Opinions on His Dark Materials (The Golden Comp series)?

I have only seen the film adaptation of The Golden Comp so that is all I have to go on. I liked how the "church" was portrayed in the film. Though embellished, it effectively conveys how the church tends to seek power and force people to abide by their specific set of rules while trying to get rid of people who threaten them. The fact that the Vatican banned the book and the film is a perfect example of this. The church can criticize who and what ever it wants but it takes active steps to silence anyone who criticizes it.