[quote author=Mortal Envelope link=topic=117056.msg172905#msg172905
Still, I think the author's venomous attitude could ultimately be self-defeating. In a sense, I think it might be a more acceptable if the message aimed at kids was that it's ok to have questions, not buy what you've been told just because you've been told, or that it's ok to believe what you believe or that it's ok to not believe.
This is why I really admire the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Think what you will about the movie vs the book series vs the radio show but in my mind, it's the most happy, positive, Atheist stories I've ever encountered ...and I've never come away from the books, radio, or movie thinking anything negative about theism.
Fair enough.
The authors arrogance is no different then that of the...whats that "God hates fags" group? You know the one... Its a desire to hurt people, and I guess get a 'power rush' from it. A less lethal form of the celebrity killer, like the guy who shot John Lennon.
The ultimate 'Look at me! Look at me!' attitude, so to speak.
But yeah. Not watching it. Its just the same old Hollywood mindset. Like, Whatever dude..
And personaly, I often like to quote Marvin the Paranoid Android.[/quote]
Pullman has mellowed out a little in his attitudes in the past couple years. I don't think this is a thing about money, either, as he's made plenty of it from the massive book sales and selling the rights to the movies.
But yeah, I think you have a point about the connection, but Pullman was never that extreme - he just thinks the opposite of what Christians like indianasmith think. That is, that an atheistic viewpoint is morally superior and (and by extension) better for humanity than a theistic one.
Anyway, as apparently the only person who has read the books (all three) and now seen the movie, I feel the need to comment on the movie.
The books are solid pieces of fantasy writing. They are not truly anti-religion in general - I'd say they are more anti-dogmatic, and in particular, anti-Christian. There is a recurrent theme of the destruction and controlling of sexuality (sometimes veiled, sometimes not), which is clearly an attack on Christian attitudes and practices at times, for example. However, the strongest criticism is definitely towards the infrastructure and controlling nature of large religious bodies - chiefly the Catholic church.
Anyway, that aside, it does work as a fantasy novel pretty well. The characters are well-drawn and interesting, the storyline works, and it is generally quite nicely written. It isn't my favorite style of writing (I don't know the name of the writing style it employs, but it reminds me of older fantasy novels and I've never particularly liked it), but it works.
The film is a mixed bag. The biggest problem is pacing. I would be quite surprised if there are not many, many deleted scenes from the released version - or, if not deleted, scheduled to be filmed but axed. There are many scenes where if you haven't read the book you'll have some trouble telling what is going on. Scenes progress and there is a linear level of storytelling, but it is clipped and confusing at times. In particular, Lyra's time with Ms. Coulter and her learning to use the Alethiometer. This is the fatal flaw of the film. You won't end up caring much about the characters, as they aren't given enough screen time for you to learn to like them - and they get little development, if any.
The books, for comparison, have as much going on as, say, the Lord of the Rings books - sometimes more. It doesn't work as a two hour movie very well.
It isn't all bad however. Performances are good mostly across the board. Some of the special effects work is quite nice. The look of the world is very good. It is worth seeing in the theatre for the spectacle, I would say.
And on a final note, almost all religious references of any kind are completely destroyed (the only remaining one seems to be something being called heresy - but against what? You can't commit heresy against a secular government) - rendering the villains into dull totalitarian dictators whose motivations don't make much sense.
One final spoilerific note on the books I must make:
SPOILER FOR THE AMBER SPYGLASS
They don't kill God in any of the books. There is no God in the books. What people thought was God is actually an 'angel', and he has grown weak. Lyra and her companion free him from what they think is a prison, actually a shell protecting his weak physical form, and a gust of wind blows him to pieces, destroying him.
END