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Title: Okay adaptation of Pullman's fantasy opus
Review: This was a decent, if cursory, adaptation of "The Golden Compass," the first book in Philip Pullman's controversial "Dark Materials" trilogy. The original print version is both innovative and tendentious -- an absorbing fantasy world built as a means for the author to exercise his strong antipathy towards organized religion. The movie glosses over the anti-religious message, although not quite to the extent I'd imagined. The condensed plotline can be a bit jumpy, but on the whole this is an enjoyable action film, with the social commentary lurking just below the surface -- it's dumbed-down a little, but still basically the same as the book. Worth checking out. (Slipcue Film Reviews)
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