User Reviews

My brother and I just started watching His Dark Materials recently and I have to say I actually ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. Because we put it off for so long we were able to binge watch all 3 seasons and didn't have to wait years between seasons. I prefer to binge watch anyway because I take in more of the story that way but I'm really glad I didn't have to wait year's between seasons on this show, it made more enjoyable to binge it. Everything about this show was top notch (everything on HBO usually is), the writing, acting, visuals, all of it was great! It starts a little slow while they build their world and characters but I don't mind that because it makes you more invested in the show overall.

I have to start off by saying I knew absolutely nothing about His Dark Materials going into it. I never read the books or saw the movie (The Golden Compass). The only thing I knew was from the trailer and a couple reviews on what the plot was but from what I read this was a great adaptation. I personally thought it was entertaining from beginning to end. I never got bored for even an episode. I'm glad they were given enough seasons/episodes to tell the entire story and not get cancelled on a cliffhanger or questions not answered. This had a satisfying conclusion. You can tell how much money and attention to detail went into this show because it was absolutely beautiful. James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ruth Wilson, Dafne Keen and the rest of the cast were all brilliant.

I've heard a few people complain already that "It's trying to be "Harry Potter".

The first book in the HDM trilogy was published two years BEFORE the first "Potter", so y'all can stop that nonsense right now. I like both franchises, but "His Dark Materials" is shorter, better written, and has deeper content.

I was let down by the movie adaptation, so I'm very happy to see this new version which can take its time and look and feel more like the book. I'm hoping it's a hit. This series is anything but predictable. I won't spoil it for anyone, but expect the unexpected.

I have just finished the third and final season, and thoroughly enjoyed all of it. When adaptations of books, either as a film or TV series, stick faithfully to the source material, then generally you get a good result.

All the cast are on top form. Dafne Keen is excellent, James McAvoy is always brilliant, but top marks have to go to Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter. Her character is just magnetic and she conveys so much complexity with just the slightest of expressions - it really is an acting masterclass.

I won't discuss the plot, but will only state that the multiverse concept is very well portrayed, the character interactions are written with style and care and the 'demons' are beautifully and realistically rendered.

And I couldn't resist the irony of my review title... :-)

I read a review on here stating that this show is a rip of the Golden Compass movie...... seriously??! Im just hoping its a joke comment, also why are people giving this such bad reviews? Seems like people these days just dont understand what a book is or how to read one, i loved the movie but the show seems spot on so far, also some people giving out that its on late and wondering why as its a "kids" show....if you've read the books you would know it gets very dark. Anyway Loving the show so far, i will be watching every week.

Holywood nearly ruined these books with a schmaltzy kiddy version 'The Golden Compass' But these books work because they address difficult issues of soul, God, morality, authority, parenthood, death, love and duty. The Disney treatment simply destroys its essence.

So how was episode one? Acting Tick. Script tick. Cinematography and sets, tick tick. This looks like it is going to turn out well. Good production values and it seems as though it will be true to the book with actors who can carry it off. Finally an adaptation that compliments a classic and doesn't have some idiot egotist Director or committee of 'We know what our demographic needs to see and hear' network executives doing a version that paints over a masterpiece.

Having just binged the three seasons, I'm happy enough to come here and give it a positive review.

First and foremost I think the effects were really something. Everything felt quite immersive, there were rarely times that something felt too fake. Some of the imagery was exactly how I imagined from the books, for example the abyss and the mulefa world.

Some of the performances were amazing and award-worthy. My favourites were Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter, Will Keen as Father MacPhail. Simone Kirby as Mary and. Ruta Gedmintas as Serafina. They each really brought their characters to life, from the tensions of Coulter and MacPhail to the serenity of Serafina and the more ordinary yet inquisitive Mary.

Some other portrayals I was less keen on, including the two main characters, though I think they improved towards the end and delivered an impactful finale. I also wasn't completely sold on Asriel, perhaps just a bit too different from my personal image of him. My other gripe is that I felt there wasn't enough time for some characters to be properly fleshed out and felt for, which led to some scenes being less emotional than they could have been.

Regardless, this series overall did the books justice and I would definitely recommend it.

It's been a long time since I've read the books, so having none of this seem too familiar wasn't exactly surprising. But the characters I do remember, as well as the setting, and neither of those matched what I imagined all those years ago. Some parts were also altered or removed altogether, for reasons I suspect would make it hard to provide context in moments requiring a narrator to describe something you wouldn't be able to understand by simply watching. Standard book-to-film adaptation stuff.

