The movie-“The Golden Compass” is released today across America. This is a major budget New Line Cinema production reportedly costing over $150 million to produce and features a number of major Hollywood stars including: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig,Sam Elliott, and Eva Green. The story is about Lyra , played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards, an orphan living in a fantasy alternative universe.
The movie is based upon a series of books by Philip Pullman, who is an admitted atheist, and who reportedly wrote the books as an atheist answer to ‘Narnia’.
The reviews all say that the movie is technically superior with excellent acting and cinematography. The sights and sound of the work are said to be notable and flawless.
It is the story line which causes consternation, particularly in the Christian community. In the series of books that the movie is based upon, the church, the ministers (called the Magisterium) and the Christian God are the evil bad guys that must be eliminated by the last page. Personal autonomy and freedom is presented as the highest value and the greatest good to be sought out.
The movie which is released today is based upon the first book and is said to down play most of the anti-religious character of the book series. However, the second and third movies planned in this triology will supposedly follow the story line and be closer to the themes and values presented in the book series.