The Phoenix Network:
The Phoenix
Boston
|
Portland
|
Providence
Stuff@Night
WFNX
Live Radio
|
On Demand
Adult
About
|
Advertise
Moonsigns
|
Band Guide
|
Blogs
|
In Pictures
Movies
Features
|
Reviews
-->
See all in Reviews
Family plots
Reviews
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising
A smirky and sore temptation
By
JEFFREY GANTZ
|
October 5, 2007
THE DARK IS RISING
" alt="photo of 'THE DARK IS RISING'">
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.
Related
:
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
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
Mutiny in Heaven
Philip Pullman ’ s fantasy novels are condemned as a crash course in militant atheism. But one BU professor thinks otherwise.
Crossword: 'Spell check'
Vexing with hexing
Bunny girl
Renée Zellweger’s Miss Potter doesn’t peter out
Breaking the spell
Harry Potter’s story comes to an end — but will readers, or reading, ever be the same?
Less
Topics
:
Reviews
,
Harry Potter
,
Susan Cooper
,
Christopher Eccleston
,
More
,
Harry Potter
,
Susan Cooper
,
Christopher Eccleston
,
David Cunningham
,
Ian McShane
,
Less
Share
:
Rss
Email
Print
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 POPULAR
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
More Topics
. . .
LATEST SLIDESHOWS
Photos: Smashing Pumpkins at the Wang Theatre
Photos: AC-DC at TD Banknorth Garden
All Slideshows
Explore your Fantasies
Featured Articles in Music Features
:
Say it ain't so, Joe
Breaking: Biden resigns the vice-presidency amid Wentzgate scandal
Market demand
Deerhunter’s redistribution of rock
Stayin’ alive
How to survive without resorting to disco
Wandering star
Jolie Holland’s got demons on her trail
The Big Hurt: The week in digital mishaps
Internets threaten Kid Rock, Steven Tyler, and sexy bits
Thursday, November 20, 2008
|
Sign In
|
Register
thePhoenix.com:
Home
Listings
Editor's Picks
News
Music
Film + TV
Food + Drink
Life
Arts
Rec Room
Video
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
Boston Phoenix
Portland Phoenix
Providence Phoenix
StuffAtNight
People2People
MassWeb Printing
G8Wave
About Us
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Work For Us
Sitemap
RSS
Mobile
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2008 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group