But none of that matters. They took this story and made it their own. You can see the care for pacing and thoughtfulness in nearly every scene. After the 2007 film this was such a nice thing to experience. The sheer acting talent from the cast doesn't hurt, either, with high points being some of the best I've ever seen anywhere. Ruth Wilson in particular. She really is something else. Formidable. Terrifying. Sad. Simultaneously a monster and a tragic figure. An entire character arc eventually satisfied. James McAvoy, too. He's able to communicate so much with the most subtle expressions on his face. Actors like him elevate the people they work with, and the rest of the cast also did a great job. The only exception to this being Amir Wilson. To be clear, he's not bad. His portrayal of Will was good, initially. It just didn't really work because he's pretty much the same person all the way through. The developing affection for Lyra was also somewhat unconvincing. That's a problem considering how central this is to the actual story. As a result we're not 100% sold on what they mean to each other, which ends up taking us out of it.

Iorek Byrnison needs to be mentioned. This is arguably the coolest character in the story, and while most of how he's portrayed is good they did kind of stumble which made him inconsistent. Trimmed a bit of what should have been given more attention, and some actors interacting with the visual effects didn't sell it. For instance, Lyra would turn away too early in conversation and it would diminish him actually being there. Or critical points felt like they were "good enough" to move forward with so they put the scene together without the emphasis. These were significant events in the actual books that left a real lasting impression, but here you'll see it play out, then wonder why it didn't hit as hard compared to having read it. I can only imagine working with these kinds of special effects presented unexpected challenges. None of the other characters felt this way. Only scenes with the bear, which is a real shame because he had such presence in the source material. This one detail really stood out to me.

Overall, this is a great show. If you're a fan of the trilogy it's a good watch. If you're coming in fresh it may take a few episodes to settle in.

Just, Wow. I had zero expectations going into this series and have not read the books. I said Yes to James McAvoy, as always, and was so glad I did. This is not a children's story. It is dark, very dark. It delves into areas I never would have expected, creates a completely engaging world and unfolds the most wonderful story in a masterful manner. The acting is top notch, with an impressive effort by Dafne Keen and just a stunning performance from Ruth Wilson.

Most commendable in the writing is the examination of complicated relationships, even toxic ones. It does not provide simplistic resolutions, but ones that are as equally complicated. It is a beautiful love story. It is also a sweeping adventure, the pursuit of faith and the quest of knowledge. The story continued to evolve and just grew exponentially in such a way that completely surprised me.

For those who love stories, this one is for you. I don't grade many things above 8. Very few. I give this series 9 stars. If I'm honest, it's probably a 9.5...

I just want to thank everyone who put this together, because they have brought me so much joy. I haven't enjoyed anything this much in a very long time. Thank you!

I haven't read the books, but I know many people have commented that this series is more faithful than Hollywood's Golden Compass. No surprises there!

I've loved Ruth Wilson since she was in Luther, and she is no less brilliant in HDM. Even though the storyline and cast of characters are quite involved, there's no difficulty in following what's happening. Even the daemons are "believable ".

You don't have to delve too deeply into the hidden meanings and sub texts: you can just enjoy it for the adventure it is. But, you CAN, if you want, think quite deeply about the issues behind the storyline. Thought provoking to say the least.

I love it.

I watched His Dark Materials, and the First 2 Seasons Introduced a Magical World and an Interesting Storyline.. I Could Hardly Stop Watching the Episodes as Each Episode Managed to Pull Me Further into the Realm of the Story..

Each Episode and Each Newly Introduced Character Managed to Add to the Excitement of the Series, and It became just Hard to Predict what lays Beyond the Next Curve or to Foresee Future Events..

I Loved the First 2 Seasons, and I believe that Each Character made its Fair Contribution to the Story.. and Each Had its Touch.. I Really Believe that it would be hard to find 2 Persons Cheering for the Same Character..

Well, my Only Preservation was the Lack to Provide a Great Actor, Such as James McAvoy a More Screen Time during the first 2 Seasons.. Most Probably because the Producers were Trying to Apply Cost Control, and to use his Presence Extensively in Season 3.. Never the Less, His Presence was Still Tangible and He Managed to Influence the Events to a Certain Extend.

The 2 Seasons were Very Much Family Oriented as it was Almost Impossible to Come Across any Scene with high Intimacy, which Made the Series Perfect for the Family Watch..

