The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising

A total dud.

Director David L. Cunningham's proffered chills are strictly of the lightweight variety: a menacing flock of ravens, a slimy skein of snakes and a couple of mall security yobs too fat or stupid to overpower even a spindly teenager.

A mealy adaptation of one installment in Susan Cooper's acclaimed book series.

A movie that should've been made shortly after its source material -- Susan Cooper's Newbery winner -- debuted in 1973. As is, it feels entirely too generic to work today.

The acting is mediocre, the story rambles, the special effects -- average at best.

Poor writing and production values like these bring no light to Cooper's novel -- or the audience.

The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising isn't an out and out bad film, there have certainly been worse films and recently, but it's not particularly good either, suffering from ill-conceived and executed story decisions that rob it of tension or interest.

a lot of shouting offered up as an ineffectual camouflage to the picture's complete lack of ambition.

Sloppy, lifeless storytelling so limp it guarantees no sequels will be made.

The Seeker is great-looking and well-acted, but unlike the Potter books and films, there's no sense that it's about anything more than the throwing-balls-of-smoke and mind-melding that we see onscreen.

It's important, when criticising some of the more clichéd elements here - the dark versus the light, the Tolkein parallels, the quests - to bear in mind that this film is aimed at older children, not your average jaded film critic.

Disappointing adaptation of a great kids' book.