What is wrong with taking children to see the movie "Golden Compass?"?

Question

I hear it is anti-Christian... how is that?

I saw on their website that each character in the movie has a d(a)emon? It also gives you a chance to create your own d(a)emon? That sounds a little disturbing to me for a children's movie...

Answer 1

It is a movie that has themes of Atheism in it. Snopes.com reports this to be a true fact. You can go to that website. Type the name of the movie into the search bar and it comes up with all of the references. The first one is particularly interesting.

Answer 2

Because, like all movies made from books (and especially when dealing with children), they should have to read the book, maybe the whole series, before seeing the movie.
Let's ignite the children's imagination with reading, not CG special effects and Nicole Kidman. I'm sure the generation of kids who read the book before the movie did not envision it the same way that Chris and Paul Weitz did, why ruin the story for another generation?
Ye gods, who didn't tell the Weitz brothers that you should never work with family? I mean, these guys also worked on Antz and American Pie, not exactly serious cinema pulled from classic books (or good movies either but that's just my opinion). You'd think that someone with an English degree from Cambridge would be a good writer but I guess not.
Oh well, Hollywood has gone and ruined yet another book series. At least the Potter series wasn't ruined, it just wasn't that great to begin with.

Answer 3

The books it is based on, have a very overt anti-establishment theme to them...which is what everyone is all upset about. It's not anti-God, it's anti-establishment, meaning that it thinks that huge religious organizations usually end up being more concerned with political and social control than the spiritutal well-being and development of its adherants. The core message is that you should follow your heart and your own experiences of the Divine, and not depend upon some Big Brother establishment to dictate to you what Truth is.

So, you can see how that would really piss alot of people off! I think the books are a brilliant thing to to give to older kids, as it makes them think critically about why they believe what they do - something I think everyone should. It doesn't tell them NOT to believe, it just asks them to think about it.

However, the filmmakers have said that they've removed any overt references to religion and God for the movie (which I haven't had a chance to see yet, but I'm really looking forward to it since the books are brilliant) in order to pre-emptively avoid any trouble from the Far Right "watchdogs". I'll be interested to see how they skirt that issue, since it is pretty central to the whole plot. So it sounds like they've gone to some trouble to make the story even MORE benign, which should give people even less of a reason to not take their kids (if that's their issue).

Here's a really good editorial that talks about what's at the core of the His Dark Materials trilogy.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/a/2007/11/30/notes113007.DTL

Also, I encourage everyone to actually read the books. They are quite remarkable, and extremely well written so that even adults will thoroughly enjoy them.

Answer 4

I read a review by journalist Peter Hitchens who had seen it. He wasn't impressed with the film and thought the fight scene between two bears was so realistically gruesome that children should not see it. Another reviewer, Matthew Bond, gave it a poor rating. He supposed he might better enjoy the film in a parallel universe. In this one, he considered it 'tosh'.

However, the author of the trilogy (Philip Pullman) is self-avowedly anti-God. Of his novels he said, "I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief... I've been surprised by how little criticism I've got. Harry Potter's been taking all the flak. I'm a great fan of J K Rowling... Meanwhile, I've been fluing under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry P. has said. My books are about killing God."

Answer 5

There isn't anything wrong with taking them. It isn't anti-Christian. It's a fantasy. If you have ever read a fantasy book, you will know that they hardly ever have, or mention God. On the other hand, I saw it this weekend, and it did have a lot of killing, and fighting. That being said, I don't think it's any worse than most children's movies. If your child has just read the book, he/she, will probably be disappointed. The movie doesn't follow that book at all. It does have the same character names.

Answer 6

i'm taking my little brother. i'm a Christian and that i study those books as a baby. For me, they have been great for my skills in practising discernment, catching the messages. My mothers and fathers did no longer pay any interest to what I study, so I study each and every thing from Stephen King to The Bible, and this. right here is what i think of approximately boycotting this. - before everything, they kill God on the top of the 0.33 e book, so as that basically isn't present interior the action picture -An interview I study with the director mentioned that he did no longer placed the anti-Christian stuff in, because of the fact he did no longer prefer to alienate the Christian crowd. -Nicole Kidman is Catholic and he or she mentioned that she could no longer be interior the action picture if it exchange into anti-Catholic. So now the only threat would be in little ones analyzing the books. accessible recommendations: -do no longer permit your little ones study the books. tell them what's in them and say that the action picture is greater desirable (the books have been sluggish to me, fantastically the 1st one, so that's probable real) -study it with your baby and factor out the offensive fabric so as that interior the destiny whilst they study theologically offensive issues, they'll capture it and not worry it. Use them to coach them approximately God. i do no longer help a boycott because of the fact we ought to consistently no longer in user-friendly terms be advocating Christian fabric interior the international. that's no longer a Christian state, and we are able to apply this as a springboard to witness to others. Plus, i've got faith that the shadow proves the mild. God allowed evil interior the international as yet another decision, and as a assessment. They made the action picture because of the fact they had to generate income, and have courteously watered it down for us. i might reward the makers for that, so somewhat they do no longer make a fiery political action picture interior the destiny, because of the fact those are basically no longer staggering in any respect. besides, i'm going to ensure this action picture, because of the fact i'm no longer fearful of different recommendations interior the international. They galvanize theory and bring about readability. This action picture and the books have as plenty good to thrive as Narnia.

Answer 7

It's a movie...that's all...just a movie. I remember when there was a huge noise made about The Last Temptation of Christ... which turned out to be a respectful and loving take on the life of Christ. Golden Compass will not challenge core beliefs...that IS certain!

Answer 8

There is nothing wrong what so ever with letting a kid see the golden compass... Apparently it promotes "Atheism" but who really cares any more? Apparently the movie Chicken Little disproves heaven and finding nemo promoted the killing of fish.... Almost all movies promote violence as the answer to problems anyways.

Answer 9

Considering that any possible reference to themes in the book that may give anti-organized religion implications have been completely stripped from the movies, I think your kids will have no problems resisting the urge to go to church next sunday if you take them to see the movie.

Answer 10

I saw it before it was released. It's a decent film with a strong child actress in the lead and honorable intentions through-out (don't allow the powers in charge to control your lives, fight for what's right, rescue and protect those who are being hurt, etc). You have to really WANT to see the metaphor (the evil power in charge equating with "the Church"). Otherwise, it's a good beginning to a trilogy. I mean, good for kids. Not as good as the book, obviously.