The fun comes to a crashing halt when strange figures called Gobblers kidnap Lyra's best friend, sending her on a quest to save her pal and other kidnapped kids. Lyra's adventure sees her come into possession of an alethiometer, a golden compass that only she can use/decipher and that unfailingly tells the truth about any given person or circumstance. It'll serve Lyra in good stead, but it also makes her a target: She may be a child of prophecy, and thus the powerful and Vatican-esque Magisterium considers her and the alethiometer, the last of its kind, threats to be dealt with.

Lyra's adventure is far from a solo affair. She's got allies and enemies, not to mention allies who might be enemies and enemies who could evolve into allies. Her uncle, adventurer-scientist Lord Asriel (Craig), is at once loving and stern before heading off in pursuit of a substance called Dust, which may have something to do with uniting (or keeping separate) the assorted parallel Earths. Then there's Mrs. Coulter (Kidman), an elegant and icy blonde who blows in out of nowhere and becomes Lyra's guardian/mentor, at least until Lyra realizes Coulter's up to no good and bolts.

Very much in the ally category are Scoresby (Elliott), a cowboy-like fella and aviator; Serafina (Green), a flying witch with a tendency to turn up in the nick of time and/or offer invaluable advice; and Iorek (McKellen), a down-on-his-luck armored ice bear (or polar bear) whose bond with Lyra inspires him to reclaim his bear-leader throne.

A welcome would-be trilogy

The Golden Compass is nothing if not fast-paced, rousing entertainment. After some cursory nods at setting up the universe, Weitz hits the gas and never slows down. Fans of the Pullman books—The Golden Compass (or Northern Lights) is the first in the His Dark Materials trilogy—will recognize pretty much everything, while it all zips by so quickly that non-fans won't realize they've missed anything significant (or may be as confused as hell by all the characters, rules, etc.).

Lyra is central to everything, and Richards holds up her end of the bargain. She's tough, rebellious, inquisitive and endearing, and it's easy to root for her as she out-thinks one adult after another. Kidman provides a good measure of menace, but for too long her actions are confounding. Why does everyone do Coulter's bidding? Why is she so interested in Lyra? Why does she dress so elegantly (actually, that one's never answered, but damn, she looks good)?

Elliott does his best laconic cowboy turn and, in the process, lends the film some much-needed adult heart. Craig and Green register reasonably well in extended cameos, and, speaking of cameos, look for a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance by a Lord of the Rings veteran (other than McKellen).

On the technical side, there's no faulting the visual effects in The Golden Compass. They're simply stellar. The alethiometer sequences are visual treats, as are the shots of zeppelins flying through the skies. The daemons are beautifully realized, and the ice bear fight sequence ... well, you'll swear you've just witnessed two ferocious bears duking it out. As for the religious uproar, Weitz waters down Pullman's anti-Church/anti-organized-religion sentiments to the point where he reduces the Magisterium to a generic villain attempting to separate kids from their daemons (and thus deny free will).

The Golden Compass feels like the first film in a would-be trilogy. It's loaded with characters, situations and details that promise to be paid off later, in The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, the next two volumes in the His Dark Materials saga. That's the problem and the huge gamble: The Golden Compass has to score with audiences in a major way or New Line won't bother with the follow-ups. And if it doesn't, anyone who's enjoyed The Golden Compass will feel cheated, especially because Weitz and the producers choose to end the film on an up note (and with a cliffhanger).

Gone are the downbeat events of the first book's last two chapters. Weitz actually shot and then cut them. So, in the event The Golden Compass tanks, be on the lookout for the most expensive DVD extras—or the most comprehensive director's-cut DVD—ever produced.