You won't be disappointed!

People are voting emotionally.

Lack of good storyline.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

All the bad things about this movie: 1) they didnt even call it the proper title 2) Very Very inacurate to the book 3) its not even a golden compass its an athethiometer 4) lousy screenplay 5) an insult to Phillip pullman 6) why did they have to cast an americain atress to play the evil woman 7) Just generally a let down 8) why did Phillip pullman even allow this adaption to be made 9) it felt like they just picked bits from the book, at random and put them in any old order. 10) it is dumed down to suit the american audience, when the book is by a wonderful british author all the good things about this movie: 1) good cast overall 2) good special effectsthats all i have to say

The Golden Compass is definitely a weak movie adaptation. The special effects and the visuals are great, I loved the visuals! But that seems to be all the film cares about, it doesn't seem like they cared about a good plot, good writing, or good dialogue. I felt like Daniel Craig was kinda out of place in this movie, I didn't really think he was the correct choice for his role. Although I did think that Nicole Kidman was good in her role, I enjoyed her as mrs coulter. The main child actress was pretty good in her role, sweet and innocent. I will say this, the Oscar win was well deserved for the special effects. But unfortunately that's the only good think about the golden compass, that and Nicole Kidman. Other than that, there's just nothing special or good about this movie. And the ending was a huge cliffhanger and a wtf kinda moment. And we aren't even getting a sequel, so that's disappointing as well. 3/10.

I was skeptical watching this movie, having read the books. Especially since I saw Nicole Kidman stating she would never act in a movie that severely criticizes the Catholic Church. Which tells me Kidman never read the books. And someone sold her a solid lie to take this role. However Kidman actually does deliver one of the best characters in this movie. Her acting is believable as the conflicted Mrs. Coulter: as a Lady, a scientist (or religious Nazi experimenter), and a mother.Daniel Craig does a passable role as the uncle/scientist, but his acting reflects the main fault with the entire movie. The children, the other actors - they all deliver very well, given the script. It's decent communication between the children and their daemons. Jim Carter looks really wild and the leader of the gypsies, Eva Green isn't doing her best character, but decent enough. I'd like to mention Hattie Morahan as one of the better actors in the role as the creepy nurse. However the storytelling is not true. It is selling us a fairy tale, which the story of the book sort of is - but only as the tip of the iceberg. This story, this movie, lack the depth, the harshness, the bitterness, the sorrow, the intelligence which is the key to the book. Sure, it's a fascinating universe, it's beautiful scenery and machines and costumes - but the thing about this story is the greatness of the underlying story. Which makes it worth reading for adults as well as children. The movie miserably fails at delivering the big story. Maybe because someone had to lie about the criticism the book delivers against our society and religion. Maybe because someone had to lie to Nicole Kidman. For trying to make a pretty little fairy tale out of a great critical and poetic book, I give the movie a four and a half. Which shows as 5.

I love the books and therefore also understand the complexity of the story. And the story is not easy to portray in a film just 113 minutes long. But seeing the film for like the fifth time, now on bluray, I now realize that even though I think that the screenplay was too compressed, the film itself is really, really good. All the right details are there. The costumes are spectacular. The music score is great. The actors are spot on - I love Kidman and Richards especially - but all did a very, very good job. The special effects are truly great, everything from the alethiometer to the daimons and ice bears. Exceptionally well done. So it's really sad to realize that there will be no sequels. Pity that the producers didn't do all three books at once. But at least we can still enjoy this great piece of filmwork, because I think it is a great achievement made by people with true talent.