Seventh Son (2014)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 102 minutes
Directed by: Sergei Bodrov
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Olivia Williams, Antje Traue, Kandyse McClure, Djimon Hounsou, Julianne Moore, Jason Scott Lee
KRS Releasing Ltd
Seventh Son is a picturesque and doom-laden medieval fantasy set in a time when a supernatural kingdom has brought humanity to the edge.
Of the 1,000 knights that tried to salvage humanity, only one is left, Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges). He also known as a ‘spook’, he has seen it all and believes he has defeated the witch Mother Maulkin (Julianne Moore). However, she is once again on the loose and is about to bring the world to its knees.
Gregory’s strength decreases when Mother Maulkin kills his assistant. But when he comes across the abode of pig farmer Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) and his mother (Olivia Williams), he realises he has found someone special.
Tom has fantastical visions he cannot understand and is the seventh son of a seventh son whom Gregory has long been looking for.
Tom goes off with Gregory to begin his training and takes with him an amulet he was given by his mother. Meanwhile, another witch named Bony Lizzie (Antje Traue) sends her teenage daughter Alice (Alicia Vikander) to gather information on them.
Tom needs to learn fast. Alongside his own monster, Tusk, he has to get ready for any eventuality as the likes of powerful creatures, such as Radu (Djimon Hounsou), Urag (Jasin Scott Lee) and Sarikin (Kandye McLure), prepare to attack him.
Maligned by critics, Seventh Son is a fun, daft B movie that is an adaptation of the young adult fantasy novel titled The Spook’s Apprentice by Joseph Delaney. Within the trappings of the epic fantasy movie setting, this picture reminded me very much of an improved version of such pictures such as Eragon, EarthSea, In the Name of the King and Dragonheart, with Russian director Sergei Bodrov making the most of Bridges’s unquestionable charisma and screen presence.
Bridges as Gregory plays a grouchy, grumpy and hardened veteran with consummate skill. Moore munches away at the scenery with relish as she plays the villain Mother Malkin with panache and diva-like attitude.
Barnes as Tom Ward may be older than the books made him out to be, but he fits into the character well. His on-screen rapport with Bridges is well handled and very effective. Hounsou exhibits quite some cool action moves that reminded me of the God of War video game antics.
Seventh Son keeps to the rules of the genre, as it includes the usual mix of fantasy elements and is helped along by a strong cast and decent special effects. The action sequences are fast and furious and while the computer-generated creations are just that, they are still interesting to watch.
The action is kept gritty which makes it feel more authentic and the characters are given more emotional development arcs than is the norm. The film also sports a rich and unusual production design as Dante Ferretti’s designs give the film a decidedly welcome throwback look that harkens back to the cult fantasy movies of the 1980s.