas and some of the Cool Whip then mixed that all together. While she was doing that I took some more wafers that I had put in a Glad Bag and used a hammer to pound them into crumbs. We then used these crumbs as a topping for the mixture Robyn had poured into the pan. After several hours of chilling the pudding was ready to be eaten. Turned out to be pretty darn good actually: not quite like Mom used to make but close enough...
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So why am I sharing this story? Not because I think I have made some sort of “grand discovery”--or even managed to recapture a small piece of my childhood. I told this story because I wanted to share a small serendipity in my life. We took a risk (albeit a small one) and had a wonderful result. (Not that it would have been a huge loss had it turned out badly but still--we had to have at least a little faith and the willingness to fail . . .) What I want you to get out of this, dear reader, is took look for the serendipity in your own life. Really, it’s there--just waiting to be discovered.

Sweeney Todd: note perfect

Today’s post begins with a fractal called Twisted Quad. I picked it because it had the right “feel” for my review of Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The “blade” like bars, the twisty parts of the image and the “black and white” color palette all enhance the general feel I got from the movie.
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I went in to see Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street with some trepidation: I’m not a fan of “horror” (be it fiction or movies) and I don’t much care for Stephen Sondheim. I passed on the opportunity to see it on stage for just those reasons. In ways though it may have been a good thing since I went in to the show with no preconceived notions (or at least not very many!)
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Director (and perennial oddball ) Tim Burton (who has created such diverse twisted oddities as The Corpse Bride and Ed Wood) has transformed “Sweeny” from a sprawling epic into something of a chamber piece. (I’m not sure anyone else could have realized the movie to the perfection Burton pulled off here.) Gone (but not missed) are the choruses that help set the scenes and move the action along. Instead, we get an “up close and personal” (sometimes even claustrophobic) look into the story. The movie is shot with toned-down, almost monochromatic, colors: only the blood shines bright scarlet and it helps to enhance the sad, decrepit aspects of the story. Every aspect of the movie is almost, dare I say it? note perfect--the sets, the acting, even the singing.
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Johnny Depp--fresh from the third “Pirates of the Caribbean” film doesn’t have much of a singing voice but he completely inhabits the title role and gives a performance which is completely believable and quite chilling. Perennial Burton Favorite Helena Bonham-Carter channels her inner “Goth Girl” as Mrs. Lovett who helps Sweeney on his road to revenge. (She isn’t without a few secrets of her own and a connection to Sweeney that I never quite figured out.) Alan Rickman comes a bit too close to “Severus Snape” for my taste but does a fine job as evil Judge Turpin. Character Actor Timothy Spall (who played a villainous henchman in Enchanted) reprises his henchman duties as Badle Bamford to oily perfection. Sacha Baron Cohen (of Borat fame) plays barber competitor “Signor Adolfo Pirelli” (who also has a connection to the Demon Barber). He displays a nice singing voice and gets one of the few comedic moments--before Sweeney slits his throat. Newcomer Jamie Campbell Bower (playing romantic figure Anthony Hope) is handsome and has a lovely tenor voice. The rest of the cast is made up of capable unknowns.
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This is a movie musical for people who aren’t fans of movie musicals: it wasn’t an easy movie for me to watch--and it is definitely not a “feel good flick” for anyone (except fans of horror movies). The language is a bit graphic as is the violence: this is not a movie for children or the faint-of-heart. Still, it is challenging and involving--and well worth the trip to the Cineplex. It may be the best movie I’ve seen in2007.
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FINAL GRADE: A+