The 3rd Season, on the Other hand.. was a Great Disappointment.. The Full Season Could have been Cut to 3 Episodes, if not for the Side and UNNECESSARY Events, and the Lots of Dialogues where the Characters Kept Recapping Events.. also, the Usual LGBTQ was Introduced in this Season just to Comply with the Demand of Media, which ALSO had no Place but to Satisfy the Checklist... Include LGBTQ, Checked.. Target Achieved.. Also, the Ideas that were Adopted in the Season were.... Totally Unexplainable.. I Tried HARD to Digest the Concept, but understanding the Main Purpose is where I Failed.. added to the other observations that Made me feel that the Series went under a Heavy Budge Cut and the Produces are Trying to Cut their Losses Rather than Ending the Series..

Even though I never read the books, I KNOW this is based off of them. Other reviews suggesting that this is a waste of money and comparing it to The Golden Compass, even they are one and the same except the series is far superior because it can actually delve into the source material. People need to do a little research and quit being lazy before spouting off about something they know nothing about obviously.

I've seen other series get the same treatment because people don't read or do research. So annoying. Anyway the show is great. Yes, the movie only got the tip of the iceberg. The show actually goes deeper into the relationships of characters and their backgrounds. The acting is good. The actors are fantastic. And it is British because it's supposed to be.

Give it three episodes before you throw it away due to crappy reviews giving this show the shaft.

Given the frustration of The Golden Compass being an incomplete movie, I was excited to see another attempt at the source material with this TV series. But after several episodes I still find myself preferring the movie. Now I'll admit this is an unfair starting comparison. There are three major problems I have with the series so far.

The first is Lyra's complete lack of personality. Book Lyra is a nearly uncontrollable adventurer and liar/storyteller, the latter of which is a crucial element to her personality that proves decisive throughout the story and her later growth as a person. Yet Dafne Keen's Lyra is simply missing that part of the character! The show may be following the original story reasonably closely for now, but major deviations in both story and character personalities will be required further down the road unless the producers are counting on viewers already knowing what will happen.

The second problem is that the daemons are conspicuously absent for all but the main characters, and even then only Pantalaimon and, to a lesser extent, Hester and the Golden Monkey, are really given any screen time. This is problematic because daemons are extensions of every person in the universe; cutting them out quite literally reduces a character to nothing. Like Lyra's missing personality, daemons are crucial to the story and cannot be ignored.

Finally, the show is just so slooooow. The first two books in the series are not long books and don't dawdle at any particular event. I think 8 episodes is too many to cover the first book. Perhaps the first book would have been better suited for 5, maybe 6 episodes.

Or better yet, a 2 1/2 hour movie! Which is what we nearly got over a decade ago until New Line Cinema panicked when they realized they weren't getting the movie that they expected and then chopped off the ending and (somewhat clumsily) rearranged the remainder of the second half. If they ever were to release the original version of the movie, I think I know which adaptation I'd prefer.

That all being said, the series is still well-designed, if perhaps a different vision of the world from the books and the film, with a solid score and visuals (minus the missing daemons). I question the drawing of material from outside the first book, but am willing to go with it. The early scenes involving Will also look promising for his character.

(I've read the books several times) Episode 1- I was looking forward to this and it hasn't disappointed! (a first for me, with fantasy adaptations) Plenty of money has been thrown at this series and it shows, in a good way. Yet there's nothing Hollywood about it, it's 100% British.

We're treated to a good bit of the background story during this episode, a thankless task, skilfully done and quite quickly. We're immediately thrown into the action and I am hooked, even though I know what's coming.

The sets are amazing, the music excellent, the cast is A1: this is the BBC so it is exceptionally diverse -which is already giving us a bunch of fine actors that might not be so famous and gives us a bit of modern colour. I'm not sure yet about Lyra, she's not what I expected but I've the feeling she'll turn out to be what was needed, if not what I wanted. Lord Asriel is just the right mixture of downright attractive and breezily self-centered as in the books. As to Mrs Coulter she's just fantastically and dangerously attractive. I finally understand what Lyra loved in her. The Gyptians are represented perfectly and individually and the whole thing has a tint of alternate medievality which mirrors the book exactly.

All in all, episode 1 is a success.

I could go on and on but really, just watch it, you'll know after twenty minutes whether you'll like it or not.



Episode 2: some fair deviations from the book, all in aid of story comprehension, suspense and doling appetising spoilers from much later to the viewer so that they won't drop off - you can't blame them really, they need to keep the viewership interested, considering the price of production. It's still very well done, and it's quite scary and tense, also the modern world (already shown) has been updated to current times. It looks like episode 3 will carry on with being rather different from the book storyline, while sticking to it at the same time, if that makes sense. It's rather on the dark side, and definitely not for children the way the books are.

