The Seeker: The Dark is Rising is brought to us by Walden Films, the same studios that brought The Chronicles of Narnia to the big screen. Like Narnia (and unlike the Golden Compass, see my last blog), The Seeker is a fantasy that embraces the Light and fights against the spread of Darkness in the world. Although it has a few scary scenes that would probably be too frightening for small children, I would much rather have my pre-teens or teens see this movie.
The movie is about Will, a boy who finds out he is part of the “Old Ones”–time travelers and warriors who serve the Light and banish the Dark. Of course, the Dark, represented by the black-cloaked Rider, don’t want Will to succeed in his quest.
Many studios are trying to bank on the post-Harry Potter era–to bring to the big screen stories of children born into a world of fantasy, of mysterious purpose, of battle against dark forces who seek to squash the dreams of children. Many of these stories have redeeming qualities, some do not. Most can be a confusing mish-mash if you try to apply Christian values to them.
In the end, children don’t have to go to the movie theater to realize a world of purpose and spiritual warfare… it’s raging on around them here in the real world. Prepare your children daily for this battle: with discipline, a sense of purpose, and a realization of the power that they hold in their hearts as children of the Most High God, the Lord of the Angel Armies.