---
title: "The Golden Compass"
year: 2007
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-golden-compass"
fi1m_id: "the-golden-compass"
imdb_id: "tt0385752"
tmdb_id: 2268
wikidata_id: "Q637021"
fi1m_score: 54
critics_score: 50
critics_reviews: 14
published: "2026-10-01T20:02:04.979606+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-01T20:02:05.671565+00:00"
region: "CL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Golden Compass (2007)

Directed by Chris Weitz · 1h 53m · Adventure, Fantasy

## Identity

The Golden Compass

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-golden-compass
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-golden-compass
- **IMDb ID:** tt0385752
- **TMDB ID:** 2268
- **Wikidata ID:** Q637021
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385752/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/2268, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q637021

**Fi1m score: 54** · Critics 50 from 14 reviews

*In a sentence:* Armoured bears, talking souls and Nicole Kidman in white fur, each given about four minutes before the next one arrives

> Chris Weitz builds Philip Pullman’s world with real care and then runs through it as if late for something. Dakota Blue Richards and Nicole Kidman are good enough to make you wish the film had slowed down; the bears are the best thing in it.

## Synopsis

In a world much like ours, every person’s soul walks beside them as an animal called a daemon. Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is an orphan running wild at Jordan College, Oxford, with her daemon Pantalaimon (voiced by Freddie Highmore) and her friend Roger Parslow (Ben Walker). Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), her uncle, arrives to show the scholars what he has found in the frozen north, and the Magisterium, the authority that governs what may be studied, wants him stopped. Children are vanishing from the streets, taken by people called Gobblers. When Roger disappears, Lyra is handed a golden truth-telling compass and sent to London in the care of Marisa Coulter (Nicole Kidman). She means to find Roger, and the Gyptians, led by John Faa (Jim Carter), are looking for their children too.

## Review

Chris Weitz writes and directs an adaptation of Philip Pullman’s *Northern Lights*, the first book of the *His Dark Materials* trilogy, published in Britain in 1995 and sold in America under the title the film has taken. The novel is long, argumentative and angry about organised religion. The film runs 113 minutes, carries a PG certificate and is anxious not to upset anyone. It is handsomely built and well cast, and it moves through its story at the pace of someone reading the chapter headings aloud.

The world is the part Weitz gets right. Dennis Gassner’s production design gives us an Oxford of brass and amber where airships moor to college towers, and a north that is all ice and black rock. Ruth Myers dresses Nicole Kidman’s Marisa Coulter in cream, gold and fur so that she looks like something expensive left out in the snow. Henry Braham lights the interiors warm and the exteriors bleached. The daemons, the animal souls that walk beside every person, are the best idea on screen. When Mrs Coulter’s golden monkey seizes Lyra’s daemon Pantalaimon and the girl folds in pain several yards away, we flinched. The film has told us the rule that a daemon must not be touched, and then it shows us the cost.

Dakota Blue Richards plays Lyra as a liar, a sulker and a quick thinker who knows she is cleverer than the adults. She is not sweet, which is correct. Kidman plays Coulter almost without moving; the smile does the work, and it is the most frightening thing in the film. Daniel Craig’s Lord Asriel is on screen for a few minutes and then gone north, which follows the book but leaves a hole where a leading man was. Freddie Highmore gives Pantalaimon a worried, sensible voice. Ian McKellen’s Iorek Byrnison, the armoured bear, has weight: fur that shifts, plate that clanks, a tired dignity in the delivery. When he finally fights another bear we sat up for the first time in half an hour.

Everything else is hurried. Three editors are credited, Anne V. Coates, Kevin Tent and Peter Honess, and the film cuts like a thing that has been through three sets of hands. Characters arrive, say the line that identifies them and leave. Eva Green’s Serafina Pekkala flies down, speaks, flies off. Sam Elliott’s Lee Scoresby turns up with a hat and a balloon as if from a Western playing next door. Jim Carter’s John Faa and Tom Courtenay’s Farder Coram are given a deck to stand on and a speech each. Alexandre Desplat’s score works hard to tell us things the script has not had time to.

