Mark down another casualty on the list of book-to-movie adaptations. Originally the set piece of Susan Cooper's five book series of myth and fable, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising"" has been mangled in that special way only Hollywood screenwriters seem capable. Never mind about whether the movie follows the book (it doesn't), it's just a poor movie. Even beautiful cinematography and a decent musical score can't save it.
The first 15 minutes or so seem promising. Here is the little town in the English countryside, and here is our young protagonist Will Stanton (played by likable Alexander Ludwig) whose birthday is overshadowed by subtle strangeness. That's the first 15 minutes. After that, the only obvious thing about the plot is its absence.
Will, just turned 14, discovers he has powers: strength, the ability to walk through time and making trees spontaneously combust. Moreover, Will has destiny - he's the last of the ""Old Ones,"" warriors of light who fight the Dark. The Rider (Christopher Eccleston) embodies the Dark, which here means he shouts threats at Will and rides a caparisoned horse through the woods with a sinister expression. He also masquerades as the town doctor (a nod to his role as Doctor Who).
The sole indication that the Dark is rising is the rising volume of his voice. The Old Ones, masquerading as townspeople themselves, apparently have too much unwieldy dialogue to defend themselves, much less explain the threats to Will.
A muddled explanation finally informs us that the power of the Light has been partitioned out into a handful of talismans and hidden through time. Will has to seek them out, hence the title ""Seeker."" No one is very clear about what he should do with them once he has them, but defeating the Dark seems a good bet.
One by one, Will finds the signs. Heartfelt conversations with angsty siblings and moody parents accompany each little adventure, but trite sentiment waters down whatever lesson the screenwriter intended. The Rider waters things down further with a blizzard that turns to flood, endangering everyone in the town. This provides the cinematographer some great film sequences before everything dissolves into CGI for a predictable showdown between Will and the Dark, but the discombobulated plot can't gather itself together for any meaningful resolution.
The obvious quality of the cast and the film crew can't compensate for what appears to be an active sabotage on part of the screenplay. Cooper's book, published in 1973, had a solid story based on the theme of redemption and bolstered by the legends of the British Isles. The screenplay erased any reference to either of those elements, and the story collapsed.
The only thing left for the audience is a visually lush but fundamentally disjointed film. Better hold out to go see a different fantasy book-turned-movie, ""The Golden Compass,"" the preview of which was the highest point of the ""Seeker"" experience.
