Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) is a witch hunter (called a "Spook") and needs a new apprentice. This is a job that, unsurprisingly, lacks long-term stability, as is demonstrated in an early scene by the previous apprentice Billy (Kit Harrington). Gregory soon finds unassuming pig farmer Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) who fortunately is also the "seventh son of a seventh son."
Together Gregory and Tom prepare to fight the queen witch, Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) and her witch followers, before the rise of the centennial blood moon. The blood moon increases these witches' power, since they practice blood magic (and eat blood cakes!). But there are other kinds of witches. These plot points, like the movie's ghostly "ghasts", are not really fleshed-out.
\The history between Gregory and Malkin is complicated, and Tom has trouble following orders ("If you see a witch, kill it") when he begins to fall for young half- witch Alice (Alicia Vikander).
Despite the movie's overused CGI pyrotechnics, Barnes and Vikander cannot generate a spark between them. Bridges' Gregory is a baffling blend of Gandalf, a "Highlander" Sean Connery, and Bad Santa. Moore plays a fairly campy Malkin. Together they deliver the rare well-written lines. Instead of standing out, however, these moments seem out of place among the familiar tropes and unspecial effects.
In a fantasy world, anything can happen, except changing the fact that 3D cannot make one-dimensional characters interesting enough to care about. The most surprising spectacle in "Seventh Son" is Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore wandering around this big budget B-movie.
| Movie title | Seventh Son |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2014 |
| MPAA Rating | PG-13 |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Yes, it's adapted from a fantasy novel, but this big budget B-movie is by the book in a less than fantastic way. |
