 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Seeker
- Review Date: March 17, 2008
- PG
- Genre: Fantasy
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Disappointing adaptation of a great kids' book.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that one scene in this fantasy movie stands out as too much for younger kids: Hundreds and hundreds of snakes attack people in a church, pursuing the teen hero to a crypt littered with skeletons (one of which briefly comes to life). Black birds gather in droves and attack, and Will is constantly pursued by a dark force, most often in the form of a masked man on horseback. The forces also threaten Will's whole family; at one point, giant icicles rain down on them. Will witnesses some violent events in his time travels, including the pillaging of a medieval village and the start of a cockfight in a tavern. In anger and frustration, he sets off a fiery explosion. Adults drink a little ale and wine.
What's the story?
Will (Alexander Ludwig) is an average kid celebrating his 14th birthday as Christmas vacation starts. On his birthday, he notices some strange changes: Dogs growl at him, blackbirds gather in his presence, and TVs are all static when he's around. When Will's family attends a holiday party at Miss Greythorne's mansion, finally some of the strange goings-on start to make sense. Miss Greythorne (Frances Conroy), her "butler" Merriman (Ian McShane), and a few other locals are Old Ones -- time travelers/warriors who serve the Light and banish the Dark. Will learns he's an Old One, too and has a job to do: Find six signs before the forces of the dark take over the world. The signs are hidden in some ingenious places and spaces in time, and it's a nice vacation from the rest of the movie to travel there, because back in the present you're bogged down by Will's troubled love life and a family secret about his father.
Is it any good?
Kids pining for a new Harry Potter-style fantasy film epic will have to keep the vigil going. Will Stanton, seventh son of a seventh son, seeker of the signs that will save all from darkness, makes a fine hero in Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising book series, but the movie adaptation is lousy. Even though a few CGI moments are great fantasy fun, the story is so muddled -- and so unnecessarily altered from the source material -- that it may make you side with the dark forces just this once. Will's growing relationship with the Old Ones and his realization that he's special and has a calling just isn't developed well. The movie's ending is strange and implausible, even for fantasy, and brings up all sorts of questions that future books in Cooper's series won't answer -- because they were not in the book to begin with.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the themes in this movie that they've seen in other fantasy movies and books -- like dark riders, forces of light and dark, the gathering of signs, time travel, and reluctant heroes. Which specific books or movies does this one remind you of? Why? If kids have read the book, they can talk about the differences in this telling (expect them to be talking for a long time...).
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AGE
No way this should be watched by 8 year olds....
My 8 year old son was interested in this movie and i checked here and saw the rating, and thought it would be okay.
Fifteen minutes into the movie there is a scene where the boy is arrested by store detectives and taken to a basement room, where they start interrogating him, as they start interrogating him, closeups of the men's faces - their eyes becoming solid black, their teeth looking scary and bloody, eventually these men turn into a flock of crows and attacks the boy.
On for 8 year olds? i think not.
I stopped the movie and watched the rest of it after my child was in bed, and thought it was very intense and scary for kids; it would have certainly given me nightmares if i was age 12 or under.
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AGE
My stale candy was better than this!
I was not aware that this movie was based on a book. I hope the book was a lot better! When you're spending $35-40 to treat your family that's what you're looking forward to. A treat, and this one was stale! If you must, wait to see it on DVD!
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AGE
Not for those under 13!
Too scary/violent/dark/evil...
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AGE
PARENTS: READ BOOK BEFORE TAKING KID TO MOVIE
Honestly parents, you should read the book (if movie is based on a book) before taking a young one to a movie based a preveiw that is 30 seconds long!! This site says its too scary because of snakes and ravens and The Rider. You would have seen all that coming is u READ THE BOOK 1ST. And another thing, this site keeps saying that the movie is awful because they changed the story line completly. With most movies, they leave out very inportant details *ahem* Eragon *ahem* and thats y the movie is not good. But because they changed the story line completly, u dont focus on what they left out and can enjoy the movie! And the dark special efects were SWEET! Agian parents not for those little ones one scare easy. Great movie, go rent it!!!
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AGE
Pretty good adaption with a loss.
The seeker the dark is rising was a perfect childrens fantasy book. Many people would say and will say things about this movie such as 'The screwed up', and I agree partly. It was a very good movie. It wouldn't have been so bad if i hadn't read the book already. Outside of that i give it a thumbs up.
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AGE
Harry Potter Fans
I have four kids 8 and under. My husband and I watched this movie tonight and the kids will not be seeing it tomorrow. It was very scary and intense. Read the other reviews on all the details. The best way we could explain our rating is if you would let your child see the Harry Potter series of movies(death eaters) your child probably is ready for this one. My children still get nightmares too easily and I need my sleep.
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AGE
good movie if it wasnt based on the book
i agree with the reviewer about it shouldve been more like the book, but it had very good morals and it wasnt too intense(except the snakes and the police officers). i liked the movie a lot, but i suggest reading the book first. books are always better!
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AGE
This movie was very boring I went and saw it with my best friend and it was very boring. I will never watch this movie again
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AGE
This was a horrible movie. The action and special effects were good but other than that it's really boring. Don't get tricked by the trailer
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, adventures, book characters |
| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Director: | David L. Cunningham |
| Cast: | Alexander Ludwig, Christopher Eccleston, Ian McShane |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Run time: | 94 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 4, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | March 17, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | fantasy action and some scary images. |
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