This "Legend of the Deep" is Mighty Shallow

Today’s post begins with a fractal called Waves and Whirlpools. I thought it would be a suitable choice for a review of The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep.
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One of Robyn and my Christmas Day traditions is that we always go to see a movie: this year we chose to see The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep. I was so utterly uninspired by the movie that I didn’t end up writing the review until today. (Then again, if the title of this post didn’t tell you how I feel about the movie you’ve been living under a rock way too long!)
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This movie was based on a book by Dick King-Smith (author of the charming children’s book Babe). Not having read the book I can’t tell you how close the filmed version of The Water Horse comes to the source material so I can’t compare the two. The story takes place in World War II Scotland (Loch Ness to be exact) where you Angus isn’t fitting in well. He is drawn to the water yet fears it (for reasons unexplained). Once day he finds something strange and brings it home. This sets up the “boy meets creature/creature causes chaos/boy sets creature free/boy saves creature from bad guys” plot that is familiar from so many other movies of this sort. (In this case the bad guys are British Soldiers stationed in Scotland to hunt for submarines.) There is a sub-plot involving a mysterious new arrival and the Commander of the British forces that isn’t fully developed (and seems mostly there as filler for older viewers who want more content) but you‘ve seen this all before.
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There are no surprises ANYWHERE in the story but all the parts are ably acted (by a bunch of Brits I’ve never heard of before). The rugged New Zealand scenery stands in wonderfully well for Scotland--and the movie is gorgeous to look at. The colors are a bit solemn but the shots are nothing short of picture postcard perfect. The eponymous “Water Horse” is wonderfully realized with a combination of CGI and models: the scenes shot in the Loch are far and away the best reason to see this movie.
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In the end The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep is a pleasant, if unremarkable family film. There is little originality and not much magic in movie but it is good fun for the entire family. The kids will like the "water horse" and their parents won't be bored beyond belief. I can’t recommend it but this movie is not a turkey of colossal proportions either.
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FINAL GRADE: C

