We here at LRM Online have always been champions of His Dark Materials. More specifically, me and fellow writer Cam Clark. While I can’t speak to how this fantasy novel series from Philip Pullman has personally affected him, I can say it was one of those pivotal works that helped cement my love of fantasy literature, and has since stayed in my mind even deep into adulthood.

So you can imagine my disappointment with The Golden Compass film back in 2007, which I tried to convince myself was a good movie, even while it cut out the tragic end of the third act. With His Dark Materials the BBC and HBO series, we have a second chance…so how did it do?

Thus far, there are eight reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, all of which are positive. The Telegraph acknowledges the pressure this show is facing, saying:

“There is a lot resting on the BBC’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s trilogy of fantasy novels. As the Corporation face ever-increasing competition from streaming services such as Netflix, so they must deliver bigger and better productions with that all-important wow factor. While His Dark Materials is not, on the basis of the first episode, an all-out extravaganza, it is a fine piece of drama, capturing the strangeness and childlike wonder of the books, but also their rigour and bite. This is intelligent populism writ large.”

Den of Geek continued with its praise, who said:

“In terms of family viewing, His Dark Materials is the real thing: as Douglas Adams might have said, it’s both complicated enough for children and simple enough for adults. Its richly constructed fantasy world is magical without being cutesy. There’s no wise-cracking sidekick or sickly sweetness. Fear, frustration and a sense of never knowing quite who or what you can trust – things that kids know all about – are woven thrillingly into the adventure.”

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/Film is a bit more critical, chastising the series for its muted, underwhelming visuals as well as its claustrophobic setting, but praising its embracing of darker themes when compared to The Golden Compass.

“But where The Golden Compass erased the darker themes and religious underpinnings of Pullman’s story, HBO’s His Dark Materials dials up the mature elements to emphasize that this is a grown-up story now, kids. And no matter the amount of talking armored bears or corporeal human souls that take the form of talking animals, HBO is going to take His Dark Materials seriously. Written by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), His Dark Materials is very much a fantasy series made in the aftermath of Game of Thrones, with the story’s more fantastical elements given as much weight as the conspiratorial mysteries and complicated character dynamics. While the series admittedly still tiptoes around the religious elements, this is an approach that vastly benefits an adaptation of Pullman’s entire trilogy. “

The most critical review I came across came from Variety, who wasn’t completely sold on the vision realized by BBC and HBO.

“But after watching half the season, it’s hard to shake the feeling that, even with such a detailed text to draw from, there’s a strange flatness to the show itself. It jumps between storylines without much structural purpose, so that the endings of episodes feel less like the story reaching a naturally dramatic cliffhanger than hitting the wall of 60 minutes. It drops huge reveals in even huger monologues that skilled actors struggle to convey. It telegraphs twists from miles away despite having ample time and space in which to lay the groundwork.”

So, all in all, it does feel like the show does seem to be doing the source material a great service, it isn’t quite perfect in terms of some of its writing, line delivery, and overall execution, though that last part does seem like it could be a result of its budget.

Does any of this concern you? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Various (Linked Above)