The Magisterium is the clearest casualty. In Pullman it is a church; here it is a committee in a grand building, with Christopher Lee as its First High Councilor glowering in a dark room, and nobody ever says what it believes. A children’s film is entitled to soften a book. But a villain with no stated belief is just a man in a hat, and Lyra’s flight loses its point when the thing she is running from has none. The film also stops a chapter or so short of the novel and closes on a promise of more rather than an ending. More did not come.

Weitz is plainly most at ease in the quiet scenes between Lyra and Pan, a girl and her own conscience arguing in a corridor about what to do next, and those are the scenes with a director in them. The scale swallows him.

See it with a child of about ten who has not read the book, and see it for the bears and for Kidman. Readers of the novel will recognise everything and wait for an argument that never arrives. At home it is less painful, because you can pause and explain who everyone is, which the film in a cinema leaves you to work out alone.

*Fi1m score 54, published 1 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics rate the film as mixed to poor, and the praise that does exist clusters almost entirely in one department: the look of it. The daemons, the northern landscapes, the production design and the blend of live action with effects are admired even in the harshest reviews, and the polar-bear duel is singled out more often than any other sequence. Nicole Kidman’s performance draws warm words, and Dakota Blue Richards gets a mention in the kindest notice.

The reservations cluster around the storytelling. Reviewers call the adaptation rushed and overstuffed, with characters arriving so quickly that none has room to breathe, and several find the result cold and oddly uninviting for all its spectacle. Others go further and accuse it of sanitising Pullman’s novel. The spread is wide: Eye for Film finds an energetic adventure, Empire calls it a crushing disappointment, and little in between is enthusiastic.

## Straight answers

**Is The Golden Compass worth watching?**

*The Golden Compass* is worth watching mainly for its armoured bears and for Nicole Kidman, and we scored it 54. Chris Weitz builds Philip Pullman's world with care and then rushes through it, so characters arrive, say one line and leave. See it with a child of about ten who has not read the book; readers of the novel will wait for an argument that never comes.

**How long is The Golden Compass, and what is it rated?**

*The Golden Compass* runs 1h 53m. It is an adventure and fantasy film.

**Where can I watch The Golden Compass in Chile?**

*The Golden Compass* is streaming on HBO Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in Chile, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from CLF 1.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**Is The Golden Compass based on a true story or a book?**

*The Golden Compass* is based on a book, Philip Pullman's novel *Northern Lights*, the first of the *His Dark Materials* trilogy, published in America under the film's title. The film follows the plot closely but removes the book's anger at organised religion and stops a chapter or so short of its ending. Knowing the novel helps you follow who everyone is, but will also show you what has been cut.

**What should I watch after The Golden Compass?**

After *The Golden Compass*, try [*Spirited Away*](https://film.one/film/spirited-away) (2001, Fi1m 92): A girl, a strange world and real stakes, from Miyazaki, with no committee in sight. Then [*Pan's Labyrinth*](https://film.one/film/pans-labyrinth) (2006, Fi1m 87): Del Toro’s child in a cruel adult world; for grown-ups only, and the stronger for it.

