The Dark is Rising

Even the smallest of light… shines in the darkness.

The day before Will Stanton’s 14th birthday, he learns that there is a battle raging between the light and darkness. And that Will, seventh son of a seventh son, is the Seeker of six signs that when gathered, can combat the darkness that is rising. But he only has a few days. And during those few days, the Rider on the side of the darkness is quickly gaining strength. And the Rider’s strength will peak at the end of those days. If Will hasn’t found all the signs by then, darkness will take over the earth.

Young Alexander Ludwig plays Will Stanton in this children’s fantasy. He does a wonderful job of portraying this confused teenager. Will has a destiny to fullfill, but he wants nothing more than to be a normal teen and to just be able to talk to girls! He didn’t ask for these powers that he’s been gaining, and he’s not sure how to deal with them.

The evil Rider is portrayed by the talented Christopher Eccleston (Dr. Who). And he played his role to perfection. The large supporting cast, mainly because of Will’s large family, was wonderful as well.

The main problem? The writing. The story was actually quite a bit more suspenseful and adventurous than the original book by Susan Cooper. But there was so much that didn’t make sense, that I just had to keep reminding myself that it was geared toward kids. And many times the dialog was incredibly corny. But I did like the basic idea of the story. And it was a fun escape, just as well. Children, especially young boys, will definitely enjoy.