'Seventh Son' headed for DVD release
Another year, another cinematic adaptation of a young adult novel. “Seventh Son” is based on a popular series (eight books so far!) titled “The Last Apprentice,” and, while I have not read the source material, it’s safe to say “Son” will not enjoy the box office endurance of its literary siblings Harry Potter or Katniss Everdeen.
It’s certainly filled with potential: Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore as adversarial heavyweights in a mystical tug-of-war, a number of otherworldly beasts, a dashing young hero and heroine and sweeping, exotic locales (OK, it looks a lot like British Columbia, but it’s still rather pretty).
Bridges plays Gregory (also known as “The Spook”), a former knight who hunts witches and takes on young charges to help him in his journey. And, sadly, he is one of the main issues “Seventh Son” is such a mess. I consider Bridges one of the finest actors we have today (I still think he was robbed by not earning an Oscar nod for 1993’s “Fearless”). But he camps it up in the worst possible ways here, smirking, grimacing and speaking more like Yoda than an actual human.
There is apparently something special about Tom (played by Ben Barnes, who must be contractually obligated to star in at least one fantasy film every couple years, from “Stardust,” to the last two “Narnia” films), as he is “the seventh son of the seventh son.” But we really aren’t given a clear reason as to why. It’s certainly not because he’s charismatic. He may look generically hunky in his tunic, but does not have the heft to carry the times that aren’t filled with computer-enhanced villainy.
And speaking of villains, Julianne Moore traipses around as though this was her “Maleficent” audition reel, and is rarely given enough time to flex here, as the only time she’s allowed to spread her wings is literally, and she’s CGI-d into her frequent dragon form.
This medieval fantasy is very reminiscent of the last Jeff Bridges science-fiction fantasy vehicle, “The Giver,” (in which he also starred with an Academy-Award winning actress - Meryl Streep) in that it hits all the notes that it is supposed to (the Chosen One mythology, the colorful side characters, the hero’s journey, etc. etc.), but adds little that is new or compelling to the conversation.
Gone are the “Jason and the Argonauts” days in which we marveled at the fact that these creatures are brought to life on the screen. It helps now if we have some glimpse into their motivations, their backstory, etc.
Otherwise, they’re simply more highly rendered versions of something we can witness on Syfy network any day of the week.
“Seventh Son” has been on the release schedule for more than a year, which is usually quite telling of the product, and when it’s coupled with a release date in the arid month of February, it’s even more concerning. Despite the potential to create something more worthwhile, it seems fairly obvious that we will not have to be concerned about a second “Son,” much less a seventh.
