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The Dark Is Rising [2007] | ![The Dark Is Rising [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61wZ7KlJfjL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: David L. Cunningham
Actors: Christopher Eccleston, Ian Mcshane, Jonathan Jackson, Gregory Smith, Amelia Warner
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £3.83
You Save: £16.16 (81%)
New (11) Used (7) Collectible (1) from £3.10
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 4286
Format: Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 95
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.7
EAN: 5039036036641
ASIN: B00115QGOM
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: March 10, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Developing one's self confidence is difficult for most 14-year-olds, and doubly so for Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig) who's recently moved to England and has just begun his first year of study as an American overseas. Feeling shy and inadequate in school as well as amongst his five brothers and one sister, Will becomes increasingly confounded when he starts to see strange visions including a sinister horseman (Christopher Eccleston) who demands Will give him some sort of sign which he knows absolutely nothing about. Befriended by four elders of the local community (Ian McShane, Frances Conroy, Jim Piddock, and James Cosmo) who turn out to be "Old Ones" from ages past, Will learns that his destiny is as a seeker who must travel through time to collect six ancient signs that will somehow enable light to triumph over darkness and save the world as he knows it. As Will discovers that he possesses hidden powers and struggles to learn to control them in order to accomplish his quest, he is racked with insecurity and self-doubt. In the end, Will's inner strength will be tested to the extreme as will his relationship with both family and friends. While based on Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising, this movie is significantly different from the book: Will's age and family circumstances have been changed, the role of the Old Ones in Will's education about his powers is much diminished, the six signs are less religiously symbolic, and the treatment of the final battle between light and dark is markedly different. Nonetheless, The Dark Is Rising is a suspense-filled, action-packed 94-minutes brimming with great special effects comparable to The Bridge to Terabithia and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy that's immensely appealing to viewers ages 10 and older. --Tami Horiuchi, Amazon.com
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 An underrated gem April 20, 2008
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
'The Dark is Rising' is a fantasy adventure following Will Stanton, a 14-year old American boy living in a quaint English village with his sizeable family, who - through a strange and mysterious chain of events - discovers that he is 'the Seeker', a warrior foretold to play a key part in the ancient battle between Light and Dark. To aid the forces of Light in their endeavour to triumph, Will must collect six hidden 'signs' within just a few days, while fending off attempts by the enigmatic Rider to foil his quest.
It's all very fast-paced, and the intrigue doesn't let up from the very start. There's plenty of thrills, and one scene in particular, in which Will is pursued by a pair of sinister security guards, is genuinely quite frightening. The film is packed with dramatic set pieces and fantastic showdowns, culminating in a thrilling climatic confrontation. The settings, from a beautiful snow-bound village to a stunning gothic manor house, are perfectly depicted and gorgeous to look at, and the 'time travel' segments are very well realised. There's definitely enough magic to keep Harry Potter fans happy, and the plot boasts several unexpected twists.
If there's anything wrong with this film, it's the casting, particularly of the protagonist; the young actor portraying Will just doesn't have the right look, voice or mannerisms to play the hero of a fantasy movie, and doesn't make the character particularly believable or sympathetic. Then there's the fact that the girl we're meant to believe is Will's potential love interest looks (and, judging by a quick check of IMDB, actually is) about 10 years older than him. Thankfully, the adult cast - led by Christopher Eccleston and Ian McShane as the main representatives of Dark and Light respectively - is much stronger and easily diverts the viewer's attention from these faults.
'The Dark is Rising' is flawed, certainly, but it's still got plenty going for it, and I was surprised to see the number of one-star reviews it's received here. Admittedly, I haven't read the Susan Cooper novels the film is based on, so I can't draw any comparisons, which is perhaps why I hold it in higher esteem than others appear to. However, judging it on its own merits, I think 'The Dark is Rising' is a fantastic family movie - magical, exciting and scary; it's definitely better than the much-lauded 'The Golden Compass', for a start. It's no masterpiece, but older children and anyone who enjoys a bit of magical fantasy will find it both captivating and satisfying.
Underrated surprise January 2, 2008
14 out of 25 found this review helpful
This was an unexpected success in my opinion, much better than the other fantasy films of the year, and not at all properly appreciated. This is a film that stands out from the rest as it reminds me of the English school of horror and fantasy movies, constructing an atmosphere of its own, based on geniune ideas that do work. Some actors maybe a little unconvincing in certain roles, some match perfect, but the overall result is way above average and it made me go back and search for some old Hammer films I had not watched for a long time, only to find that those were less satisfying. Big big pleasant surprise.
A Great Entertaining Childrens Film February 23, 2008
5 out of 14 found this review helpful
Please do not forget that this is a CHILDRENS film, if it was an adults film it would be a 15+. My children aged 6 and 7 really enjoyed this, and so did my husband and I. Far better than the disney twaddle offered about the rat. This film had suspence, humour, and good beating evil. There is nothing offencive about this film. I was surprised that when it was on at the cinema that they did not release it at Christmas as it had a Christmas theme running through it. It did not have the money that Harry Potter or Nania had, so please don't try and compare it. This is still a jolly good watch. One that you can all watch as a family with a bowl of popcorn, a roaring fire in grate and the telephone turned off.
 Film has its faults May 4, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The film has it faults certainly, but I'd watch it again some day.
Like others I've been a big fan of Susan Coopers 'Dark is Rising' series, particularly as its was perhaps the first childrens' books to break me out of reading Enid Blyton all those many years ago in my childhood.
If you are a fan and expecting a film that's faithful to the book, you will be disappointed. This film is loosely based on the book and much more could have been done to bring the film inline with the dark brooding atmosphere that Cooper creates in the books. The books are more appealing to an older age group than the actual film. I'd blame the script writers.
So long as you forget the book, the film in its it own right is okay and watchable, just not great, sort of Sunday afternoon with the kids. It has a good cast who help to keep it together and it keeps up a good pace from the start. The problem is that once you've read the book you see all the commonalities in the film and rather than leave bits out as in the Harry Potter films the director/scripts writers reinterpret it and add to it to suit a supposed audience, Will in the film is American (guess to which audience they were playing to, but he's English in the book) finds he as super human strength among other things (not in the book) and has a twin in the film (there is a seventh brother in the book, but not one you ever meet).
Effectively the film is okay and as I've already said good for Sunday afternoon or where you're not doing much thinking. It looks like it was written for a specific audience, who having been brought up on the Harry Potter films are not expecting much more.
Not everyone is a fan of the books March 22, 2008
4 out of 9 found this review helpful
Despite all the wailing and gnashing of teeth by other reviewers, I must confess that I rather liked the film. Maybe this is because I tried reading the books and found them to be overlong and laborious but lacking in any real insight into the emotions of the main character.
As such the film is a welcome summation of the book's main events, without its self-important oration or the dreary, lacklustre listing of one event after another. The characters are likable, if unremarkable, the sets are suitably enchanting, and the action more or less what you would expect from such a film. It had a good pacing, the dialogue was fair and there were one or two nice casting choices.
I was pleasantly surprised overall, and while I would rate TDiR below the higher calibre of children's movies like Narnia, it would also be well above fantasy flops like Eragon. Good rainy afternoon brain candy.
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