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Movies / Upcoming / The Seeker
The Seeker

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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

[See More Credits]

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    Interrogation Room
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    We Are The Old Ones
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    Even The Smallest Light Shines In The Dark
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  • Will Meets The Rider
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    Production Design
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    Flooding The Manor
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1 - 4 of 7

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Reviews for The Seeker

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments; Australian critics are listed first)
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
10/05/07
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This one is unimaginative and hokey, an adventure nearly as bungling as last holiday season's dragon egg, Eragon

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/06/07
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment 7 Comments
10/05/07
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

Finally [Susan] Cooper's fantasy comes to the screen this weekend with The Seeker.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment 2 Comments
10/04/07
Gianni Truzzi
Gianni Truzzi
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment 2 Comments
10/04/07
Kelley L. Carter
Kelley L. Carter
Chicago Tribune

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.

Full Review Source: World Voice News | comment 1 Comment
10/08/07
Frank Ochieng
Frank Ochieng
World Voice News

The Signs may be invisible to everyone but The Seeker, but the plot developments will be obvious to everyone after the first 20 minutes.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment 1 Comment
10/04/07
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Cheap-looking, mostly cheerless stuff.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
10/19/07
Total Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
12/07/07
Amber Wilkinson
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film

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.

Full Review Source: The Stranger (Seattle, WA) | comment Comment
10/05/07
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

[The film features] episodic set pieces with disorienting action, culminating in a face-off that defies logic in its resolution.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
10/05/07
Annlee Ellingson
Annlee Ellingson
Boxoffice Magazine

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.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
10/04/07
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
PopMatters

Too quick, too slight, and too cliched to make a splash in the company of such high-quality adaptations like LOTR and Harry Potter.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
10/12/07
Brett McCracken
Brett McCracken
Christianity Today

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
10/20/07
Brian Marder
Brian Marder
Hollywood.com

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.

Full Review Source: OhmyNews.com | comment Comment
10/04/07
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
OhmyNews.com

The genre is bound to have its superstars and average contenders. Unfortunately, despite its production value, The Seeker is one of the latter

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
10/06/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO

Just another supernatural time travel movie that lacks passion and seemingly evaporates even as you watch.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
10/11/07
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

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.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
10/13/07
Bruce Demara
Bruce Demara
Toronto Star

It's simply product for a pre-conditioned marketplace, pushing familiar buttons without doing anything remotely creative.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
10/05/07
Bruce Westbrook
Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle

Disappointing adaptation of a great kids' book.

Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | comment Comment
10/22/07
Carrie R. Wheadon
Carrie R. Wheadon
Common Sense Media
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by comments; Australian critics are listed first)
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