Acting Reviews
"Dakota Blue Richards gives a very, very accomplished performance as Lyra. Her interaction with the rest of the cast is utterly convincing and her facial reactions very well done for one so young. She winces convincingly during the bear fight, grins cheekily at the appropriate times and in general embodies the spirit of Lyra with some aplomb. The way Dakota plays the (frequent) scenes where she tricks someone – Lyra’s most beloveable trait – are simply brilliant. She achieves the acting feat of letting you see (facially) Lyra’s thought process and accelerates her lines at the right places when an outrageous idea comes into Lyra’s head. Dakota is genuinely the best thing about the film and the casting directors are to be applauded for picking her out of the tens of thousands that auditioned. A convincing, fun, cheeky actress as Lyra elevates the film greatly and you will definitely have a smile on your face during certain scenes.
Lyra’s coarse dialect – flagged up in another review – is simply not a problem. Whilst Dakota naturally has a rather well-spoken accent, Lyra’s “ents” and “ain’ts” don’t feel out of place at all."
- Will, BridgeToTheStars.net
"We've all seen the pictures of her, and we've heard of this little first-time actor Dakota Blue Richards. I was apprehensive of Lyra, since I had a pretty good image of her from the books, but I'll say this clean and clear that Lyra was fantastic. There are times when some lame one-line statements were put in her mouth, and she sounds like an inexperienced child actor, but as soon she smiles, I can see Lyra on the screen immediately, she was that good."
- Graham Lord, HisDarkMaterials.org
"Another pleasant surprise was Dakota. I had been sceptical about her abilities in the role since I saw the first teaser trailer. Fortunately, for the most part, see was very good. The only weaknesses I would pick upon were where she had only one line - these would often come across as forced."
- Edward Miles, HisDarkMaterials.org
"This film marks the debut of Dakota Blue Richards, cast as leading lady Lyra. I was pretty certain this young gal would turn out to be the horrifying fantasy movie double to sit/com cinema’s Dakota Fanning; I was pleasantly surprised to see that Richards packs in all of Fanning’s talent without any of her sickening sass. It’s a shame though that the young would-be star shows up first in a flick like The Golden Compass instead of something sweet like I Am Sam. If little girl Richards doesn’t make it big, I’ll hold her introduction to Hollywood through the The Golden Compass to blame."
- Liz Licorish, Elites TV
"But the star here is the discovery, Dakota Blue Richards, who seems to balance ladylike imperiousness with a taste for occasional deceit and tomboyish adventure."
- Roger Clarke, Screen Daily
"That's not the fault of Dakota Blue Richards, who portrays the story's wild girl protagonist Lyra (pronounced like the Italian currency). This kid powers the first half of the computer-generated movie, grabbing one's attention with a rebellious quality that simultaneously bucks and questions authority—none of that causeless willingness to sacrifice her life like those Narnia children—and she holds her own with the boys. When an evil adult threatens her with an irrational command, the child growls like a cornered cat: 'But I don't want to...'"
- Scott Holleran, Box Office Mojo
"Lyra is played by Dakota Blue Richards, who with a name like that should really be a 27-year-old country singer from the US. Actually, she's a 13-year-old acting newcomer from Brighton, and she does well, although her rough "urchin" accent comes and goes."
- Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
"Thirteen-year-old Dakota Blue makes an enchanting debut."
- The Sun
"In tandem with the reunion of the Spice Girls this year, girl power is in abundance in this release through the casting of young British actress Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua. And, make no mistake about it, Richards' performance is what carries this fantasy adventure tour de force."
"Resembling a young Kelly Brooke, thirteen year old actress Dakota Blue Richards is enigmatic and fully convincing as Lyra."
- Andy Duke, IESB.net
"Still, Dakota Blue Richards is terrific casting as Lyra, the 12-year-old star of The Golden Compass."
- James Christopher, Times Online
"Blue Richards is an efficient, if not inspired, Lyra."
- Cosmo Landesman, Times Online
"...a bit of young acting magic that goes by the charming name of Dakota Blue Richards..."
- Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
"The movie's other big "wow" factor is 13-year-old Dakota Blue Richards, who plays impish heroine Lyra Belacqua. She's a revelation - a world away from the usual movie brat you get in Hollywood blockbusters. Lyra is the kind of ragamuffin who'd stick her tongue out at you, steal your wallet and be halfway to China before you knew it. She and Miss Kidman give the movie its heat."
- Baz Bamigboye, Daily Mail
"But it's 13-yearold British actress Dakota Blue Richards who is the major find. The antithesis of a Hollywood wonderbrat, she brings gravity, and a rare, grubbyelbowed stubbornness, to the role."
- Liz Hoggard, Evening Standard
"...the wonderful 12-year-old protagonist Lyra Belacqua, played with confidence by the talented Dakota Blue Richards, who doesn't look or act like a child actress. (It's her first film)."
- Emanuel Levy, emanuellevy.com
"As for Richards, only time will tell if her characterization will grow beyond the willful, somewhat impatient girl who quickly adjusts to having others do her bidding. Young thesp has something going for her, but she, like the film, does not engender ready capitulation."
- Todd McCarthy, Variety
"Dakota Blue Richards is the heart and soul of this generally satisfying take on Book 1 of Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials."
- John Griffin, The Montreal Gazette
"Top-billed Nicole Kidman plays the villainous Marisa Coulter, but the lead is actually Dakota Blue Richards, a talented child actress whose presence goes a long way toward keeping this story grounded."
- Matt Brunson, Connect Savannah