The Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman as the villainess Mrs. Coulter, had a lackluster opening the first weekend, and even poorer this past weekend – trumped by Will Smith’s I Am Legend and even Alvin and the Chipmunks.

It probably doesn’t help that the movie has been the subject of Christian religious controversy. Recently, Catholic bishops in the U.S. asked that a review of the movie be removed the website of the Catholic News Service.

Word is that the movie eliminated some of the relgious elements that the book had. While I haven’t seen the movie, it appears that this decision actually did more harm than good – though it’s possible I’m mistaken.

I received a hardcover copy of the book in the mid-90s, but misplaced it and thus never read it. The book cover and the movie trailers are very visually rich, and on that basis alone would I watch the movie, regardless of any controversy. A clip is shown below, and galleries are available at the official Golden Compass movie site.