### Reviews we read (14)

- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (70/100, inferred): Honeycutt finds the film an engaging, imaginative fantasy with a strong story, though its rapid succession of characters weakens the plot. He especially praises the superb blend of live action, computer-generated imagery and visual effects. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/golden-compass-158910/)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. I cannot determine what the review singles out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-golden-compass-2007)
- **Screen Daily**, Roger Clarke (64/100, inferred): The readable excerpt does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also provides no specific praise or complaint beyond the plot description. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-golden-compass/4036093.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The supplied page text does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no details about what the review praises or criticizes. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/movies/07comp.html)
- **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (C+): Phipps finds the adaptation overstuffed and rushed, though it succeeds in bringing Pullman’s world to the screen. He praises the production design and effects, but says they crowd out character development and reflection. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-golden-compass-1798203505)
- **Radio Times**, Jamie Russell (3/5): Russell gives the film a measured three-star assessment. He highlights its imaginative parallel-universe setting, populated by daemon familiars, flying witches and the Magisterium. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-1k3v8h/the-golden-compass/)
- **Time Out**, Nigel Floyd (2/5): The critic finds the film bland, bloodless and bereft of magic. They fault its corporate sanitisation for stripping the source novel of its excitement and provocative qualities. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-golden-compass)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (40/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film visually impressive but cold and oddly uninviting. He especially praises the exciting bear fight and the film’s lavish visual effects. [Read](https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/the-golden-compass-4-1200554242/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (1.5/4): Schager finds the film dull, confusing, and thematically watered down. He praises Nicole Kidman’s glamorous, devilishly entertaining performance, while faulting the rushed storytelling and featureless action. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-golden-compass/)
- **The Guardian**, Philip French (35/100, inferred): French finds the film a mishmash of familiar myths and franchises, with its moral quest offering little originality. He complains that the special effects are less magical than comparable theatrical effects. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/dec/09/features.review2)
- **Evening Standard** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film visually impressive but unlikely to engage audiences, criticizing its thin storytelling and lack of charm. They especially praise the magnificent northern landscapes and carefully realized daemons. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/a-golden-compass-that-lost-its-way-6624041.html)
- **Empire**, Olly Richards (15/100, inferred): Richards calls the film a crushing disappointment and says its adaptation mishandles the novel. He particularly criticizes the lack of atmosphere and scale, despite praising the polar-bear duel as a standout sequence. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/golden-compass-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (85/100, inferred): Kermode calls it an imaginative, energetic cinematic adventure despite flaws in its adaptation. She particularly praises Dakota Blue Richards’s performance and the film’s seamlessly realised world. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-golden-compass-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)
- **Paste**, Tim Basham (35/100, inferred): Basham finds the film entertaining but ultimately lacking the chemistry needed to make it succeed. He praises the imaginative, visually appealing world while criticizing several performances as subpar. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/nicole-kidman/the-golden-compass)

## Details

- **Director:** Chris Weitz
- **Director:** Chris Weitz
- **Screenplay:** Chris Weitz
- **Novel:** Philip Pullman
- **Cinematography:** Henry Braham
- **Editor:** Anne V. Coates, Peter Honess, Kevin Tent
- **Music:** Alexandre Desplat
- **Production design:** Dennis Gassner
- **Costume design:** Ruth Myers
- **Producer:** Bill Carraro, Deborah Forte
- **Cast:** Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua; Nicole Kidman as Marisa Coulter; Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel; Ben Walker as Roger Parslow; Freddie Highmore as Pantalaimon (voice); Ian McKellen as Iorek Byrnison (voice); Eva Green as Serafina Pekkala; Jim Carter as John Faa
- **Runtime:** 1h 53m
- **First release (Finland):** 4 December 2007
- **Genres:** Adventure, Fantasy
- **Budget:** $180 million
- **Box office:** $372 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7u-Ve9kBeQ

## Where to watch in Chile

- HBO Max: streaming
- Netflix: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent CLF 1.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy CLF 7.49, hd

*Checked 2026-10-01.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, ID, IE, IN, JP, LT, MX, MY, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, RO, SE, SG, TH, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2008: Best Production Design (nominated); Best Visual Effects (won)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Family Film 2007: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Family Film (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *His Dark Materials* (2019): The same book given the hours it needed, and a Lyra allowed to grow up.
- *Stardust* (2007): Another British fantasy from the same year that remembered to enjoy itself.
- *Spirited Away* (2001), Fi1m 92: A girl, a strange world and real stakes, from Miyazaki, with no committee in sight. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/spirited-away.md)
- *The Dark Crystal* (1982): Henson’s puppet world, odd and sincere, built with the care this film’s north shows.
- *Pan's Labyrinth* (2006), Fi1m 87: Del Toro’s child in a cruel adult world; for grown-ups only, and the stronger for it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/pans-labyrinth.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-golden-compass