Review of Seventh Son (2014) by Don S — 01 Jan 2018

Based on the first novel of what I gather is a successful Young readers series called The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney (I saw 13 books on Amazon). Surely the books have to be better than this movie indicates.

Though the cast has a high pedigree, even they couldn't make this better than a dull curiosity. For some reason, Jeff Bridges goes through the movie either with his jaw wired shut or with a mouthful of marbles, making his speech difficult to understand.

He plays Master Gregory, a knight who specializes in "handling the darkness," evil magic that threatens the realm. After his current apprentice dies while confronting Mother Malkin, pure evil in the form of a witch who can become a dragon, played skillfully by Julianne Moore, he goes the collect his next apprentice, the seventh son of a seventh son, Tom Ward.

Little does he suspect, this apprentice though seemingly lesser than his previous apprentices, is actually more that he imagines. It does sound good. It's not. The pace is too quick, making the training appear so inconsequential that when Tom begins to kick ass you just can't believe it.

The battle scenes are too fast and short and therefore also unbelievable. Of course the ending sets up the next movie that will hopefully never be made. This is bad fantasy.