Reviewing my Christmas Music collecction

Today’s post begins with a fractal called Poinsettia. To my mind it is possible the “best” holiday fractal I’ve ever done so it seems appropriate for a “Best Of . . .” review. Sadly, it's a little late but that's my fault. ANYway--on with the post!
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I have a sad confession to make. I like Christmas music. I really like Christmas music--so much so I have 69 albums in my collection (and that’s not counting double-disk sets!) The worst of it is this: I play it non-stop from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve--one album after another. I was chatting with Robyn and she asked which albums I liked best: honestly I couldn’t tell her so I decided to do this review to help me clarify my choices.
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I will divide the rest of my post into three sections, Best, Worst, and Best/Worst. Ranking will be in alphabetical order: choosing a favorite would be like choosing amongst one’s children. Hard to do (although if you read between the lines it shouldn’t be hard to figure out my absolute best/worse choices.
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BEST
A LITTLE CHRISTMAS MUSIC (the King‘s Singers). One of my oldest (and one of my favorite albums), this male sextet from England gets help from operatic soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, the City of London Sinfonia, the Canadian Brass and other artists on 21 cuts that runs for close to an hour. There’s a nice mix of sacred and secular music here: some works are performed “straight” but the King’s Singers aren’t afraid to have a little fun. Their arrangement of The Coventry Carol is a jarring mess but the rest of the album is top-notch. A must for any fan of choral music.
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AN IRISH CHRISTMAS (Moya Brennan). Moya (nee Maire) Brennan borrows a little of her baby sister Enya’s ethereal quality for her musical offering but uses it to better effect. She uses a lot of “layering” in her music but isn’t afraid to add in a few ethnic elements to freshen up her sound. Her version of Carol of the Bells is haunting and beautiful--as is the rest of the album. FIND this album and BUY it!
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CELTIC CHRISTMAS (Eden‘s Bridge). I found this album in a “bargain bin” for $5.00--and I’ve gotten ten times the price in enjoyment from it. Christmas is With Us Again is an original masterpiece of a song and most of the other stuff is beautifully sung and played. Some of the “praise” aspects go a bit “over-the-top” for my taste but that doesn’t happen often.
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CHRISTMAS (Manheim Steamroller). This is the album that fired my obsession for holiday music. First and still the best of their many Christmas albums. The mix of rennaisance and modern music still sounds as fresh today as it did when I first heard this album more than twenty years ago.
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EVERYTHING YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy). Mostly secular and popular songs played with the quintessential “swing band” style and hipster attitude. This is just forty minutes of pure fun that you’d truly have to be a real “Grinch” not to love! There are also a few cuts of music I've nver heard anywhere else.
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FESTUVAL OF THE HEART (John Boswell), Mostly solo piano arrangements of well-known sacred carols, it is an hour’s worth of gentle relaxation. This album is a must for any lover of piano music.
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NOEL (Canadian Brass). Another album that I bought because it was super cheap that turned out to be surprisingly good. This quintet gets help from flautist James Galway, flamenco guitarist Angel Romero and the King’s Singers among others. This album has a wide variety of music so the brass doesn’t overpower the listener.
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ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT (Cherish the Ladies). Four good looking girls mixing traditional Irish dance music with Christmas carols--how could you ask for anything more. I just bought this album and it is already one of my favorites.
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THE BELLS OF DUBLIN (The Chieftains). The venerable band of traditional Irish musicians is joined by such diverse musical talents as Elvis Costello, Jackson Brown, Ricky Lee Jones and even Burgess Meredith (!?!) not to mention the Westminster Cathedral Choir. Fans of popular music AND Celtic music are sure to love this. I’m particularly fond of The St. Stephen’s Day Murders (which appeals to my warped sense of humor) and The Rebel Jesus (which offers an outsider‘s perspective on Christmas).
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THE SWEETEST GIFT (Trisha Yearwood), This gal knows her way around a song! Doesn’t matter whether the song is sacred or secular she still does it justice. Somehow she doesn’t manage to make Sweet Little Jesus Boy (a negro spiritual) sound completely ridiculous and two songs I’ve never heard anywhere else (It Wasn‘t His Child and Walk Through Bethlehem) are nothing short of spectacular.
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WRAPPED IN WHITE (John Doan). This album is just plain odd (which might explain why I love it so). Each of the cuts is two or more songs mixed together into one tune (Jolly Old King Wenseslas is an excellent example.) Doan plays all the instruments himself and they are a weird and diverse lot including (but not limited to) Harmonium, Toy Piano, Harp guitar (yes, that’s one word--and the thing looks even weirder than it sounds!) and antique Edison Phonograph. A delight for any fan of musical esoterica.
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BEST/WORST
A GIFT OF SONG (Mason Williams and Friends). As long as he sticks to traditional carols this album is awesome! I loved the mix of Classical Gas with What Child is This to come up with What Tune is This? The other traditional carols are nicely handled but sadly the album is about half new material that’s frankly dull and none too Christmas-y (even if he does try and dress it up in the liner notes.)
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BOOGIE WOOGIE CHRISTMAS (Bryan Setzer Orchestra). Setzer is a fierce guitarist and his swing band is first rate. Most of the stuff on this album is first rate and songs like Santa Claus is Back in Town and Baby It’s Cold Outside (sung with Ann Margaret in full sexpot mode) are good, clean dirty fun. Still, his version of O Holy Night can make dogs howl. I think this is stuff that would go over particularly well in a live show.
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BRAND NEW YEAR (SheDAISY): slick and over-produced like much of their work, this album has some cool stuff and some stuff sure to make your teeth hurt. I particularly love Twist of the Magi (which is just “pure-D“ evil) and the hidden acapella track How Can I Keep From Singing. Some real stinkers like Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag and That’s What I Want for Christmas could have been left off and it would have been a better album. Still, there’s enough good stuff to keep me listening year after year.
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CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT (the Carpenters). It’s hard to fault a voice like Karen Carpenter’s. She had hands-down one of the best voices ever recorded and there is a sad sweetness and “little girl lost” quality that comes through in many of her songs. Sadly brother Richard fills the album with overwrought musical arrangements and instrumentals that are horrid, gooey glop. This is a classic case of “less is more”. Take out the choral pieces and Richard's piano work and you've got a damn fine Christmas CD.
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Songs from CALL ME CLAUS (Garth Brooks). Given the right material Garthie can really do a song justice and there are a number of gems on this album. Such diverse tunes as Mary Had a Little Lamb and Zat You Santy Clause? are loads of fun. Then you hear It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and you realize how limited his vocal ability really is. Garth also suffers from the curse of over-production on this album. Strings, brass and gospel choirs overwhelm him more than once--and Garth should know better by now.
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THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC and THE LOST CHRISTMAS EVE (Trans-Siberian Orchestra). Two slices of the same ham loaf, these massive, self-referential epic “concept” albums each tells a story in traditional and original music. Some of the tunes rock a bit hard for my personal taste but the whole things are worthwhile listens.
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WORST
A FAMILY CHRISTMAS (John Tesh). This musical giant (he’s like 6’7”) brings all the charm and magic of a loaf of stale Wonder Bread to this collection of fourteen instrumental numbers. This album should have been titled Elevator Music for Christmas: the Next Generation. It’s wonderful background music for a party but God forbid you should actually listen to the thing. At least the album cover has a Dalmatian . . .
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CHRISTMAS CAROL and IN DULCE JUBILO (James Galway). Two slices of the same Christmas pie--the first in English, the second not. There is some beautiful choral work on both albums and there is no doubt Galway is an excellent flautist. Still, after a while the overly-lush strings and overall sameness and syrupy soporific quality of both albums drives me to distraction. These are best taken in small doses--maybe I should set my CD Player on “shuffle” and include livelier music when I play these.
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CHRISTMAS SONG (Manheim Steamroller). Chip Davis went back to the holiday well one-time-too-many for his latest effort. There is no magic or originality in the tunes he re-works for this album and his new material is nothing short of coma-inducing. I could really also have done without the guest appearance by Johnny Mathis on The Christmas Song. There’s no denying the guy still has a good voice but his overly-precise, hyper enunciated style sets my teeth on edge. (To me a Christmas without having to hear Johnny Mathis is like a fully stocked shopping mall with no crowds when I’m doing my holiday shopping--a fond dream).
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SOUNDS OF THE SEASON (Enya). I am an unabashed Enya worshipper--which is why it saddens me to put this album on my “worst” list. Thank God the thing is short (just a bit over 22 minutes) because every song is taken at the same ponderous pace that sucks the energy out of a room. How she managed to turn We Wish You A Merry Christmas into a dirge I’ll never know! The original songs on the disk are egregiously bad as well. What a shame.
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TO DRIVE THE COLD WINTER AWAY (Loreena McKennet). Usually I love her stuff but this short album is spare to the point of being almost skeletal I wanted more and I didn’t get it here which is sad because I’ve heard her do Christmas songs with a fuller sound on other albums. With all her vocal and musical tricks to draw from Loreena McKennit can be awesome but the artistic choice not to on this album--and it didn’t work.
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WINTERSONG (Paul Winter). This new age clarinetist gives us thirty three minutes of new age crap that I’m surprised I still allow to take up space in my CD Case. I have nothing good to say about this album.

A Christmas Surprise: Defending Mike Huckabee

Today’s post begins with a fractal called Christmas Surprise. It seemed suitable for commentary on holiday politics. This is a rare day when I defend a Republican (at least kindasorta) so enjoy it while you can all my right wing readers--and you know who you are!
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The latest tempest in a teapot involves a Mike Huckabee Christmas-themed advertisement. Check it out using this link if you’d like to see the whole thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMUI2XExdIA .) On the surface it is a (refreshingly) innocuous ad sending Christmas greetings. There’s no bashing of other candidates, no party politics--nothing but a greeting like you’d get from almost anyone. Still, the ad is not without controversy: what appears to be a cross gleams over Huckabee’s right shoulder and that has caused plenty of comment and criticism. These critics insist this image was placed their to appeal to Huckabee’s popular base--evangelical Christians. Representatives for the candidate insist the “cross” was merely a bookcase behind their candidate that got oddly lit during shooting.
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Does anyone actually believe this is an accident? (If you do--please rent a brain as quickly as possible!) Every aspect of these big-budget, high production value ads (political or not) is tightly controlled: there are no accidents when these things hit the airwaves. Having said that--all I can say to the critics is so what? Mike Huckabee is a Southern Baptist Minister who has never been shy about sharing his religious beliefs. I actually approve of him wishing folks “Merry Christmas” rather than “Happy Holidays” or sending out “Seasons Greetings”
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Ron Paul (a Republican candidate) said of the ad “when fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” (This is a quote from someone else but I couldn‘t find out who in the time I had to write this post.) Frankly, I couldn’t agree more: I’m just not sure you can apply it to this situation. Sometimes a Christmas Greeting is just a Christmas Greeting. Yes, I’d have been more comfortable if Huckabee’s people had come out and said “yeah, we put that image in there--you caught us,” but they didn’t. Then again, I didn’t really expect them to either.
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It’s a “whole ‘nother” question whether or not one’s faith should be injected into a political debate. Personally I think that topic is a dangerous and slippery slope you shouldn’t go down but that ship has sailed long ago. The Christian Right has been a potent political force since the Reagan era: for good or ill they are here to stay. Me, I don’t think Jesus is a Republican. (I don’t think he’s a Democrat, Libertarian or any other political party.) Jesus says in Luke Chapter 20, verse 26: "then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” (New American Standard Bible) To me that pretty much says everything ANY Christian needs to hear--ie. religion and politics and two separate entities and never the twain should meet.
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Ah well--be you Republican, Democratic, apolitical or anything else I wish you a “Merry Christmas” to one and all. Likewise to those it matters to--Happy Hanukah, a sacred and satisfying Solstice, Kickin’ Kwanzaa, Rockin’ Ramadhan and a fab ‘n’ funky Festivus! Whatever your holiday tradition is may it be joyous and your New Year filled with peace, prosperity and many blessings.

