Last Airbender & Golden Compass!
cudzndrips
Posts: 384 Forum Member
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Loved both these movies but both are meant to be trilogies. Anyone know when the remaining films are due?
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cudzndrips
Posts: 384 cudzndrips
Posts: 384 cudzndrips
Posts: 384
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Unsure why compass failed but it didn't do well so won't be returning Lyra for a start is all grown up now
I needed to buy some holiday reading anyway so I think I might give the trilogy a look
Northern Lights was reasonably close to the movie as I recall although the very end is somewhat different. I can't remember exactly but different characters die in the movie. The depiction of the armoured bear and Lyra's mischief were spot on from my interpretation of the book though.
The Subtle Knife was an excellent read set largely in the "other" world.
But I found the Amber Spyglass a bit of a chore to be honest. Too much love story for Lyra and general god themes and less adventure for my tastes.
I'm gagging for HBO to pick it up and do something with it, they wouldbn't flinch from handling the more controversial themes and (as with Game Of Thrones) would be able to pace things better and allow a full and fleshed out adaptation.
I generally enjoyed the film The Golden Compass, up until the point they completely pussied out on the ending.
The end isn't different so much as they stopped it before the book does if I remember
I thought the film was ok, but the overall series works i think much better as a book, and it was a case of the film companies trying to jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon, which also happened with other films which failed.. like that Percy Jacson film etc.
edit: Although I see they are making a sequel to Percy Jackson...
They have been saying that for ages so I had to look it up myself and wow they are actually doing it - I thought Lerman would look too old now.
Anthony Head is taking over Pierce Brosnan from the looks of it
The studio wanted The Golden Compass watered down, it's a film that I think succeded despite this interference.
But, the film didn't help itself!
It had a very strong cast. Dakota Blue-Richards was an awesome find (and has continued to prove it in Skins). Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig were the perfect Mrs Coulter and Lord Asriel. The effects were good, in fact everything could have gone good.
So, what went wrong?
For me, the producers behind the movie were too scared of religious zealots spitting out their dummies. The books claim that the higher Authority is a fraud, and took credit for what was already created. I haven't read them in a while, but I don't believe they even mention "God" by name. Because of this, the film suffers.
Plus, the ending was screwed up, big time. The book has a clear three act structure, all leading up to the horrible murder at the end (won't elaborate more). It also leads nicely into "The Subtle Knife," which is told from another character's viewpoint as they meet up with Lyra some time later. The film ends before the final confrontation with Lord Asriel, meaning a potential adaptation of the Subtle Knife would have first have had to deal with that, which would have been bloody difficult to squeeze in. TSK is big enough!
Rant over.