From the moment The Golden Compass begins, director Chris Weitz makes no secret about the complicated nature of the story.

Based on the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, it is an epic tale of a little girl, Lyra Belacqua (newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), who lives in Jordan College of Oxford in a parallel universe. In this parallel world, people’s souls reside on the outside of their body as daemons, which take animal forms.

When Lyra’s uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig, Casino Royale), comes to Oxford from the north, she learns of Dust, which Lord Asriel explains is an elementary particle that permeates every universe and can settle on adults through their daemons. All the while, children around Oxford have been disappearing, taken by the Gobblers.

Lyra gets her chance to go north when Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman) visits the college and brings Lyra along as her assistant. Before she leaves, the head of Jordan College gives her a special gift: an alethiometer, a device that tells the truth. Lyra finds out, however, that her best friend, Rodger (Ben Walker), has been taken by the Gobblers.

This marks the beginning of a turbulent journey north for Lyra to save her friend and uncover the mystery of Dust.

This movie is unlike anything before it. Pullman’s imagination creates a whole new world with talking polar bears, witches, Gyptians and the Magisterium, which is a sort of canonical body that, according to Mrs. Coulter, tells people what’s best for them.

For those who have read the triology or who have heard about the controversy surrounding Golden Compass, you will not leave the theater unsatisfied.

By replacing the word “Magisterium” with “Catholic Church” or “religion,” it becomes obvious that this story is a critique of organized religion, with the Magisterium representing the Church. There are several very powerful moments when the critiques of the Magisterium by the characters come scathingly close to blatant criticisms of the Catholicism.

This movie is action-packed with beautiful scenery and nearly seamless computer animation by Rhythm & Hues.

Weitz’s directing, however, can be choppy; important moments in the movie are often not given enough weight.

At one point, Lyra’s travels begin to seem like pit stops. However, if you are patient enough, the final battle scene is sure to satisfy. The cast’s superior acting is one of its greatest assets to the film that truly brings the story to life. The end is a bit anticlimactic, but it manages to leave the next chapter of the story open-in preparation for the next film.