Young adult adventure films are all the rage over the past couple of years in Hollywood. I guess they feel they have to fill the void that was left after the Harry Potter films ended. It is all fine and dandy for the powers that be in Tinseltown to jump on the bandwagon of a particular genre but for the love of Pete make the films somewhat bearable.
There is so much wrong with the film it is hard to see the few sparse trees (representing the good points of the film) for the overwhelmingly dense forest (bad points). The CGI is bad, the normally fantastic Julianne Moore (interestingly playing the bad gal or the witch) mailing it in, corny dialogue and another film that Jeff Bridges gets to try out a crazy, mumbly voice. When I think back on it the only redeeming quality of the film that sticks out for me was its shortness.
Based on author Joseph Delaney’s series called The Wardstone Chronicles, Master Gregory (played by Jeff Bridges) is curmudgeonly older mystical warrior that has waged a war against evil for most of his life. Now that he is getting older he has taken young farmhand Tom (played by Ben Barnes) under his wing and is showing him the ropes. What Tom doesn’t know yet is that he is the heir to supernatural powers as the Seventh Son. They have to go up against the wicked queen of the witches, Mother Malkin (played by Julianne Moore) who is trying to destroy their Kingdom. Malkin is aided by a shape shifting being (played by Djimon Hounsou). What muddies the waters a little is that Gregory and Malkin used to be lovers. During the battle Tom rescues a young lady named Alice (played by Alicia Vikander) and develops feelings for her only to find out she is Malkin’s niece.
Nothing fresh or new. It is as dull as I make it sound. Filled with clichés to boot. Don’t think it is a franchise starter and it is completely understandable that it sat on the movie company’s shelves for about a year. Neither fantasy film fans nor young adult book fans will flock to it.
Special Features: Digital Copy, Alternate Ending, Deleted/Alternate Scenes, The Making of the Seventh Son, The Legend and Lore of the Seventh Son, Visual Effects Gallery
