Stars Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Ben Barnes, Alicia Vikander, Antje Traue, Djimon Hounsou with Jason Scott Lee, Kit Harrington and Olivia Williams Directed by Sergei Bodrov Last movie of the year as it opens on the last day, or first movie of the year because it carries a 2015 copyright in the credits and officially opens on the 1st of January? Originally scheduled for the cinematic graveyard of January 2014 release, Seventh Son was given a last minute VFX review and 3D effects polish. The end result doesn't suggest a troubled production but a decent fantasy adventure with some spectacular effects. Just by browsing the effects company at the end suggests the quality of work put in with Legacy Effects handling some creature design, Rhythm and Hues tackling animal creature effects, powerhouse MPC likely handling environmental effects and seven more effects houses with three conversion effects houses handling the overall look of the film. With John Dykstra leading the visual effects, there are some eye-catching designs with a large variety of fantasy creatures on display. Coupled with Dante Ferretti's production design, we have a solid world on display that works and feels lived in. Of course, that's subjective and your taste may vary, but the design work stood out for me. The plot is fairly straight-forward with the return of witch queen Malkin (Julianne Moore) seeking revenge on humans for their ill treatment of witches. In order to stop her, Gregory (Jeff Bridges) takes up a new apprentice, Thomas (Ben Barnes) the seventh son of a seventh son who may be more than he appears. So, an apprentice to a warrior/magician on a quest to stop an ancient evil... Fairly basic, right? Down to the performances, Bridges seems lively in comparison to his earlier cinematic appearance in The Giver. The double act with Moore is enjoyable, perhaps more so for fans of The Big Lebowski. While it might stretch credulity during the action beats involving Gregory, the stunt team pull them off well enough to convince. Ben Barnes seems comfortable with his role and does well with Thomas, from the inexperienced and insecure apprentice at the beginning to being a more confident warrior by mid-point. The exchanges between Barnes and Bridges sparkle by that point which give the proceedings an air of a romp. It's not on par with the likes of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, but it stands above the more recent similar fare such as Season of The Witch, Outlander or Solomon Kane. Decent performances with some attractive designs, a sense of humour and a not-too-complex story with acceptable action beats gives us a romp of a movie. If you're looking for a decent fantasy flick without being bogged by extended story lines or battle fatigue, give this a try. Rating: ***1/2 / 5
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