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Movies / On DVD / 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.

Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for fantasy action and some scary images.

Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:19-10-2007

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 critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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A terrible bodge.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
10/19/07
Paul Arendt
Paul Arendt
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A moderate Potter-teen fantasy about an American kid who comes to little old England with his family (dad's on some kind of academic posting) to find that he is the boy-king leader of a group of supernatural warriors.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/19/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Dark is Rising is one of those awful sorcery tales where a spotty young boy (Alexander Ludwig) suddenly gets to save the Earth from supernatural creeps such as Christopher Eccleston.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
10/19/07
James Christopher
James Christopher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Not very likely to seize that Potter market, this is a disappointing film that starts out okay but goes rapidly downhill, thanks to rudimentary characterisation and storytelling that's designed more to accommodate gratuitous action.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
10/19/07
Daniel Etherington
Daniel Etherington
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An uncanny and unholy blend of The Fifth Element, The Sixth Sense and The Seventh Seal.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
10/19/07
Karl French
Karl French
Financial Times

By Americanising the hero and grotesquely distorting the plot, they can only alienate the fan-base and confuse the newcomer.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
10/19/07
Robert Hanks
Robert Hanks
Independent

A total dud.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
10/19/07
Trevor Johnston
Trevor Johnston
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Imagine Time Bandits confined to a boring Berkshire village and drained of colour, and you can see why this pig’s ear of Susan Cooper’s well-received children’s story went belly-up at the US box office.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
10/19/07
Elliott Noble
Elliott Noble
Sky Movies

Off-the-shelf teen fantasy not likely to satisfy the post-Potter/LOTR crowd but guaranteed to enrage fans of the source novel. The newly added quasi-religious overtones don’t help either.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
10/19/07
Helen OHara
Helen OHara
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An orgy of portents that runs out of oomph.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
10/19/07
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The excessive strobe effects may trigger epileptic fits, but the movie itself will induce narcolepsy.

Full Review Source: thelondonpaper | comment Comment
10/19/07
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
thelondonpaper

The script is rather bland, the action sequences are extremely dull and it lacks a big effects-heavy set-piece.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/18/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Cheap-looking, mostly cheerless stuff.

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

The storytelling is clunky but the performances are decent, and Ludwig is both cute and talented.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
10/05/07
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

The dark may have been rising, but my eyelids were repeatedly falling as I struggled to stay awake during the interminable and exhausting The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
10/10/07
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

A flat, boring, and simple-minded fantasy flick about the battle between the dark forces and the forces of light and goodness.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
10/07/07
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

What exactly are The Light and The Dark? The filmmakers sincerely hope you don't ask.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
10/05/07
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

A modest proposal: What say we declare a moratorium on special-effects movies about adolescents on a quest to save the world from darkness?

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
10/05/07
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

If I were a twelve-year-old child, I would have loved this film... However, as an adult, I saw too many plot holes and goofy characters.

Full Review Source: Film School Rejects | comment Comment
10/05/07
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
Film School Rejects

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
 
 
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Latest News for The Seeker

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