BridgeToTheStars.net

The official movie blog has announced a live chat with Dakota Blue Richards (Lyra) for Wednesday, 19 December at 630pm ET to be hosted by Scholastic Kids. They have also uploaded video footage of press junket interviews with Nicole Kidman (Mrs. Coulter) and Daniel Craig (Lord Asriel) here.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association has honoured the film adaptation of The Golden Compass with two nominations for the 2007 Critics’ Choice Awards. Richards has been named for ‘Best Young Actress’ for her part as Lyra and the movie was nominated for ‘Best Family Film (Live Action)’. See all the nominees here.

The Los Angeles Times‘ Kenneth Turan praises the film’s efforts, declaring, ‘though it takes some doing, “The Golden Compass” retains enough tastes and traces of the original to fascinate and involve viewers.’ Also from the LA Times, Sam Adams takes a look at this season’s batch of fantasy films and the contemporary audience in attendance. Says director Chris Weitz, “One’s always tempted to go the rather stock route of saying it’s escapist fare, and we really need that now, but if you look at Lord of the Rings’ or ‘His Dark Materials,’ they’re not really escapist inasmuch as they deal, at least in analogy, with some of the things that are going on in politics and society.” Read more.

The Golden Compass was shown (report here) in select cinemas across the US last Saturday and fan reviews are starting to come in. We’re collecting them here, so if you want to hear what fans who have seen the movie think of it, click away.

If you’ve seen the movie yourself and want to share your own review with everyone, email us.

IESB’s Andy Duke reviews The Golden Compass, beginning with all of the production’s challenges. He also states, “[Philip Pullman] has ever reason to approve of Weitz’s effort.” Ain’t It Cool News‘ writers have given the film mixed-positive reviews but express the concerns of fans for missing elements. The Hollywood Reporter calls it, “A golden celebration of childhood fantasies,” predicting substantial box office promise. Emmanuel Levy gives it B: “[Weitz's] “Golden Compass” lacks a sense of magic and wonder.” Variety’s Tod McCarthy gives the film a lot of credit, but gives the film more mixed review: “impressively rendered but oddly uninviting.”

After three days of press screenings and roundtables, reviews by members of the press have begun to appear online and in print. Like our own, most praise writing, set pieces, and performances especially. The Sun describe Dakota Blue Richard’s debut portraying Lyra as “enchanting,” predicting that sequels are sure to follow. The film itself is called “a well-written, beautifully delivered adventure.” The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gives The Golden Compass four stars, praising Kidman’s take on the villainous Mrs. Coulter (who could out-evil Darth Vader any day and “may come to dominate our children’s nightmares the way Robert Helpmann’s Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang once did ours”). Fox News‘ Roger Friedman describes the film as a success with Oscar worthy visual effects and production design: “a large-scale thoughtful fantasy, something to get lost in during (the) holiday film season.” Performances are “spot on” and Kidman and Craig’s on screen chemistry is redemptive the turnout of The Invasion. Meanwhile, James Christopher of the Times gives the film only two stars. While once again praising performances and special effects, he laments on the film’s pacing and claims, “the magic is missing.”

There will certainly be more reviews in the next few weeks. Keep and eye on BridgetotheStars for more reviews as the wider release approaches.

It’s been a long time coming, but today BridgeToTheStars.net was amongst the world’s press to view the finished article – The Golden Compass, in its entirety. Many years and hundreds of millions of dollars in the making, click here to see what we have to think about the film you’re either eagerly looking forward to, or dreading.

The review mostly avoids glaring spoilers, but again, if you want to go into the film more fresh (and it’s not long to wait), consider not reading it. If you have any additional questions about the film (and of course don’t mind being spoiled), ask away here and I’ll get back to them.