--- title: "The Golden Compass: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-golden-compass/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-golden-compass" critics_score: 50 critics_reviews: 14 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): what the critics said Critics' score 50 from 14 reviews: 2 positive, 5 mixed, 7 negative. 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. ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 November 2007. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/golden-compass-158910/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-golden-compass-2007) ## Screen Daily — Roger Clarke Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2007. The readable excerpt does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also provides no specific praise or complaint beyond the plot description. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-golden-compass/4036093.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The supplied page text does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no details about what the review praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/movies/07comp.html) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Rating C+. 6 December 2007. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-golden-compass-1798203505) ## Radio Times — Jamie Russell Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-1k3v8h/the-golden-compass/) ## Time Out — Nigel Floyd Rating 2/5. 28 November 2007. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-golden-compass) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 29 November 2007. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/the-golden-compass-4-1200554242/) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 1.5/4. 29 November 2007. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-golden-compass/) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2007. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/dec/09/features.review2) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 April 2012. 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 the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/a-golden-compass-that-lost-its-way-6624041.html) ## Empire — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 2007. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/golden-compass-review/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 2007. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-golden-compass-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Paste — Tim Basham Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2007. 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 the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/nicole-kidman/the-golden-compass) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-golden-compass.md