I Am Legend? No, Not Really...

What Happened? That’s the title of today’s fractal image. I picked it because when I saw the latest version of I AM LEGEND all I could say was--what happened??? What happened to the plot? What happened to the critics? And most of all--what happened to the taste level of the movie-going public? Yes, the colors are completely wrong for such a dark and depressing movie but the title was just too perfect to waste!
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I AM LEGEND began life in 1954 as a Novella by Richard Matheson. This is the thrid big screen version following THE LAST MAN ON EARTH starring Vincent Price (1964) and THE OMEGA MAN (1971) which starred Charlton Heston. The latest big screen big budget blockbuster has almost nothing in common with the source material other than the title and the name of the main character. All versions feature a world-wide plague that turns all of humanity into near-mindless, night-dwelling killing machines and end with the death of the main character.
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The action has been transferred from Los Angeles to Manhattan in the latest version. Action God Will Smith plays Dr. Robert Neville (who seems to be) the last survivor of a world-wide plague (a mutated form of Rubella)--leaving the sufferers (those who didn’t die outright) as near-mindless blood crazed monsters. Manhattan is Ground Zero (imagine that!) and Neville fights a never-ending battle for survival and sanity as he attempts to find a cure for the disease. He believes the “Darkseekers” (so named because they cannot tolerate any form of strong light) have completely devolved. He eventually encounters another survivor and her son that leads to the final showdown between Neville and the Darkseekers.
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There are two reasons to see I AM LEGEND--first and foremost is the setting. I don’t know where the movie was filmed but it certainly looks like a ruined New York City: the sets and CGI are so perfect you will completely believe you are seeing a devastated Manhattan after several years of neglect. There is also no doubt that Will Smith is a wonderfully talented actor: you get to see a lot of that because he’s alone on screen for two thirds of them film (not counting the dog). His monomania and degenerating mental state is movingly portrayed and completely believable. Take these two things away though and you have just another scary flick with all the standard tricks used to scare the audience in any low-budget killfest.
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Maybe I was just too critical but I could never suspend my disbelief long enough to stop the flood of questions running through my head. Why is it that,on an island inhabited by blood-suckers there still manage to be herds of deer and elk--not to mention lions? (I mean--a combination of lack of food and a high predator population should have wiped them out--right?) Why is it that the Darkseekers took so long to go after Neville? And why does Neville go through every “don’t” in the “Slasher Movie” genre? (Surely he must have seen one in his life!) How did Anna get from the mainland to Manhattan Island? How did she survive for three years on her own? (assuming the world is has hostile as New York City at least) How does a Hispanic woman have a son named Ethan for God’s sake??? How does she know about the survivors’ colony in Vermont while Neville doesn’t? ("God told me" just doesn't work here.)
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I’d also like to know why the writers turned the “Darkseekers” into mindless monsters. (I appreciate the fact that they were no longer standard “vampire” caricatures but the way they are done in the film leaves me cold.) I also would love to know why so many critics seemed to love this movie: Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times absolutely loved it! Sadly, I am in the minority here: the viewing public made this the best December movie opening EVER and most critics can’t heap enough praise on it.
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Yes, the Set Design is “Oscar”-worthy and there are some nice stunts but the CGI monsters look like high-end video game creations. The plot isn’t the least bit logical or believable--not to mention having more holes than Swiss Cheese--and there is nothing new or revelatory in the movie. I can only hope that I AM LEGEND dies a quick death like a Darkseeker exposed to sunlight.
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FINAL GRADE: D+

