{"id":675,"date":"2023-01-03T13:48:48","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T13:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/?p=675"},"modified":"2024-01-04T14:10:31","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T14:10:31","slug":"review-his-dark-materials-season-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/?p=675","title":{"rendered":"Review: His Dark Materials, Season 3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To say that Chris Weitz\u2019s The Golden Compass<\/em> was disappointing would be an understatement. It ripped away all the religious themes that made the book great, and it also committed the crime of altering the book\u2019s sad ending. As a director working from prose, you\u2019re inevitably going to have to condense the text, prioritising some elements and getting rid of others. Admittedly, from a commercial point of view, the film almost certainly wouldn\u2019t have performed as well worldwide if it hadn\u2019t removed some of the book\u2019s controversial ideas. But there\u2019s still nothing to justify that changed ending. Roger needed to die not only to bring the narrative to its cathartic close, but also to set up the Land of the Dead storyline that forms a major part of Philip Pullman\u2019s third and final entry. Perhaps the only major outcome of The Golden Compass<\/em> was its shiny cover in Empire<\/em> Magazine that ultimately led me to subscribe to the publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The decision to adapt Pullman\u2019s His Dark Materials<\/em> trilogy on the small screen, (added to the lucrative financial means provided by HBO), was a smart one. However much effort you spend, I couldn\u2019t imagine any of the novels being dutifully rendered in such a short space of time. At the time of watching The Golden Compass<\/em>, I couldn\u2019t even imagine anyone being able to make a competent adaptation of \u2018The Subtle Knife\u2019 or, particularly, \u2018The Amber Spyglass\u2019. How could they do the angels properly? How on earth could they depict the Mulefa?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I\u2019m happy to say that, in all instances, my concerns were proved wrong. The show\u2019s worldbuilding and characterisation are supremely well done, the latter factor no doubt in part to some stellar acting. The only work I\u2019d seen Dafne Keen in before His Dark Materials<\/em> was James Mangold\u2019s broody work Logan<\/em>, where she conveyed hurt and anguish with minimal dialogue. So it was no surprise that her portrayal of the steadfast and curious Lyra Belacqua was suitably great. While Dakota Blue Richards\u2019 depiction of Lyra in The Golden Compass<\/em> was satisfactory, it wasn\u2019t much more than that. Similarly with Nicole Kidman\u2019s Mrs Colter in the same film, the acting is nothing more than average. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Ruth Wilson\u2019s interpretation, however, her character’s moral complexities are wonderfully articulated with some extra support from her emotive, unnamed daemon pal. How can CGI golden monkeys invoke so much feeling? All the VFX work from Russell Dodgson is incredibly impressive. Stoic panserbj\u00f8rn Iorek Byrnison is also a beautiful creation; he\u2019s a tough leader, but he\u2019s also a lil\u2019 cute teddy bear (I wanted to stroke him a lot of the time, even though my hand would likely be bitten off).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, onto the actual plot, which I\u2019ve delayed with Golden Compass<\/em>-bashing and animated animal-admiring. Lyra is currently being held by Mrs Coulter while Will seeks to save her, with a great war brewing on the horizons. The set pieces are typically amazing, taking visuals to new levels with the arrival of the angels and the ensuing conflict. My happiest surprise however, came during Mary Malone\u2019s journey when she meets the Mulefa. They\u2019ve done them really well! And they\u2019re really cute on their lil\u2019 wheels (ok, more animated animal-admiring here). The Land of the Dead is imagined in a very unique and unexpected feat of design. And it\u2019s also great to see the good ol\u2019 Botanic Gardens at the film\u2019s conclusion. Like Endeavour<\/em> (the superior prequel of Inspector Morse<\/em>; don\u2019t give Morse<\/em> a go unless you enjoy sexist camera angles and unnecessary extreme-close ups of cups of tea when nothing of consequence is happening), it\u2019s really neat to see images of real-life locations I recognise. With its fine appreciation of Pullman\u2019s prose, outstanding cinematography and captivating performances, His Dark Materials<\/em> is one of the best literary adaptations of recent years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To say that Chris Weitz\u2019s The Golden Compass was disappointing would be an understatement. It ripped away all the religious themes that made the book great, and it also committed the crime of altering the book\u2019s sad ending. As a director working from prose, you\u2019re inevitably going to have to condense the text, prioritising some elements and … <\/p>\n

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