Episode 3: I had minor doubts with episode 2 and the "new" storylines but this episode was very exciting and has allayed them. The whole thing is now moving forward properly and the plot is very tight in an action TV series sort of a way, without losing the spirit of the books. Back to a 9.

The following episodes are a bit hit and miss, some pacing/acting /directing issues - Lee Scoresby the one unmitigated success - trying too hard to force suspense to fit the tv format rather than concentrate on telling the story as a one whole, but the last episode packs a punch and gets to you. And really leaves you hating having to wait a year for the rest, excellent finish.

UPDATE SERIES 2:

While there were a few pacing/acting issues in series 1, the first 2 episodes of series 2 are nail-bitingly near perfect. Absolutely brilliant beginning and better visuals than ever. The plot and the world's are really well handled in every particulars. Persevere if you were in two minds about series 1.

Much better than expected. When they made the movie "The golden compass" I was disappointed. The series so far has been closer to the books. And having Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee was the best casting in the series. I just finished season two and will soon start three. I rarely rate before I finish but this one deserves it.

Keeps with the dark side of the books unlike the movie. They didn't clean it up for kids. I won't give spoilers but if you are a book fan and worry they messed it up, they didn't. If you've never read the books it's easy to follow as they leave very little in explaining out. 8 is very high. It would have been a 7 had it no been for Lin-Manuel and his delightful performance of Lee.

As a huge fan of the books my expectations were sky high and I really haven't been disappointed. Page and screen are such different media there is no way one can adapt to the other without making certain changes to make it work. For me the changes for this, expanding certain plotlines and introducing some concepts earlier, slightly changing and expanding the roles of some characters has really worked and served the adaptation and storytelling well. The pace has been of a confident slow build, really inhabiting the world and has eskewed adding unnecessary axtra action sequences to satisfy the more impatient. Genuine family entertainment that rewards attention and patience, I can't imagine a better adaptation without tripling the production budget, though they may need that by season 3.

I thought season 1 and 2 were quite good, but season 3 has proved to be a disappontment. Every episode is too long and very slow. I can understand that the purpose is to give it a more spiritual or psychological complexity, but I think it feels mostly melodramatic.

And I can't really come to terms with the acting. Most of the actors seem bored themselves with the show and act rather sloppy or are over-doing it. Such a shame because I think the storyline is interesting and entertaining and should have been handled with better care.

I must add that i haven't read the books so I don't know if the show is true to the original story.

I'm past episode 8, and an exciting, well done visual copy of the book has turned into soap opera, where everybody keeps talking to each other and hardly anything happens. In season 2, things pick up again. I started reading the book again, and the TV series does seem to do a good job, so far, in staying with the story in the book. It's hard to capture on screen what words can convey. But in place of good writing, there's good scenery and background (we see better than we understand through words). I also have to admit that the movie is aimed at a different audience than the book (watchers instead of readers). So I'll keep on watching. The overall story is interesting and clever, and of course the acting is fine. I've learned that the author has another series of books, Dust, which helps me stay with the story, knowing that the end is not the end. I'll end with a secret: clicking on the response to "Does this review contain spoilers?" may stop the admonition that 600 words (or was it letters) haven't been written.

I'd say any hype around this series is based purely on the fact that more of the book's content is going to be shown (versus the film) and not about the acting or the portrayal of the ideas in the book (e.g. the intimacy of human-dæmon bond).

Visually it's quite good, and it's nice they're able to show parts of the book that a film wouldn't be able to, but I've found there's something lacking in this series. The acting is a little bit stale and it fails to draw you in and keep you invested. It's just not as gripping as the book. There's also a big verbal emphasis on the significance of dæmons but it isn't physically shown, i.e. there's almost no affection shown between (in particular) the kids and their dæmons, which means the relationship Mrs. Coulter has with her dæmon is shown as less significant than it should be.

I was bored one night and decided to watch his dark materials. Honestly the first episodes didn't do much for me at first but i kept going as time progressed i was hooked!

Eve though a bit childish elements to it but it is certainly a huge adventure it takes you on! Abolsutley magical in every other way. I dont have much critisism for this, it was beautifully and elegantly done.

His dark materials explores rather adult subjects like pain, trauma, and how complicated a person can be. Novody is entierly good or bad, which is such a fresh take on the usual black and white, good or evil, heaven and hell type of movies and rethorics even in our own society.

This was such a treat! Give it a chance to grow on you.