"Golden Compass" Charts a Complex but Fascinating Course

Today’s post begins with a fractal called Compass. As you can see it’s a “golden” compass--at least partially--and that is important since I will be reviewing The Golden Compass today.
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I knew I’d be seeing The Golden Compass as soon as I saw the trailers last May: the video was nothing short of stunning and I’m a sucker for bears in aromor of any sort. Having read the book (the entire trilogy in fact) by Phillip Pullman (that's His Dark Materials for any of you who might be interested) I was also curious to see how well it would translate from the page to the screen. I can happily report that it makes the translation quite well--for the most part at least (and I‘ll get into wat doesn't work so well a bit later).
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Tomboy Lyra (nicely played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards) is raising herself (mostly) at Jordan College in Oxford where she saves her “uncle” Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig in a small role that doesn’t leave much impression) from death at the hands of the Magisterium. He gives her an “alietheometer”--a (possibly) magical device that answers questions for those who know how to read it. After the disappearance of the “Gyptian” boy Tony Costa (Charlie Rowe) and her best friend Roger (Ben Walker) who have been stolen away by the “gobblers” she is drawn into the obit of Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman)--a cold as ice be-atch with many secrets of her own. Escaping Mrs. Coulter Lyra is rescued by a band of Gyptians who have been charged to watch after her by Lord Asriel. Lyra journeys Northward with the Gyptians to rescue the stolen children and meets the armored bear Iorek Byrnison (voiced by a computer-enhanced Sir Ian McKellen) aeronaut Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliot doing his usual “western hero“ schtick) and the witch Serafina Pekkala (Eva Green). See the movie or read the book if you want happens from there.
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The movie presents a familiar yet utterly alien world and offers no explanation other than a couple of sentances at the very start of the movie. The makers just lay it out and expect the viewer to just go along (and this might be a problem for some viewers). If you can get past these questions you will find The Golden Compass to be a beautifully-shot, ripping-good adventure story that carries you along on an exciting journey. The writers had to leave out a lot of stuff from the book but most of it won’t be noticed by anyone who hasn’t read the book. (This movie ocst 180 Million to make so it better look good!) Personally I could have done with an explanation of a few things (like what exactly IS “Dust”--other than something to be feared.) The sets are beautiful and the acting and affects are all first rate. The direction never gets in the way of the plot or action. The plot moves along quickly enough that you don’t really have time to think about the inconsistencies in the story. About the only thing I can really complain about is the truly horrid song (it's an unrelentingly-awful "New Age" mess that should have been left out of the movie) over the closing credits. (Yes, it’s that bad!)
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The movie has been condemned by the Catholic League (for being “anti-Catholic”) and criticized by several evangelical groups as “opening the door to atheism”--mainly because all the characters have “daemons” (pronounced (“demons”) and because Phillip Pullman is an avowed atheist. Having read both the trilogy and seen the movie it is my considered opinion (as a main-line protest who grew up Roman Catholic) that The Golden Compass is neither. Yes, it is decided anti-authoritarianism and decidedly pro free will but I didn’t find anything overtly against any religion in either the book or the movie. Yes, the book refers to “the Church” (which the movie wisely avoids in hope of avoiding controversy)--but even the most ardent Catholic must acknowledge a period of Church history where heresy and scientific thought were purged with fire and torture. As for the fears of Fundamentalists everywhere let me just say this--a faith that can’t survive a work of fiction isn’t much of a faith. Watching this movie isn’t going to draw an unbeliever further away from Christ Please give the audience enough credit for the ability to distinguish between a work of faction and something purported to be reality. This is a work of fiction--not an attack on anyone’s faith. Trying to make it something else says more about your beliefs than those who made the movie and he who wrote the book.
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The Golden Compass isn’t for everyone. Fans of fantasy and Science Fiction films (like the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings films) will find a lot to enjoy here. Fans of action and adventure films will probably enjoy it as well. True, the film is not without its problems but the good far outweighs the bad and the visuals cry to be seen on a large screen (if only because of the richness of the detail crammed in every shot). Robyn and I will be buying this when it comes out on DVD and I hope New Line makes enough money on it produced the rest of the trilogy.
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FINAL GRADE: A-