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Christopher Eccleston as the black rider

Certainly, the kid-oriented, bite-sized nature of this film precludes anything from being drawn out or meticulously explored. Sadly this means that none of the characters get any sort of development. As Will Stanton, Ludwig tries to inject some adolescent angst and all-too-familiar "I'm not a hero" moments of self-doubt into his performance. It's hard to buy, however, because what 14-year-old is going to complain about having superpowers and the ability to traverse time? But perhaps I'm just missing a lot of things that were lost in adaptation. Or perhaps the filmmakers needed Will to doubt himself so they could interject noble quotables like "even the smallest light shines in the darkness." A true statement, certainly, but not one that carries much weight in a film so cautious and featherweight.

Lest I begin to sound like a scrooge, I must admit that I love fantasy and sci-fi films (even kid-oriented). That is, I love them when they are done well. Unfortunately The Seeker does not pack the punch that its source material no doubt does. It is too quick, too slight, and too cliched to make a splash in the company of such high-quality adaptations like LOTR and Harry Potter. It might win new fans to the franchise, but unfortunately far fewer than it could have.

Talk About It

1. What is the value in fantasy stories like this? What does this story, for example, tell us about the nature of good and evil?
2. Some characters in the film appear to be good, but turn out to be evil. What does this say about how the devil operates?
3. If you were suddenly confronted with the task/responsibility to save the world, what would you do? How would you respond?
4. Can you identify any Christian allegorical or symbolic elements in this film? Discuss.

The Family Corner

The Seeker is rated PG for fantasy action and some scary images. It's a film meant for children, young adults, and whole families. Apart from a few scary images and a general mood of dread, there is nothing objectionable, though some scenes might be scary for very young children. There is also a bit of magic and other "spooky" activity. There aren't any wizards or witches per se, but "the Old Ones" are a mysterious (and apparently immortal) group that might as well be called wizards.

Photos © Copyright Fox/Walden

© Brett McCracken subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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