A WAR OF THE WORLDS IN HIS DARK MATERIALS
HIS DARK MATERIALS ASKS WHO THE REAL DAEMONS ARE.
AN ADAPTATION OF author Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is a bold undertaking – particularly
given that its previous adaptation fell flat. But where the 2007 feature film struggled to explore the depth of the source material, this new series shines.
His Dark Materials is set in a world not entirely unlike our own, save for one major addition: each person is
accompanied by a ‘daemon’, a physical embodiment of
their soul – a literal spirit animal.
The series follows Lyra (Dafne Keen), a headstrong orphan brought up by the scholars of an Oxford University college. She roams the halls and rooftops of
the city carefree – until her best friend Roger is nabbed
by a sinister child-snatching organisation. Meanwhile, her uncle Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) has set his sights
on a mysterious, magical – and purportedly dangerous
– substance known only as ‘Dust’. Lyra finds herself an ally in Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson), a formidable explorer with ties to the all-powerful Magisterium. Perhaps unsurprisingly, nobody is quite whom they seem to be.
The series does, at times, stray from Pullman’s
written word. In Wilson, we see a more earnest – though by no means entirely sympathetic – Mrs Coulter. Her skilful manipulation of the Magisterium is a delight – and with the delivery of a curt smile, you can’t help but wonder if she’s doing the same to you.
While His Dark Materials for the most part mirrors
the first novel in the trilogy, it does make an early
introduction to pivotal character Will Parry (Amir Wilson). Like Lyra, the teen acts wise beyond his years
as he cares for his fragile mother, but he also maintains
the type of blind bravery only a child could possess.
You couldn’t step into Pullman’s world without visual effects, and here there are many. Actors and daemons
interact so naturally you’d be forgiven for forgetting
that they’re CGI creations – this is particularly true of Wilson and her golden monkey. Then there’s a literal army of bears to contend with: actor Joe Tandberg shines as exiled war bear Iorek Byrnison, balancing an animalistic nature with an almost paternal concern for the child in his charge.
Eight episodes provide ample room to untangle
Pullman’s complex web of dust and deceit. But with two books remaining – and Season 2 already in postproduction – there’s plenty of adventure still in store.