Starring: Alexander Ludwig, Christopher Eccleston, Ian McShane, Frances Conroy, James Cosmo
Directed by: David L. Cunningham
Produced by: Walden Media
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Kid’s
MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy action and some scary images
A very normal boy, Will Stanton, newcomer Alexander Ludwig, is turning 14. He has a rather large family, five brothers and one sister, and they unfortunately appear to be more interested in getting the family together for the upcoming Christmas holiday than celebrating Will’s birthday. While his family seems to regard the day as nothing out of the ordinary (his brothers give him a sock because they forgot to get him a present), it seems as though Will is just stepping into the threshold of a new destiny for his life. Strange men are following him around with a look of hope and knowing on their faces. And then he is told that he is to be “The Seeker”: a boy who has been chosen to lead the forces of Light to overcome the impending arrival of the Dark.
Alexander Ludwig is sure to become a popular child actor, hopefully to recover from the Hollywood Child Actor Syndrome. He has mastered the art of being an awkward teen while still being a role model. Something that isn’t done too often these days. He has a crush on a girl at school and the shyness and the fear of rejection is clearly visible on his face. He’s the youngest brother and is often left out of the fun that his older brothers have, leaving him to relate more to his sister. He’s a very socially awkward boy and he just wants to fit in. When he is told that he is supposed to be “The Seeker”, he is very curious and excited to find out what exactly this entails, but he is also scared. Ultimately, he succeeds and overcomes all of the obstacles set before him to become a truly great character for kids to look up to.
Alexander Ludwig even holds his own against the supporting cast of fine, established actors in this film. It must have been nerve-racking to act alongside actors such as Christopher Eccleston (“28 Days Later”, “Doctor Who” and “Heroes”), Frances Conroy (“Six Feet Under”), Ian McShane (“Dallas”, “Hot Rod”), and James Cosmo (“Braveheart”, “Trainspotting”, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”). These four make up the group of “Old Ones” who have been chosen to pass down the knowledge of the Light and the Dark and to make sure that the Light prevails. They are a joy to watch onscreen together.
The film is based on a five book series by Susan Cooper. I have not read the book, so I cannot compare, but hopefully a little more explaining is done in the book. The film was funny and very entertaining, but dragged a bit, especially in the second half when the film was supposed to be the most exciting. But a few things would have been nice to see. More of the history of the “Old Ones” would be nice, as well as some more back story about Will Stanton’s relatives. Also, why are all of the “signs” that Will is supposed to find in his immediate area? And why are they scattered throughout time? A very cool idea, yes, but why? Why wouldn’t they be scattered throughout the entire world instead of scattered throughout a tiny town in England?
These minor plot points could cause some frustration among adults seeking more, but from the reactions of the audience, the younger crowd to which this is geared doesn’t really care. They were more interested in the powers that Will receives as “The Seeker” than the plot. They were more interested in Will succeeding than where or how he found the signs. The children in the theater were cheering for Will. There is a new hero for children, and he is brave and normal and just like your kids. Finally there is a great role model for them.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Movie Review: The Seeker: The Dark is Rising by JR
Friday, October 5, 2007
Movie Review: Seeker: The Dark is Rising by ME
Title: Seeker: The Dark is Rising
Starring: Alexander Ludwig, Ian McShane, Gregory Smith, Austin Vaccaro, Frances Conroy
Directed By: David L. Cunningham
Produced By: Marc Platt
Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
Release Date: October 5th, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy action and some scary images.
Distributors: Unnamed Fox-Walden Joint Venture
A young man, Will Stanton, discovers he is the last of a group of immortals dedicated to fighting dark forces of evil. Traveling back and forth through time, Will uncovers a series of clues, some dating back to biblical times, that lead him to a showdown with forces of unimaginable power. -Yahoo! Movies
Seeker: The Dark is Rising tries to grab onto Harry Potters fanbase and fails miserably. Adapted without consultation from Susan Cooper, Seeker has way too much crammed into it and at the same time explains the bare minimum to keep the story moving. One example – Will is tasked to collect six signs in order to stop the Dark. Now unless I dozed off, it was never explained what these signs were or what they were to be used for. He just runs around looking for this swirly design and lo and behold, there is the sign. There are many other faults, too many to list here.
An ensemble cast ranging from nobodies to “haven't we seen that guy in something?” do what they can with the material, but aren't quite up to the task of carrying a film like this. Alexander Ludwig, as Will Stanton, carries most of the weight here and holds up well, reminding me a bit of Zachary Ty Bryan from Home Improvement. Heroes fans may recognize Christopher Eccleston, who played Claude, the recluse, who taught Peter Petrelli how to become invisible. He plays The Rider, the main villain in the story and if you ask me, he was scarier as Claude, a good guy, than as The Rider in Seeker. There is even a Professor McGonagall clone in Frances Conroy's Miss Greythorne. Sad to say most of the other cast members blandly blend into the background.
There seems to be a rush of fantasy movies this fall and Seeker: The Dark is Rising will just fall into the cracks as another mediocre attempt at adapting a large epic-type novel into an hour and a half movie. My advice, stay home and watch Harry Potter again.
For more info visit the site at http://www.seekthesigns.com/
Keep reading,
Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com
