Written by / 2/08/2015 / No comments / , , , ,

JEFF BRIDGES & BEN BARNES IN SEVENTH SON

2015 rating: ***
Right off the bat we have two familiar Fantasy genre visions, and they’re one in the same: First a giant formidable eyeball that turns into a dragon... And if both THE HOBBIT and LORD OF THE RINGS weren’t enough, after we meet two intrepid tavern-dwelling warriors, one young and another old, there’s a little girl channeling evil straight from THE EXORCIST only her ailment has to do with being possessed by a Witch, not The Devil.

Backing up a bit… The young hero previously mentioned, under the tutelage of witch-hunting Master Gregory, doesn’t last long despite his potential. Jeff Bridges isn't a wise sage or a passive “Giver” this time around and yet, resilient with a sword as any man well under half his age, he still needs someone fresh and spry for training purposes.

Ray's Sinbad Inspiration
Enter the new hope, a SEVENTH SON of a Seventh Son in this better-than-expected Medieval romp paying tribute to old school creature flicks ala Ray Harryhausen and even his childhood inspiration, KING KONG…

Without too much expository dialogue, each scene is linked by bombastic action sequence sporadically hindered by a would-be "cursed romance" between Ben Barnes’ Tom Ward and a lovely young witch girl. Meanwhile, Jeff Bridges gets his first billing's worth. Since his monopoly blunts the potential training between the duo, perhaps more hands-on experience on the field was intentional over something that might seem too Merlin or Yoda.

Ironically, the biggest distraction is also the most important aspect: Julianne Moore as Mother Malkin, the shape-shifting lead villain that becomes a dragon during battle. Without her stagey input there would be no plot, sure. But the two leads could have fought a handful of witches and it wouldn’t have made any difference since it's the their job. And in a dark horse adventure that settles with comfortable mediocrity over epic grandeur, they do it pretty well. OVERALL RANK: Jedi, Rebel, Droid, Sith.
Share This Post :
Tags : , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

All Time Popular

Featured Post

ROBERT BEATTY WITH TERRY MOORE IN 'POSTMARK FOR DANGER'

Title: POSTMARK FOR DANGER Year: 1955 Rating: ** Twenty years before Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, involving a first-act wher...

WWW.CULTFILMFREAKS.COM

WWW.CULTFILMFREAKS.COM
Movie Reviews, Interviews, Articles and Pop Culture from White Heat to Blue City

RIP ACTOR KEN HUTCHISON

TOTAL HITS

Popular Trending

FOUNDED BY JAMES M. TATE

FOUNDED BY JAMES M. TATE
RANDOM QUOTE: "The Love Generation... Vicious little creeps!" Peter Strauss, Rich Man Poor Man

FILM NOIR & NEO NOIR CRIME

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)HELL IS A CITY 3)ROBBERY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)VIOLENT SATURDAY 7)HOT CARS 8)JUNGLE STREET 9)THE CROWDED SKY 10)THE ROARING TWENTIES 11) ANATOMY OF A MURDER 12)SHARKS' TREASURE 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)THE BREAK 17)WHITE HEAT 18)AL CAPONE 19)HIDDEN FEAR 20)FALLEN ANGEL 21)NIGHT CREATURES 22)THE ASPHALT JUNGLE 23)ASH WEDNESDAY 24)THE SYSTEM 25)AIR PATROL 26)THE STONE KILLER 27)EASY LIVING 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)FRENZY 30)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)CHARLES BRONSON1)VIRGINIA MAYO 2)SUE LYON 3)GENE TIERNEY 4)MERRY ANDERS 5)FAYE DUNAWAY DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)VAL GUEST 4)STANLEY KUBRICK 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)ORSON WELLES 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)JOHN LANDIS 9)JOHN CARPENTER 10)MICHAEL WINNER

BRITISH NEW WAVE CINEMA

RARITIES AND EXPLOITATION

HAMMER HORROR & THRILLER

Popular This Month

CHARLES BRONSON CINEMA

CINEMA OF DANA ANDREWS

WESTERN GENRE REVIEWS

PEAKING INTO THE SIXTIES

KICKING IN THE EIGHTIES

TALES AND REFLECTIONS

REVVING THE SEVENTIES

FOR HORROR MOVIE REVIEWS

Most Popular Last Year

RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE