British author Philip Pullman is best known for the trilogy entitled "His Dark Materials", which includes Northern Lights (re-titled The Golden Compass in America, with a major film adaptation coming later this year), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Much fuss has been made in the Christian community about the author's Atheist values being present in his work; specifically, in regards to his fantasy-based books maintaining popularity with young audiences. Such an outcry seems to be completely unwarranted---especially since Pullman's disdain seems to be focused largely towards organized religion, not spirituality. Beyond The Golden Compass (2007), a new documentary by filmmaker Jean-Pierre Isbouts, attempts to dissect Pullman's brand of literature.

Essentially, Beyond The Golden Compass serves three purposes: to lightly touch upon the life and times of Philip Pullman, to analyze elements of "His Dark Materials" and to build interest in the upcoming film adaptation. It certainly balances all three adequately, though none of the purposes truly reach below the surface. Shoehorned in are talking head interviews with authors, scholars and other colleagues of Pullman (and Pullman himself, during certain sequences), making Beyond The Golden Compass is a typical "unauthorized documentary" from top to bottom. This doesn't mean that there's nothing of interest to be seen, but the film's low production values often stand in the way of its good intentions. The location-based reenactments of certain story sequences aren't half bad, but other elements ultimately cause the documentary to fall flat.

As expected, a portion of Beyond The Golden Compass attempts to defend the "anti-Christian" themes present in Pullman's work, loosely connecting some of his dislike for organized religion with the author's upbringing. This is where Isbouts' documentary hits a brief stride: it's undoubtedly the most interesting and controversial subject explored---and though it never quite fleshes out the way we want it to, it certainly serves its purpose. Unfortunately, this can't help but make other sections of the documentary seem long-winded and superfluous; even at only 71 minutes in length, Beyond The Golden Compass runs too long for its own good. Novice fans may walk away with a few interesting tidbits of knowledge, but most of what's here isn't especially enlightening.

Presented on DVD by Koch Lorber, Beyond The Golden Compass isn't quite as polished and detailed as it wants to be. The film's technical presentation certainly has its ups and downs, though at least a small handful of extras supports the main feature adequately. It's ultimately a package directed towards a small audience: those generally unfamiliar with but interested in the work of Pullman...who don't mind low production values and dry talking head interviews, of course.

Presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio and enhanced for 16x9 displays, Beyond The Golden Compass looks passable but problematic. Newly-recorded footage is generally crisp and clear, though older footage is limited to its source quality. Static images, as well as the film's limited use of CGI, are hampered by shimmering, jagged edges and the like; additionally, portions of footage appear to be stretched to fill the widescreen frame.

The Dolby Digital 2.0 is also flawed: voice-over narration is easy enough to understand, but the many talking-head interviews are notably muffled and dull in comparison. In short, you'll be reaching for the volume control quite often. Unfortunately, no optional subtitles or Closed Caption support are included during the main feature or bonus materials.

Also here is "Pullman's Oxford" (14:57), which includes a brief tour of the campus and comments on the author's experiences and work during his time spent there. It's a relatively light and casual chat---and like our next supplement, a bit more informative than the other extras. Winding things down is a collection of Director's Comments (24:45), in which director Jean-Pierre Isbouts talks a bit about the production and reasons for making the documentary. It's essentially a mini-commentary; his voice-over comments are paired with images and footage featured in the film.

Closing out the bonus features is the film's Trailer (1:03). All extras are presented in 1.33:1 and anamorphic widescreen formats when applicable; unfortunately, no subtitles or Closed Caption support are included. It's a relatively thin package overall, but the bonus material offers a mild amount of support for the main feature.

Strictly aimed towards novice fans of Pullman and those casually interested in the upcoming film, Beyond The Golden Compass is a rough but well-intentioned look at the author's motives and life experiences. The interviews are generally hit-or-miss, while the accompanying re-enactments don't quite present a convincing illusion. Koch Lorber's one-disc package is relatively below par, combining a lackluster technical presentation with a few mildly interesting bonus features. All things considered, Beyond The Golden Compass is worth a weekend look at the very most. Rent It.