Seventh Son takes teens back to an era of witches, magic and mayhem to show that the old categories of friend and foe no longer apply.
SEVENTH SON
Director: Sergey Bodrov
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Olivia Williams, Antje Traue, Djimon Hounsou, Julianne Moore
Rating: (M)
Two and a half stars (out of five)
The US adaptation of a novel by British author Joseph Delaney, Seventh Son fails to fulfil a promising storyline, thoughtful theme and capable cast.
It follows the fortunes of Tom Ward (Ben Barnes), apprentice to Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) who is in pursuit of the witch queen Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore).
To spice things up, Tom encounters the enchanting Alice Deane (Alicia Vikander) who is not all, and maybe more than, she seems.
Directed by Sergey Bodrov, the lead actors acquit themselves well, there are nice comic moments and some of the special effects are impressive.
But the film often appears stuck on a film set.
When it does break out, it seems intent on mimicking The Lord of the Rings' grand vistas, mountaintop castles and oversized monsters.
There is no complexity to the plot.
Which is a shame.
Because it is trying to carry some interesting ideas - the old paradigm of villain and hero may no longer apply and the real enemies might just be fear and hatred.
The best that can be said for Seventh Son is that it is a high-minded idea masquerading as a moderately enjoyable fantasy action romp.
- Bruce Munro
