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.