reviewed by Charity Bishop
         

Admittedly, I have not read the Dark is Rising series, although one glimpse into this magical world will have me reaching for my library card. As such, I have not played a part in the tremendous violence with which fans of the book series have responded to the film adaptation, which in their own words, "has left only the bare remnants of the plot the same." That being said, what I saw was an astounding movie.

Twelve year old Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig) has been relocated to England with the rest of his enormous family since his father has gotten a professorship at a local college. An American abroad, Will cannot wait for the Christmas holidays. His interest in the new girl at school, Maggie (Amelia Warner), is put somewhat on hold when he begins to notice strange phenomenon unfolding around him. The household dogs seem more edgy than usual, and his stuff is banished to the attic on the return of his older brother Max (Gregory Smith). The most terrifying incident comes when he is waylaid by two security guards at the local shopping mall. What happens next is the stuff of nightmares, as he escapes barely intact and wondering at his sanity.

A Christmas party at the local manor house, and a subsequent run-in with a dark Rider (Christopher Ecckleston) slowly unfolds the truth for Will: he is the seventh son of a seventh son, chosen to be The Seeker and find the elements that will unite the powers of Light against the impending Darkness. The initial battle between the two transpired a century earlier, but slowly Darkness has been creeping back into the world, and if he cannot unite the six elements within five days, all of mankind will perish. Naturally, there are insecurities and strengths to be found along the way, as he learns who can and cannot be trusted in his world. The Dark is Rising is quite a compelling epic friendly enough for children to appreciate as well as interesting enough for adults to enjoy. There are certain weaknesses in the script and the manner of presentation, but the storytelling remains essentially true to Susan Cooper's novel even if the details have been somewhat altered for the purposes of filming.

My biggest complaint is the manner of directing, because in many cases the director used such fast moving and extreme close-ups in the early part of the film, as well as abnormal camera angles and reflections, that it literally made me nauseous. I would rather appreciate a movie's simple beauty and cinematography without feeling as though I'm in a roller coaster. Fortunately, about half an hour in, this changed enough that it not longer distracted me from the story. One thing that has book fans upset is how the movie is inevitably being compared to Rowling, and it's not all that difficult to see why, particularly given how the director has chosen to present certain elements, but it stands on its own two feet with a lot of original ideas and approaches to the material, and so I did not feel it was overly familiar, with the exception of the Rider first chasing down Will. Even though the horse is white (no doubt intentionally to prevent him from looking too much like a Wraith), you cannot help remembering a certain sequence from The Lord of the Rings while viewing it. 

If you are a fan of the book, you may or may not be disappointed, but it's a wonderful introduction into yet another fantasy series known both for its intense popularity and personable characters. Without stretching too far, certain elements of Truth can also be found in this story about the never-ending battle between Light and Darkness, the latter of which uses manipulation, conniving, and deception in order to pursue it's own evil ends. Best of all, there's nothing to keep audiences away. Some scenes might be frightening to very young children (ravens attacking the town, a form disintegrating into serpents, Will crawling through a crypt, and the Rider threatening him and others) but there's not much in the way of actual violence, and no language. I recommend viewing an afternoon matinee, since it's a wonderful feeling after all that cold and darkness to come out into the light.