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The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 3.9/10
Reviews Counted: 92
Fresh: 13 | Rotten: 79

The magic of the book is lost in translation with The Seeker, due to its clumsy plot and lack of heart.

Average Rating: 4.1/10
Critic Reviews: 19
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 16

The magic of the book is lost in translation with The Seeker, due to its clumsy plot and lack of heart.

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Average Rating: 2.9/5
User Ratings: 168,323

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Movie Info

Producer Marc E. Platt brings author Susan Cooper's popular series of children's fantasy books to the big screen with this tale of a young boy (Alexander Ludwig) who discovers that he is the latest in a long line of immortal warriors. When the forces of darkness, led by the villainous Rider (Christopher Eccleston), threaten to overpower the forces of light, the young chosen one must venture out into the world to realize his destiny and ensure that evil is defeated. Ian McShane and Frances Conroy

PG, 1 hr. 39 min.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By: David L. Cunningham

Written By: John Hodge

In Theaters: Oct 5, 2007 Wide

On DVD: Mar 18, 2008

Box Office:$8.7M

20th Century Fox

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.

October 13, 2007 Full Review Source: Toronto Star

| Comment

Bruce Demara

Toronto Star

Top Critic

A movie that should've been made shortly after its source material -- Susan Cooper's Newbery winner -- debuted in 1973. As is, it feels entirely too generic to work today.

October 10, 2007 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly

| Comment

Gregory Kirschling

Entertainment Weekly

Top Critic

The acting is mediocre, the story rambles, the special effects -- average at best.

October 8, 2007 Comment

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

Top Critic

Poor writing and production values like these bring no light to Cooper's novel -- or the audience.

October 5, 2007 Full Review Source: Washington Post

| Comment

Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Top Critic

Cooper presented this rather basic good/evil mythos in more low-key, atmospheric form than the film allows, leaving thesps (particularly McShane) having to poker-face their way through lines like, 'The future of the human race rests on you!'

October 5, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Dennis Harvey

Variety

Top Critic

The movie ultimately emerges as a lackluster tale of teenage empowerment and doesn't fully conjure the requisite sense of magical escape necessary to truly captivate and immerse us in the tale.

October 5, 2007 Full Review Source: USA Today

| Comment

Claudia Puig

USA Today

Top Critic

The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising isn't an out and out bad film, there have certainly been worse films and recently, but it's not particularly good either, suffering from ill-conceived and executed story decisions that rob it of tension or interest.

April 1, 2011 Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net

| Comment

Joshua Starnes

ComingSoon.net

a lot of shouting offered up as an ineffectual camouflage to the picture's complete lack of ambition.

July 1, 2008 Full Review Source: Film Freak Central

| Comment

Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

Just pop this movie on right before nap time and you got yourself a successful sleep aide.

March 19, 2008 Full Review Source: Bronsonfive

| Comment

Michael Ferraro

Bronsonfive Source: Bronsonfive

Sloppy, lifeless storytelling so limp it guarantees no sequels will be made.

March 12, 2008 Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com

| Comment

David Cornelius

DVDTalk.com

Harry Potter-lite which ought to appeal to 12 year olds . . .

February 27, 2008 Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page

| Comment (1)

James O'Ehley

Sci-Fi Movie Page Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page

The Seeker is great-looking and well-acted, but unlike the Potter books and films, there's no sense that it's about anything more than the throwing-balls-of-smoke and mind-melding that we see onscreen.

January 10, 2008 Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press

| Comment (1)

Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)

St. Paul Pioneer Press

It's important, when criticising some of the more clich�d 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.

December 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Eye for Film

| Comments (3)

Amber Wilkinson

Eye for Film

Disappointing adaptation of a great kids' book.

October 22, 2007 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Carrie R. Wheadon

Common Sense Media

Not-too-impressive CG effects and frenetic camera work but cannot mask what is--or, rather, what isn't there.

October 19, 2007 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com

| Comment

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

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

October 19, 2007 Full Review Source: thelondonpaper

| Comment

Jamie Russell

thelondonpaper

An orgy of portents that runs out of oomph.

October 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph

| Comment

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph

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

October 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Independent

| Comment

Robert Hanks

Independent

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.

October 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Guardian [UK]

| Comment

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian [UK]

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

October 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Financial Times

| Comment

Karl French

Financial Times

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.

October 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Times [UK]

| Comment (1)

James Christopher

Times [UK]

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.

October 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Daniel Etherington

Film4

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Audience Reviews for The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising

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Eccleston shines as the bad guy. Decent visual effects but a choppy movie.

June 6, 2008

John Manard

Super Reviewer

Cast: Ian McShane, Christopher Eccleston, Gregory Smith, Wendy Crewson, Jonathan Jackson, Amelia Warner, James Cosmo, Emma Lockhart, Frances Conroy, Drew Tyler Bell, Jim Piddock, John Benjamin Hickey, Alexander Ludwig Director: David L. Cunningham Summary: Just as he turns 14, young Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig)

August 8, 2009

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