Seeker | Movie

The Seeker – The Dark is Rising | Movie Review

Forget the book from which this movie is loosely based. Fans of Susan Cooper’s beloved children fantasy book series are understandably upset when they saw the film “The Seeker: The Dark is Rising“. But they probably had unrealistic expectations that Susan Cooper’s book would be translated into another Harry Potter movie franchise. Even if the Seeker had come out before the Harry Potter film series, it would still not have been as successful as Harry Potter as it does not have the strong visual imagery of JK Rowlings‘ books that can be easily translated to film.

Fantasy film buffs similarly bemoaned that the film had too many similarities to other movies like the Lord of the Rings series etc. Certainly, the Seeker movie poster did not help dispel this notion either (see movie poster below, doesn’t it remind your of the Lord of the Rings?)

Let’s face it, with a small budget of $20 million, you can’t expect “The Seeker: The Dark is Rising” to come up tops against those movie blockbusters. The small budget took a toll on the production values though the special effects were quite impressive. If only they had paid closer attention to the script, tightened up the plot holes and built up the finale to a stronger finish, it would have made a better movie experience.

That said, I thought the movie’s good values would appeal to families looking for wholesome entertainment. In the age of grayer than grey values in movies today, it is good to see straight-forward black and white values in movies again. I particularly like the movie tagline which says: “Even the smallest light shines in the darkness“.

Though the story is based on Britain’s pre-Christian Celtic and Welsh myths, Christian movie goers will see much of the Bible in the movie. The main character, Will Stanton, is a 14-year old boy entrusted with the unenviable task of saving humanity from the return of the Age of Darkness because of his ability to sense and recover “grail-like relics” and use them against the dark forces pitted against him and humanity.

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising’s plot line draws comparison with the little David battling Goliath. The Seeker’s main antagonist is a Dark Rider on a horse very much like those of the Ring Wraiths in the Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, the Dark Rider in the Seeker does not seem to display the same power and vileness necessary to make the battle between the good and the bad exciting and memorable.

Will “the Seeker” has to make choices and sacrifices in the face of his own human weakness – like the fear of the dark or the impending destruction of his family. When a person chooses to follow his destiny, he must control his fear, believe in the rightness of his task and have the faith to persevere until the end has been achieved. He is distracted along the way, like many of us, but makes good in the end – giving us all hope that good will prevail in the end.

There are some parts of the movie I find rather disconcerting. One is, in the beginning, where the children decide which room the youngest is to sleep in after he is kicked out of his bedroom by an elder brother who had just quit college and returned home. In another scene, Will asks his father for help in a problem related to physics. His dad, a Physics Professor refuses to help, claiming to be busy. Although his dad was experiencing considerable trauma because this very same physics problem had caused him to lose a son many years ago, it should not have been the reason for rejecting his son’s call for help. I know this is a plot device, but it happens all too often in real life and that is why I am highlighting it here. (“dad” here refers to an errant parent and not necessarily a dad as depicted in this movie) Though teens are turning to young adults, they are not as matured as they seem to think they are. During this crucial phase of their development, they should be guided and given every help they need. If they take the wrong advice from the wrong people, they will be committed to such course of action. I think that is the gist of the movie, seeking life’s choices and coming out triumphant.

To sum up, if you like an hour and a half of some good special effects, want a good old fashion story about the battle between good and evil, and don’t have high expectations for the movie, your evening would be well spent here. The movie sets are beautiful and moody and there are touches of Hitchcockian birds here and there. So let’s jump through time and live the adventure.

Watch “The Seeker” streaming video movie trailer on YouTube below:

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© teamrich.wordpress.com – the seeker: the rising of the dark

Underdog | Movie Review

Underdog the movie may be targeted for the 4-10 year olds, but delivers entertainment on most fronts more than other so-called “grown-up” movies. My family and I attended the evening show which had very few kids in the audience. From the audience reaction, I could tell that the adults were reacting favorably to this live action / comedy / fantasy / Sci-fi / “Superman” inspired movie. It is certainly one of the better “talking animals” movies. Forget Eddie Murphy’s animal movies or Scooby Doo, Underdog is the real thing, it is doggone better by far.

The intricate CGI effects and action sequences are well done. Underdog is fast paced catering to the post-MTV generation kids doped on sugar with resultant short attention spans.

