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The Seeker (2007)
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Reviews Counted:89
Fresh:12
Rotten:77
Average Rating:3.9/10
Consensus: The magic of the book is lost in translation with The Seeker, due to its clumsy plot and lack of heart.
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
US Box Office: $8,746,699
Synopsis: Based on Susan Cooper's 1973 Newbery Award-winning fantasy novel, THE DARK IS RISING, director David L. Cunningham's 2007 film follows the adventures of young protagonist Will Stanton (Alexander... Based on Susan Cooper's 1973 Newbery Award-winning fantasy novel, THE DARK IS RISING, director David L. Cunningham's 2007 film follows the adventures of young protagonist Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig), who discovers that he is an immortal being connected with an ancient struggle between good and evil. Aided by fellow "Old Ones," including Miss Greythorne (Frances Conroy) and Merriman Lyon (Ian McShane), Will, an American transplant in England, must face off against shadowy forces bent on world domination, most notably represented by the black-clad Rider (Christopher Eccleston). Taking a different approach to Cooper's revered novel, THE SEEKER, actually drawn from the second book in THE DARK IS RISING sequence, will certainly raise the eyebrows of ardent fans of the series, particularly given screenwriter John Hodge's considerable alterations to the original story. (For example, Will is American instead of British.) For those unattached to Cooper's story, however, THE SEEKER will likely prove to be an enjoyable escapist film, with Conroy (SIX FEET UNDER), McShane (DEADWOOD), and Eccleston (HEROES) adding credibility to a largely unknown cast that is anchored by the likable Ludwig. Presented by Walden Media, the company behind the CHRONICLES OF NARNIA screen adaptations, THE SEEKER may not please Cooper purists, but it will undoubtedly entertain those looking for a diverting fantasy movie. [More]
Starring: Alexander Ludwig, Christopher Eccleston, Ian McShane, Frances Conroy
Starring: Alexander Ludwig, Christopher Eccleston, Ian McShane, Frances Conroy, Jonathan Jackson
Director: David L. Cunningham
Director: David L. Cunningham
Screenwriter: John Hodge
Producer: Marc Platt
Composer: Christophe Beck
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for The Seeker
This one is unimaginative and hokey, an adventure nearly as bungling as last holiday season's dragon egg, Eragon
Whether you fully embrace the Harry Potter phenomenon or simply live with it, there's no question that J. K. Rowling is an imaginative story-spinner. The trouble is that she has ruined the field for the legions of the second-rate.
Finally [Susan] Cooper's fantasy comes to the screen this weekend with The Seeker.
At its best, The Seeker is a pretty vivid fantasy book come-to-life; it does a decent, passable job of adding to the canon of kid-lit flicks.
Cunningham's scope is myopic and minimal in a mystical yet meandering piece of malarkey that masquerades as a long-winded Tolkien treasure hunt for teenage thrill-seekers.
The Signs may be invisible to everyone but The Seeker, but the plot developments will be obvious to everyone after the first 20 minutes.
It's important, when criticising some of the more clichéd elements here - the dark versus the light, the Tolkein parallels, the quests - to bear in mind that this film is aimed at older children, not your average jaded film critic.
Devotees of the source material will no doubt grouse at the liberties taken, but [Ian] McShane does what he can to keep the torches and pitchforks at bay.
[The film features] episodic set pieces with disorienting action, culminating in a face-off that defies logic in its resolution.
Though it frequently feels like its missing most of its formative folklore, and trails off into fits of formless meandering about two thirds of the way through, The Seeker is actually a rather good ripping yarn.
Too quick, too slight, and too cliched to make a splash in the company of such high-quality adaptations like LOTR and Harry Potter.
The ultimate question is, was the movie purposefully made into a blur to play directly into the pockets of the fans, or do we chalk this up to standard-issue directorial incompetence? I vote the latter.
The genre is bound to have its superstars and average contenders. Unfortunately, despite its production value, The Seeker is one of the latter
Just another supernatural time travel movie that lacks passion and seemingly evaporates even as you watch.
Director David L. Cunningham's proffered chills are strictly of the lightweight variety: a menacing flock of ravens, a slimy skein of snakes and a couple of mall security yobs too fat or stupid to overpower even a spindly teenager.
It's simply product for a pre-conditioned marketplace, pushing familiar buttons without doing anything remotely creative.
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