The Plot: In a parallel universe that bears some resemblance to our own (with a few key differences, like, say, human souls that take the form of chatty animal companions), a young girl is caught up in a inter-dimensional power play involving ruthless scientists, witches, and other bizarre phenomena. Based on the fantasy novel series by Philip Pullman.

The Pros: With Harry Potter suddenly deciding to put himself in the summer blockbuster mix and another Narnia installment some ways away, Compass, with visuals that likely warrant a big-screen experience, fills that fall/winter need to curl up with a good book…adaptation.

The Cons: Are we fantasy burned-out? A little — armored talking polar bears be damned. To the uninitiated, the trailer for Compass is nearly incomprehensible, and what we could make out seems (perhaps unfairly) to be of the "haven't we seen this already?" variety. If you put Narnia's Tilda Swinton, Stardust's Michelle Pfeiffer, and Compass's Nicole Kidman in a police lineup, we'd probably be stumped.

Cheat Sheet:

• The original title of Pullman's novel, the first of the "His Dark Materials" series, was Northern Lights, but North American publishers retitled it The Golden Compass based on the cover art's depiction of the compass-like "alethiometer" that plays a major role in the story.
• Award-winning playwright Tom Stoppard wrote several drafts of the screenplay that Weitz rejected. Weitz then adapted the book, smoothing over the novel's overt and mostly negative references to religion in the process.
• Pullman himself suggested Kidman for the role as the icy Mrs. Coulter.
• This marks the first time a Bond and a Bond girl have reunited in a non-Bond film (Casino Royale's Daniel Craig and Eva Green).