Twelve-year-old Lyra becomes embroiled in a deadly battle with the evil Magisterium as she travels across the universe to rescue her kidnapped friend.
Based on the first novel in Philip Pullman's bestselling trilogy, His Dark Materials, this fantasy takes young viewers into an alternative world where people's souls manifest themselves as animal companions, witches fly across the sky, and armor-clad ice bears fight wars. There is some religious controversy around Pullman's trilogy, but kids are unlikely to come away with any religious references in this movie adaptation. Regardless, there is definitely some question as to whether this movie is really for young children. It's dark and surprisingly violent, but its outstanding special effects and computer-generated talking animal daemons may make it the movie of choice for tweens already missing Harry Potter.
This movie is intended for older children.
This movie is intended for older children.
There's much to recommend the movie to older kids in this age group--like the important messages about thinking for yourself and being loyal to your friends--but there's just as much they may find disturbing. Even scarier than the battles between humans are the ones between animals. Sensitive young viewers may be upset when the bears attack each other and especially by the process of intercision, which separates children from their daemons.
The story offers lots of food for thought for tweens, who will be fascinated by the alethiometer--the golden compass--which enables Lyra to see what others wish to hide and which lies at the heart of the story. Tweens will definitely relate to Lyra, who's headstrong and rebellious and who says, "I don't like people telling me what to do." They'll love the idea of daemons, who prove that animals really are man's best friend, and will wish they had one of their own to literally be their soul mate.
