Dove recently viewed “The Golden Compass”, which incorporates some nice cinematography including scenes of snow-capped mountains. The child actors are also quite adept in their various roles in the picture. The movie itself, however, tends to be slow moving and lackluster when it does not center on the action sequences.
This is a violent picture, with many overtly graphic scenes. There is the shooting of arrows by witches, sword fights, a fight between two bears with one ripping the jaw of the other. There are gun shots and animal fights and several characters are killed.
There are constant references to witches, and witches’ prophecy, and daemons. Hell is mentioned as a literal place in the film, as well as the reference to the Gyptians’ “gracious God.” There is no attempt to disguise the characters of daemons or witches and bad spirits as anything other than by what they are. We, therefore, take these references literally.
Due to the ratings levels of the “Violence” and “Other” categories, Dove cannot award our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal to this film.