The Golden Ewan
Late last year, I received a barrage of text messages and email cautioning me against watching The Golden Compass because it was evil and going off to see it would only guarantee me a spot in hell. Or something to that effect. Naturally, this made me more curious about the movie. Then again, I was low on cash and couldn’t go off to see the film that would supposedly scar what’s left of my soul. (I’m afraid I already lost most of it when I collected about two dozen hardcore porn books way back in college.)
So, last weekend, I chanced upon a copy of The Golden Compass at my favorite DVD pirate stall somewhere in Quezon City. Aside from its evil implications, I bought the DVD because I am one of about 14 Filipinas who find Daniel Craig hot (for some reason very few Pinays see his appeal…but I don’t care). But, alas, it seems that the only Daniel Craig movies that make him seem extra-sexy to me are those that feature guns like Layer Cake, Casino Royale, and Munich.
The Golden Compass, to say the least, was anything but evil. Sue me for missing the symbolic stuff. I’m much too tired to analyze movies these days.
The darn movie didn’t have ample Daniel Craig screen time to keep me awake—although it did feature a lot of magical elements, cute talking animals (I love the polar bear in armor!), gadgets (The metallic spy insect and the truth compass were cool!) and precocious English kids. To tell you the truth, I fell asleep while watching the darn movie and trying to figure out its unspeakably evil message.
What was so evil about the movie? Er, nothing really. Except I can never take back the 35 minutes I spent trying to understand it. But, hey, Nicole Kidman’s hairdo in the flick looked really nice, too.
I got the religious symbolism. Think of it along the lines of the Galileo problem that the Church had. It’s more anti “zealotism” than anti-church.
For some strange reason people associated the movie with the Catholic Church when the symbolism could refer to any church/religion.
I think the association probably spewed from Christian activists who were appalled by the fact that an Atheist was writing children’s books and they saw the symbolism. So the association stuck even if the writer wasn’t referring to them.
Daniel Craig? Wait, let me get a bucket so I can go hurl. The polar bear fight was great, but should not have been shown to kids.
Due to the violence this is not a movie to take your kids to.
Comment by Denis — January 14, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
Like I said only 14 Pinays (or maybe more) love the guy. (And that includes my mom.) Daniel Craig is like…blue cheese. Not everyone gets him. Especially not here, I suppose. But I love him. Hehehe.
You’re a man, Denis, so it’s okay if you don’t think Daniel Craig is hot.
Comment by Faye Ilogon — January 14, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
He’s an acquired taste. Kinda like Viggo Mortensen.
But I think I’ll stick to Narnia, Faye! Haha.
Comment by Shar — January 14, 2008 @ 4:38 pm
Haven’t read the book nor seen the movie. Just wasn’t that interested…but I think the Church was up in arms because of the group in the book called the Magisterium… I could be wrong.
Re: Daniel Craig. I didn’t see his appeal before, and couldn’t get why he was cast as 007. But after seeing him in that movie, I totally got it. I love his ruggedness (if there is even such a word). I prefer a James Bond who’s a bit rough around the edges.
Comment by Tisha — January 14, 2008 @ 8:41 pm
He’s an insult to the James Bond franchise. The absolute antithesis of the James Bond concept. Pierce Brosnan pa rin as the best bond - except he killed a girl which no Bond has ever done before.
I get Viggo - well at least in LOTR and no where else - I don’t get Legolas.
Comment by Denis — January 15, 2008 @ 1:22 pm
And no I don’t think he’s hot. Pwede siyang extrang henchman na nakatayo sa likod ng mga kalaban ng bida. Or sidekick ng bida who tells a subplot about how the bad-guy gave him this gruesome scar across his face and killed his wife and kids so he has to kill him blah blah blah, but fails to do so and while bleeding to death from a point blank shotgun blast to the stomach and asks the hero to finish the job.
He’s a Jason “transporter” Statham wannabee. Now he’s hot:D
Comment by Denis — January 15, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
Hmm…I think maybe the reason I liked Daniel as Bond is that I don’t like the typical James Bond type to begin with. I like manly men, not ones who are probably more maarte than I am (e.g., Legolas). Haha.
Comment by Tisha — January 16, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
Eeewww. Although to be fair to Legolas, whom I can’t believe doesn’t want to admit to being gay, he was good in Kingdom of Heaven. I love that movie.
Comment by Denis — January 16, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
Oh Orlando Bloom’s OK. The Legolas character just doesn’t appeal to me.
Comment by Tisha — January 17, 2008 @ 1:28 pm
Out of 15 girls in our circle of friends, I am the only one who thinks Daniel Craig is hot. And I am the only Filipina. His face, however comical, has that uncultured charm. He has very sinister good looks. It’s still very hard to explain. Haha.
I’m dying to see The Golden Compass, not because of Craig [oddly enough, I don’t like to watch his films], but because of the reviews I’ve read about it.
Comment by nesspresso — January 17, 2008 @ 8:19 pm
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Pingback by Connecting News, Commentaries and Blogs at NineReports.com - — February 2, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
I think the entire trilogy of books (His Dark Materials) is supposed to be more strongly obviously anti-Christianity than the single book The Golden Compass. I don’t agree kids should be banned from reading/watching the material though … faith should be (and is!) strong enough to stand against questions raised in a children’s book.
Comment by wysgal — February 4, 2008 @ 10:33 pm