The Seeker
by David L. Cunningham
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DVD details
Actor: Alexander Ludwig, Christopher Eccleston, Frances Conroy, Ian McShane, James CosmoDirector: David L. Cunningham
Brand: Fox Home Entertainment
Cinematographer: Joel Ransom
Producer: Adam Siegel
Producer: Jared LeBoff
Producer: Marc Platt
Producer: Ron Schmidt
Writer: John Hodge
Writer: Susan Cooper
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 99 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-03-18
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of The Seeker
DVD Review: The Signs Are All Around Us
Summary: 3 Stars
There have been more metaphors for light and dark than most would care to count, but "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising" is one of the few fantasy films to give them significance. Light and dark are treated as physical manifestations, and as you might expect, the former is helpful to humanity whereas the latter is harmful. But as interesting and original as this idea is, it requires an understandable and well-developed back-story in order to be effective. Herein lies the biggest problem: "The Seeker" does a wonderful job explaining itself, but absolutely nothing is established before the explanations are given. This is one of the most confusing fantasy films I've ever seen, telling a story that tries to be imaginative but fails to be understandable. To extend the metaphor, this film shoves us into a brightly lit room without letting our eyes adjust.
It would be untrue to say that I disliked this film; more accurately, I didn't get it. I say this because, while I can certainly describe the plot, I cannot for the life of me explain its context. If the story simply happens without a set-up, if I don't have any way to understand why things are happening, then how am I supposed to invest in the characters or their circumstances? How can I engage the material and stay with it? The film opens promisingly enough, introducing the audience to Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig), a teenager about to turn fourteen. He and his family have recently moved from America to England (which had something to do with his father's job, I think). One day, a mysterious rich man named Merriman Lyon (Ian McShane) gives him and his siblings an invitation to a Christmas party. It's a moment that's equally thoughtful and ominous, telling us that he has ulterior motives.
And that's pretty much when the film starts piling on a series of magical occurrences. First, Will buys his sister, Gwen (Emma Lockhart), a necklace that emits strange visual signals; when two mall cops detain him under suspicion of shoplifting, they reveal themselves as being supernatural creatures. Will, fortunately, is able to escape. Shortly thereafter, an evil, menacing figure on horseback known only as The Rider (Christopher Eccleston) corners Will and orders him to give up The Sign. Naturally, Will has no idea what The Sign is. Fortunately, Lyon is on hand to explain everything; he and his companion, Miss Greythorne (Frances Conroy) are Old Ones--a.k.a., the defenders of The Light. Many centuries ago, a battle with The Dark split the power of The Light into six Signs of various elements (water, bronze, wood, etc.). In order to protect humanity, all six Signs must be gathered. However, the only one who can do that is The Seeker.
This is where Will comes in. Unbeknownst to him until now, he is The Seeker, the seventh son of a seventh son. His destiny is to save us all from The Dark, which, as the film's title suggests, is rising. How exactly can he find The Signs? As it turns out, he has already found one--Gwen's necklace. But what about the other five Signs? Apparently, being a Seeker gives him special powers, most importantly the ability to move back and forth through time. This power is only brought on whenever he senses the presence of a Sign, all of which are conveniently located within the same town. It's said that the sixth Sign cannot be found because it isn't hidden, which makes sense, I guess. I won't reveal what this Sign is made of or where it's hidden, but I will say that it should come as no surprise, especially since this is a Hero's Journey.
As if all this weren't confusing enough, an important yet undeveloped subplot involving Will's father, John (John Benjamin Hickey), is thrown into the mix. Many years ago, John's knowledge of physics drove him to find the secrets behind light and dark; he theorized that darkness was actually a physical thing, and that it was capable of being harmful. Unfortunately, a family tragedy (which I won't give away) prevented him from finishing his research. Will's attempts to engage his father are intertwined with another subplot, this one involving his older brother, Max (Gregory Smith). Max is a college student visiting his family for the Christmas holiday. Strange that he brought everything he owns back with him. Stranger still that The Rider approaches him for help.
Yet another subplot finds its way into this story: a teenage girl named Maggie (Amelia Warner), who's introduced early in the film. Because her scarf is red, and because nearly every one of her shots was filmed in slow motion, we immediately guess that there's more to her than meets the eye. And we'd be right; when she reveals herself, she says that she was sent to protect Will and to ensure the safety to the Signs. This is exactly what Will wants to hear, considering the love struck way he stares at her. But if he wants to save the world, he has to ignore her and focus all his attention on The Signs. After all, he only has a finite number of days before The Rider's dark powers will reach their peak.
It should be noted that this is based on Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising," a novel that I haven't read, I'm sorry to admit. Maybe I should. If there were anything that could explain the events of this film, the source material would be it. "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising" is a film that gives answers when no questions are asked, which is both baffling and annoying. I do give it credit for being an incredibly good-looking film; David Lee's production design and Joel Ransom's cinematography are beautiful, giving the film a rich, colorful atmosphere. But the story gives us too much to absorb without any initial development. I guess you can say that all Signs point to disappointment.
Description of The Seeker
Features include:
?MPAA Rating: PG
?Format: DVD
?Runtime: 99 minutes
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