Reviews

The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising

A smirky and sore temptation

By JEFFREY GANTZ | October 5, 2007

1.5 Stars

THE DARK IS RISING: An unfortunate Harry Potter wanna-be.

It’s never a good idea to judge a movie by the book it was adapted from, but this Lord of the Rings/Harry Potter wanna-be is a sore temptation. Susan Cooper’s 1974 Newbery Honor Book The Dark Is Rising, the second volume of her “Dark Is Rising” quintet, tells of the Stanton family of Buckinghamshire, and in particular Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, the last of the Old Ones to be born, and how he joins them in the battle of the Light against the Dark. Cooper’s series is all about Britain, its lore, its family strength, its tradition of self-sacrifice. David L. Cunningham’s Fox Walden movie turns Will and his family into contemporary (cellphones, video games, skateboards) Californians who’re living in England because dad got a job teaching physics there. The kids are obnoxious, and smirky, tow-headed Will (Canadian Alexander Ludwig) is all self-indulgence — but who can blame him when mentor Merriman (Ian McShane) is spouting lines like “The future of the human race depends on you”? Christopher Eccleston as the meant-to-be-menacing Rider is upstaged by the special effects — and by the sentimentality of the kidnapped-twin story that’s tossed into the mix. Only the gruff authenticity of real Brits James Cosmo and Jim Piddock as Dawson and Old George offers any protection against this American rising dark.

The last Potter
What does the end mean for Harry’s strange Boston disciples?
Comics for Christ
Evangelicals are speaking in bubbles — and fighting God’s war on pop culture
War zones
Fall films face terror at home and abroad
More

Topics: Reviews , Harry Potter , Susan Cooper , Christopher Eccleston , More

Comments

Add a Comment

Today's Event Picks

[WORDS] EAR TRAINING: RAN BLAKE

Plus 7 more >>

ARTICLES BY JEFFREY GANTZ

HARVARD BEATS YALE 29-29 | November 19, 2008
Scores in nearly every department

VERTICAL ENERGY | November 14, 2008
Irina Muresanu gave an emotionally compelling performance, even if her view of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto didn’t always jibe with conductor Jonathan McPhee’s.

NO CHOPPED LIVER | November 14, 2008
Wait Wait in Boston

WISING UP | October 22, 2008
James Kudelka’s Cinderella at Boston Ballet

STATE OF THE ART | October 17, 2008
Boston Ballet’s third ‘Night of Stars’

See all articles by: JEFFREY GANTZ

Most Viewed

Most Emailed

MENINO'S MOSQUE
The bizarre story behind the construction of Boston's most controversial building

DIVIDE AND BE CONQUERED
The GOP relied on talk radio to carry its water, but votes are worth more than ratings

FAIR IS FOUL
What's the fuss over the Fairness Doctrine really about?

PHOTOS: DIANNE WILKERSON NABBED
Public Corruption Squad of the FBI arrest State Senator Wilkerson on complaint of extortion and theft.

SIMPLE BLOOD
Twilight puts the life back into the undead

MENINO'S MOSQUE
The bizarre story behind the construction of Boston's most controversial building

THE IMPEACHINATOR
Watchdog Fein

DIVIDE AND BE CONQUERED
The GOP relied on talk radio to carry its water, but votes are worth more than ratings

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll at the Huntington; McPherson's The Seafarer at SpeakEasy

FAIR IS FOUL
What's the fuss over the Fairness Doctrine really about?

HOT TOPICS

Daniel Day-Lewis , Jack Black , Michael Clayton , Michael Haneke , Osama bin Laden , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Michael Jackson , Paris Hilton , Paul Thomas Anderson , Tommy Lee Jones

Reviews

The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising

Say it ain't so, Joe

Market demand

Stayin’ alive

Wandering star

The Big Hurt: The week in digital mishaps