The creative team has given a breath of fresh air to this not so well known 60s breakfast cereals-sponsored cartoon series. The main character, Underdog, emotes positivenesses missing in most of today’s films. It follows the life of a ineffective police dog which was kicked out of the Police Dog Unit because of its poor sense of smell. It subsequently gains superpowers accidentally in a scientific laboratory and losses its superpowers near the climax of the movie.

Though Underdog is without superpowers, it still decides to fight the handsome midget turned mad scientist (played superbly by Peter Dinklage) and dogs endowed with superpowers. Before it takes to the fight, Underdog says (quote):

“Some heroes are born,

destined for greatness.

Others are made.

Everyday men and women

and yes, dogs,

who rise up in times of crisis

no matter how high the odds

are stacked against them.

These are the heroes

we all have inside of us.

These are the Underdogs”.

The Underdog story parallels the story of a father (played by ex-action star James Belushi) and his son, both losers of sorts, who made it good in the end. A sort of movie Tom Cruise would do, though not with the same high acting values found in Cruise’s movies. So there you have it, three underdogs who became top dogs!. This could only happen in a Disney movie, but what the heck, do you want a movie that makes you feel good or do you want a movie with a hidden agenda or bad values?. Underdog is certainly a better movie than the “Golden Compass” read review.

The main star, James Belushi (brother of the beloved comedian Jim Belushi of “Animal House” and “Blues Brothers” fame) is a godfather of dog movies having starred or featured in “K-9 P.I.“, “Snow Dogs“, “K-911” , “Dog’s Best Friend” and “K-9“.

The motivational theme is commendable especially for the kids. Underdog teaches kids of all ages never to give up and to think of positive outcomes when doing selfless acts. The movie even encourages kids to use the Thesaurus!

Underdog also has a great soundtrack which includes some of the best soul and blues music ever recorded eg:

Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag (Part 1) – James Brown & The JB’s
Got My Mojo Workin’ – Muddy Waters
Poor Boy – Howlin’ Wolf
Hell Hound On My Trail – Robert Johnson
Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker
Grinnin’ In Your Face – Son House

plus rap music from Mos Def, Jay-Z, DMX and Wu Tang Clan; plus jazz from Wayne Shorter and rock from Jeffery Wright.
So take your kids to see this movie or buy the DVD as a Christmas gift. Underdog the movie did pretty well in the box office in Fall 2007 in spite of stiff competition from other blockbusters. You can’t go wrong with this Disney movie. It may not rank high among Disney’s long illustrious list of classics, but Underdog is certainly not a movie to be sniffed at.

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© http://teamrich.wordpress.com – Underdog

Evan Almighty | Movie Review

Forget what the film critics may say, Evan Almighty may not be Oscar winning material, but it is delightful and wholesome enough for both kids and adults alike. I wasn’t expecting much from the movie as it was my pre-teen son’s choice, but could not help but enjoy the many funny moments the movie threw up at regular intervals, much to my surprise.

Both fun and serious, Evan Almighty bestows its important messages about family, responsibility and the environment. This big Summer comedy hit never saw so many car loads of Christian families heading to the theaters since Mel Gibson told them to do so.

It is not a religious film though Evan Almighty does follow the Noah’s Ark conventions to some degree. I was hoping it would be more faithful to the Biblical account, but I guess that would make it a disaster movie and alienate the intended target audience. Nonetheless, I hope Hollywood do make a more realistic movie about Noah’s Ark as narrated in the Bible. What with global warming, it could make people sit up and do something before we do irreparable damage to our environment. The previous film versions of the Noah’s Ark has been unsatisfactory to say the least.

Evan Almighty is Rated PG for mild rude humor and the final scene is fairly intense, maybe even scary for very young kids.

I particularly like the basic premise of the movie which is : ARK = “Do An Act of Random Kindness”. Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty. I would rate Evan Almighty 7/10 as a motivational movie.

Don’t leave the theater before Evan Almighty film credits ends. Watch the cast’s hilarious dance sequence to the big 1980s dance hit – “Everybody Dance Now!” by the C+C Music Factory. The movie is a sequel to the hugely successful Jim Carrey’s “Bruce Almighty” which is not really a faith-based movie like this one. Steve Carell, the lead actor in Evan Almighty also starred in the earlier movie.

It may be too late to catch Evan Almighty in the theaters, but do watch out for it on DVD when it comes out in October 2007. This is one film movie that is better than its trailer. That says a lot about it.

Unlike Evan Almighty which has some Christian values in it, The Golden Compass is just the opposite. Avoid it at all costs.

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© Movies of Substance and Good Values – Evan Almighty