The latest movie controversy swirls around "The Golden Compass," the adaptation of the first in a trilogy of popular and critically praised children's novels by Philip Pullman.

Pullman has been described variously as an atheist and an agnostic, two very different points of view. Some Christian groups fear that the movie will advance an anti-religion agenda.

As far as the screen version of the novel is concerned, that fear is unwarranted. Its main message strongly supports the separation of church and state. Not a bad idea according to our founding fathers. Think Sudan where a teacher is jailed for allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad. In this case, the authoritarian regime is more of a civic religion in and of itself. Theology takes a backseat to the thought police.

Director Chris Weitz puts just about all of his $180 million budget on the screen in this visually sumptuous fantasy adventure. The story unfolds in a parallel universe to ours. It's a place where humans are accompanied by the external manifestations of their souls in the form of animal alter egos.

This world is ruled by an authoritarian organization called the Magisterium. It's a shadowy institution that rules by intimidation and outright crime. Officials aren't averse to murder and a commando wing called the Gobblers kidnaps children and spirits them to the North Pole for a nefarious experiment.

At the center of the story is Lyra, played with a spunky charisma by Dakota Blue Richards. She's an 11-year-old boarder at Jordan College where she stands out as a high-spirited rebel. Her uncle, played by Daniel Craig, asks the college to fund an expedition to the North Pole, where he has found evidence of a mysterious force called Dust. It apparently links universes, serves as a life force and inspires people to think for themselves: a cosmic all-purpose cleaner if you will.

Here, the movie strays into hazy territory and it's not the only time. Lyra and her daemon, what the animal alter egos are called, is borrowed from the college by the elegantly beautiful and sinister Mrs. Coulter for another polar expedition. Played with malevolent hauteur by Nicole Kidman, Mrs. Coulter is an operative of the Magisterium who sports a wicked monkey as her daemon and the mirror of her soul.

Lyra leaves the school with a Golden Compass, a device that reveals the truth involving the dealings of humans. It's the only one in existence: truth is anathema to the Magisterium, which destroyed all the other devices.

Lyra soon discovers the dark side of Mrs. Coulter and her monkey business and escapes. She plans to rescue Roger, her best friend played by Ben Walker. He's one of the missing children kidnapped by the Gobblers.

On her journey, Lyra encounters a motley crew of supporters. Sam Elliott -- who else? -- plays his signature grizzled old cowpoke. Eva Green plays a gorgeous good witch. Then there's a bunch of well-meaning rogues called the Gyptians. Best of all, Ian McKellen provides the voice of Iorek, an armored ice bear. He's a whiskey-drinking old warrior exiled from his kingdom. When he returns to duke it out with his foe, you'll get to see more animated polar bears this side of a Coke commercial.

Some of the book has obviously been abbreviated and the result is a narrative flow in shorthand. Significant characters spring out of nowhere to save the day. Meanwhile there are stretches of exposition designed to reveal the book's more philosophical side and they tend to act as speed bumps.

"The Golden Compass" works best as a handsome adventure with a lot of technical dazzle and a fine young actress as the intrepid adventurer.