The Light versus the Dark. An epic struggle for the fate of the world. A battle between the forces of good and evil.

Another cliché movie hits the box office.

I wished for a quality movie out of this story, but I met only deep disappointment. The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, based off of “The Dark is Rising” children's series by Susan Cooper, left me with a sense of being deprived of a quality fantasy film. While one of the children's novels has won a Newbery Medal and another received a Newbery Honor, the series' charm did not translate well on the screen.

The basic plot of The Seeker focuses on 13-year-old Will Stanton, (Alexander Ludwig), the seventh son of a seventh son, whose role as Seeker is to bring back the power of Light by collecting six “signs”. His arch enemy, The Rider (Christopher Eccleston), wants to seize the relics for himself and use them for - you guessed it - evil. Four “Old Ones”, immortal beings who live to fight the Dark, guide and protect Will in his quest for the signs.

The Stanton family of 9 left their home in the United States to move to a suburb in England. Will is the youngest child and, being picked on and left out by his five older brothers, his character is as trite as expected. His sister Gwen (Emma Lockhart) seems to be his only true friend.

Once Will discovers he is the Seeker, the last of the Old Ones, he is led by Merriman Lyon (Ian McShane), a father/mentor figure reminiscent of Tolkien's Gandalf, and Miss Greythorne (Frances Conroy), an elderly, rich woman who oddly knows how to wield a sword, Will begins his quest.

Unfortunately, the signs he searches for appear in coincidental places far too early in the film, skipping chances for battle sequences or drama to present Will's unique powers as Seeker. The sacred artifacts appear everywhere Will travels and always fall easily into his hands. The Seeker's quest lacks any questing at all.

The few action sequences featured are messy and sporadic. By using upside-down camera shots and quick cuts, director David Cunnigham attempts to take a more mellow book into the realm of modern, fast-paced movies. The approach leaves much of the story untold and ties loose ends in a sloppy fashion.

Unimportant pursuits and unbelievable coincidences drive the plot. Many twists, such as Will hurting his ankle, seem to be plot devices for the sole purpose of allowing The Rider to show his power and treachery.

The director tried too hard to bend a PG-13 idea into a PG film. The Rider only appears evil during his introduction, and even then his antics are overbearing and unrealistic. The darkness that spreads over the world is completely fake and the racial profiling of demonic, blood-sucking assassin rooks leaves a clench wrought by cliches to a moviegoer's gut.



The one antagonist that actually presented potential character interest is dismissed with the snap of a clapboard. Maggie Barnes (Amelia Warner), a girl who turns into the devil of a witch, tries to trick Will into giving up the “powerful” signs, even though no one, including viewers, knows what the signs actually do. Despite her promise as a key antagonist, she appears only a short time in the film.

The characters also left dissatisfaction in their wake. Ludwig plays neither a compelling nor convincing Will Stanton. His moods, interests and emotions do not evolve in a realistic fashion; instead they jump from scene to scene. He begins as an unconfident little boy and morphs into an oppressive warrior.

Overall, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising does not make the worth-my-time or worth-my-money list. The Dark never really rises and the Seeker never really seeks. Hopefully the Dec. 7th future film, The Golden Compass, will offer a more exciting and worthwhile fantasy motion picture.

The Seeker is now playing nationwide and is rated PG for fantasy action and some scary images. For more information on the movie rating system, visit the MPAA website. For show times, visit Fandango.