Having never read the books i was enthusiastic to see how the stories would be protrayed in a series.

It does take a bit of patience, as with anything that is adapted. The key is to keep the viewers attention. Ultimately, it did.

I was uneasy on Dafne Keen at the beginning, i was a little weary as to how this character was going to play out, but she wound up doing a fantastic job.

I think the casting directors did a great job. The synchronicity with the voices and "daemons" were selected with great accuracy. The effects were great, and again, the daemon's were a highlight of the series.

Now on to the bad stuff....

Not much to say here. A lot of editing, naturally. When you have adaptations they can go one of two ways. They can Go Narnia, or they can go Twilight. Narnia was done very well and Twilight a self-indulgent abomination that should never have been made.

This was a Narnia.

I was able to see past the necessary edits and pick up on things without need of an explanation. But what was unforgivable was the final episode.

It made me go from wondrous, to disgruntled, to melancholic to just plain annoyed and depressed. They should have done more with the departures of two certain characters in the previous episode (without giving anything away) that was done poorly with little-to-no real build up, just a lot of unnecessary dialogue.

The final episode was a bunch if narrative laden drivel, getting their cheap shots in, insulting the viewers. The impartialism was what made the show work. But when you start force-feeding us the same old bullish that we've had to endure for years now, they may as well have spit in our face.

Taking a full point off for the final episode. Should have made an extended episode previously, because this one was literally not needed. The first half to two thirds of the episode were complete gibberish. Absolutely pointless.

Sometimes you change things, like the ending, like they did in "The Watchmen" because it fit with modern society. But this could not possibly have been the original ending, and just some tripe to hard-sell youths their never ending agenda and narrative. Makes me sick.

Entertainment Value - 7/10 Overall Rating 7/10 (would have been an 8 but some people can't let a good thing be without spoiling it. Pointless final episode. That is NOT how you end a series. What a waste.)

Also Jame McAvoy and Ruth Wilson crush it. Was very happy to see Ruta Gedmintas as Serafina Pekkala, great choice. (I thought Eva Green would have been great in that role too... turns out there was a movie before this that I also did not watch. Touché hollywood)

I wanted to like this. I really did. This book series has been my favorite for a long time, having read through the series three times now. And while I criticized the Golden Compass movie adaptation years ago, I now oddly miss it, for all it's shortcomings. What this adaptation does is assume that it's audience is stupid and unimaginative. Unlike the books where we get to experience the world that is so like ours but so very different through Lyra's eyes, we're told immediately right off the bat in text that that's the case. This first episode should be held as a shining example of how to "tell, not show". The amount of overblown exposition and lack of any emotional connection to the characters is staggering. The pacing is incredibly fast... I felt like they covered FAR too much in the first episode for you to get any meaningful sense of the world and Lyra. Unlike the books where you uncover the tension and plot along with Lyra, the plot is thrown at you through arguably trite performances. I felt like few actors had any subtly, and honestly I never thought I would yearn for Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig back. While Dafne Keen looks the part in my minds eye far more than her predecessor, she's given little to do and some fairly uneven and obnoxious dialogue. The CGI daemons are beautiful at times but also somewhat unsuccessful. The smaller pole cats and ermine's feel believable enough but Azriel's snow leopard lacks any of the weight and presence that the movie version had years ago.

I'm curious to see where this goes, and while I'm glad to see this story get screen time once again, I hardly think that this is the adaptation this book deserves. I admit the book is a glorious spider's web of chaos and complexity, but there is still a spark amidst all of it, and a passion that shines through. I get none of that from this show. The editing, cinematography and color grading all scream BBC. And I don't mean that in a good way. Everything just feels mildly pedestrian. The movie at least succeeded at having a cohesive point of view in its art direction, the art direction here seems a bit all over the place with little real point of view.

Maybe the book is unadaptable. I don't know. But I knew I was in for a bumpy ride when I had the world described to me in four sentences before I ever even set foot in it.

Maybe in another ten years we'll figure it out.

Political satire, golden compass and this is valid for all those who set out to seek the people's trust in the next elections, regardless of whether they will enter not this world another one or not. If we don't have immunity or deamon tools, almost any speech from this rostrum can be used to sue for insult and defamation. I am referring to the series of insults and insinuations, which for that to restore common sense as well, have been making to each other in recent years dark spells or coldest weapon of all..!? Dafne Keen is amazing young girl with ultimate so perfect role wishing her best of all to find a next chapter of ours journey..!? Admiration to all cast & crew..!?