His Dark Materials Book I : The Golden Compass

When I watched the movie, I liked it. If ever I have read the book before watching the movie, I would be disappointed.

An officemate of mine, you know who you are, lend me her book, the first of the trilogy. The European version is entitled The Northern Lights, which is the dancing golden light shown by Lord Asriel to the member of Jordan College. Although the alethiometer doesn't look like a common compass, I think it is a better description of it.

There are a lot of differences that I've read on the book than I've seen, really, a lot. They've made a huge change. Unlike the Harry Potter or Lord of The Rings films, where scenes not related to the main focus of the film were cut, but you could really tell that the movie is loyal to the book. The Golden Compass is not. The director said that he did so to stay away from the anti-organized religion theme but still, for me, it doesn't make sense. It was the main theme of the book, written in a fantasy genre. So to take that away means to create an entirely different kind of movie.

I would love to list down the differences but I won't. One review about the film I've read online said that after viewing, his son cried, not because the movie was touchy but the kid thinks that he was cheated.

I was cheated, I don't have to cry.

I'm out!