less than rave reviews

The Golden Compass opened in theaters this weekend. So far the reviews are less than rave.

"... is this sucker dull. Indeed, even the element of the novel most likely to make a movie adaptation interesting – the allegedly "anti-religious" subtext of Pullman's narrative – has been as efficiently nullified and purged..." Goeff Pevere - toronto.com 'Golden Compass': Wrong Directions

"An uneven, often frustrating and altogether incomprehensible beginning to an epic story, The Golden Compass will have to recalibrate its instruments in the second outing if it wants to realize its dream of becoming a timeless classic." Katherine Monk (CanWest News Service) Golden Compass doesn't point anywhere

"What can I say? The Golden Compass is a rushed film. It moves forward at warp speed, never slowing to give us any quieter character moments, motivations, or story points. Where did the Gobblers come from? How many kids were missing? Was this some sort of epidemic? We are never told; the facts are just there with no supporting evidence. Overall, the movie is a bit of a slog....Not Recommended." Chris Beaumont - Blogcritics review

Peter Chattaway (a Vancouver film reviewer who reviews films for B.C. Christian News): Golden Compass bombs in North America

Chattaway also does an every-which-way number crunch to show how films that cater to religious audiences fare as opposed to films that take a skeptical view of religion in "The Golden Compass doesn't bomb overseas".