The Seeker

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  • Slight but entertaining fantasy about a 14-year-old American boy (Alexander Ludwig) living in England with his parents (John Benjamin Hickey and Wendy Crewson), his sister (Emma Lockhart) and four brothers (Gregory Smith, Drew Tyler Bell, Edmund Entin and Gary Entin), who learns that he is "The Seeker," the last in a succession of supernatural warriors known as the Old Ones. With the assistance of four of his elders in this hearty band (Ian McShane, Frances Conroy, James Cosmo and Jim Piddock) he must undertake to fulfill an ancient prophecy by gathering together six magical signs, all the while battling the forces of darkness embodied by a malevolent equestrian (Christopher Eccleston) and fighting off the distraction posed by an attractive local girl (Amelia Warner) one of his brothers is dating. The film, as directed by David L. Cunningham, makes up for a thin plot with an evocative atmosphere, fun special effects and positive moral values. Passing references to puberty and a few scenes that may frighten very young children. A-I -- general patronage. (PG) 2007

    Full Review

    Based on a series of award-winning children's books, "The Seeker" (Fox Walden) tells the tale of an ordinary boy with a unique destiny. Although slight and occasionally obvious, the film nonetheless has a spirit of adventure that keeps it entertaining.

    As his 14th birthday approaches, Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig), an American whose family has moved to rural England, sometimes feels lost in the shuffle, given that the household includes, besides his parents (John Benjamin Hickey and Wendy Crewson), a sister (Emma Lockhart) and four boisterous older brothers (Gregory Smith, Drew Tyler Bell, Edmund Entin and Gary Entin).

    Will's birthday brings an unexpected revelation of his true uniqueness, however.

    He learns that he is "The Seeker," the last in a succession of supernatural warriors known as the Old Ones. Under the leadership of four village locals who turn out to be more than they appear -- Merriman Lyon (Ian McShane), Miss Greythorne (Frances Conroy), Old George (Jim Piddock) and Dawson (James Cosmo) -- the Old Ones have been fighting the forces of darkness, embodied by The Rider (Christopher Eccleston), for centuries. Now the time has come for The Seeker to play his part.

    According to an ancient prophecy, The Seeker will be able to turn back the rising power of darkness -- which threatens to engulf the entire world -- if he can manage to gather together six magical signs. By the time he learns of his own destiny, however, Will has only a few days left in which to accomplish this task.

    Despite his new supernatural powers, Will still lacks self-confidence and wonders whether he is equal to the job, especially as he finds himself distracted by Maggie Barnes (Amelia Warner), the attractive local girl one of his brothers is dating.

    Can Will overcome these obstacles and achieve all that has been foretold?
    The thin plot of director David L. Cunningham's film is counterbalanced by an evocative atmosphere, fun special effects and positive moral values.

    Thus Will must resist the temptation to be self-centered and instead display dedication to his mission, along with a spirit of cooperation and trust. He must also learn to believe in himself and in his own ability to fulfill his heroic vocation.
    The film contains passing references to puberty and a few scenes that may frighten very young children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.



    Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

    The classifications are as follows:

    • A-I -- general patronage;
    • A-II -- adults and adolescents;
    • A-III -- adults;
    • A-IV**
    • L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
    • O -- morally offensive.
    ** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.
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    Office for Film and Broadcasting | 1011 First Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10022 | (212) 644-1880 © USCCB. All rights reserved.