Seventh Son

Sadly in no way related to the (much better) first book in Orson Scott Card's The Tales of Alvin Maker, director Sergey Bodrov's Seventh Son bombed with critics and audiences alike. With a tired script, plenty of plot holes, and inconsistent special effects it's impossible to call Seventh Son a good movie, but as a C-List guilty pleasure with a cast too good for its story the movie isn't without some charm.

Based on The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney, the movie stars Ben Barnes as the newest apprentice of monster hunter extraordinaire Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) who only has a week to learn the craft before going to war with the hated enemies of Gregory's all but extinct order.

Julianne Moore stars as the leader of a coven of witches who recently escaped the prison Gregory (who has a long history with the woman) put her in years before, and Alicia Vikander is a young witch and potential love interest for the young hero.

Taken for what it is, a dumb fantasy-action flick, Seventh Son is entertaining often in spite of a script adapted by three different screenwriters which feels very much like the Cliff's Notes version of mediocre young adult fiction. Bridges is having a grand old time chewing every piece of scenery he can sink his teeth into, Moore sells the script's damaged villain, Barnes is a likable enough (if completely forgettable) hero, and Vikander is beautiful and charming as always.

Available in both Blu-ray and DVD, extras include picture galleries, featurettes on the story and the making of the film. The Blu-ray also includes a bonus behind-the-scenes featurette, an alternate ending, deleted scenes, and digital and DVD copies of the film.

[Universal Studios, Blu-ray $34.98 / DVD $29.98]