'Legend of the Seeker' Season One Now on DVD

The Legend of the Seeker, an adaptation of the internationally best-selling “Sword of Truth” novels by Terry Goodkind which just released on DVD, has a The Lord of the Rings look to it but, it is not J.R.R. Tolkien. While Legend of the Seeker does provide an exciting story in each episode and maintains a feel of continuity from one episode to the next, it lacks the depth of The Lord of the Rings on many levels including story, acting, and mythology. However, this is a television show and not an epic movie, so some allowances can be made.

Legend of the Seeker is the story of how commoner Richard Cypher (Craig Horner) becomes The Seeker, a legendary leader who joins forces with a Confessor, Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan), and the Wizard Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander (Bruce Spence) on an epic journey to stop the wicked tyrant Darken Rahl from conquering all mankind.

This is one of those shows where the viewer might profit from reading the books first to fully understand the characters. For instance, the press release for Legend of the Seeker says the show "chronicles the extraordinary transformation of woodsman Richard Cypher into The Seeker." Actually, there is little to show of Cypher as a "woodsman" other than a brief scene of him building a small bridge, and the show begins with his heroic saving of Kahlan Amnell. Once Richard Cypher gets his magic sword and becomes an instant powerful swordsman, he jumps straight into more heroic deeds. The show fails to show much "transformation," which is why the books might help with Cypher's back story. It would have been interesting to watch his character evolve.

The Legend of the Seeker & The Lord of the Rings

Shot in New Zealand, Legend of the Seeker offers some exotic scenery reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, and it even features Craig Parker (Haldir) in a primary role. Parker dominates the screen any time he is on camera and underplays his role of the evil Darken Rahl to perfection. Parker is not the only Lord of the Rings alum in Seeker. Bruce Spence (Zedd) also was the voice of the Mouth of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The Legend of the Seeker, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys & Xena: Warrior Princess

Executive producers include Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert and Ned Nalle who previously produced Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and . Legend of the Seeker has some of the same paganism as Xena and a little of the humor of Hercules, compliments of the Wizard Zedd. If you enjoy fantasy adventures of the Xena/Hercules genre, Legend of the Seeker will be right down your alley, but if you are looking for something with the depth of Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings, Legend of the Seeker falls short.

Legend of the Seeker released on DVD on Oct. 13, 2009 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

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