Cast:
- Bridget Regan ... Kahlan Amnell
- Craig Horner ... Richard Rahl
- Renato Bartolomei ... Demmin Nass
- David de Lautour ... Michael Cypher
- Anna Hutchison ... Bronwyn
- Jay Laga'aia ... Chase
- Tania Nolan ... Dennee
- Craig Parker ... Darken Rahl
- Jason Smith ... Gryff
- Bruce Spence ... Zeddicus Zul Zorander
- Calvin Tuteao ... Jeziah
Written by John Shiban (The X-Files, Supernatural). Directed by Mark Beesley (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, Power Rangers Mystic Force). Based on the Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind. Executive producers include Sam Raimi (Spider-Man).
Plot Summary
Richard Cypher (Craig Horner) knows no other life except that of a simple woodsman -- until a beautiful sorceress named Kahlan (Bridget Regan) arrives in his long-isolated province.
Kahlan is desperately searching for the world's only hope of defeating the evil ruler who commands the outer world and all its magicians, Darken Rahl (Craig Parker). She must give a magical book to the Seeker. According to a venerable prophecy, only the Seeker can vanquish Darken Ruhl, for only he can command the awesome power of the Sword of Truth. Kahlan and the book, meanwhile, has been pursued by Darken Ruhl's soldiers, led by Demmin Nass.
Kahlan and Richard's paths converge at the home of the secret wizard, Zedd (Bruce Spence). Both Kahlan and Richard are dismayed to learn that Zedd knew Richard was the foretold Seeker, but never told him or made an effort to train him for his great destiny. Richard rejects the bizarre tale Zedd tells him, that Zedd rescued Richard as an infant when Darken Ruhl, fearing the prophecy, slaughtered all firstborn children, and gave him to the Cyphers to raise as their own.
Nass has mortally wounded Richard's father and set fire to their house, but with his dying breath the elder Cypher confirms Zedd's story -- he is not Richard's real father. Meanwhile Nass has turned the Councillor Michael Cypher and the people of the Heartland against Kahlan and Richard, convincing them that the evil creatures now attacking their crops and herds were brought by Kahlan. Having lost everything, Richard has no choice but to embrace his unlooked-for destiny.
Wizard's First Rule
It's actually been nine whole years since we last saw Hercules cavorting through the forests of New Zealand, and eight since Xena, Warrior Princess, hung up her harness. Since then the down-under fantasy syndies, long such a staple of Saturday afternoons in some markets and odd hours Sunday mornings in others, has lain dormant. Guilty pleasures like Hercules, Xena, and Beastmaster were consigned to the lore of a departed century, and television fantasy has evolved toward the superheroes and the supernatural.
So the idea of a modestly budgeted woodland sword-and-sorcery series seems like a charmingly retro notion, a quaint resurgence evoking simpler times. The nostalgic feel is further underlined by well-remembered plot elements from other fantasy stories: the grizzled wizard, the greenhorn hero with a secret past who resists the pull of destiny, the improbably lovely warrior princess, the talismanic sword, the slaughter of firstborns to avert a prophesy spelling doom for the evil king. Does it sometimes seem that some fantasy union somewhere dictates that these elements must be present in order for a story to be called fantasy? The only things missing are stone-hewn dwarf-halls and fey sylvan elves.
Acting From A to Zedd
Fortunately Terry Goodkind, the author of the hugely bestselling source novels starting with Wizard's First Rule (the original title for this series) in 1994 through Confessor (2007), is talented enough to imbue even the shopworn conventions of the fantasy genre with life and meaning -- and a considerable measure of fun. This in turn has seeped at least partway into the television adaptation, where straightforwardly predictable scenes alternate with glimpses of an interesting path for Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd. While not as tongue-in-cheek as Hercules and Xena, Legend of the Seeker is energized and alive, elevating the material above the dire and dour naming-of-the-prophesied-hero storyline.
Craig Horner is likable enough as Richard, and there's more to him than his looks (though the premiere, amusingly, makes sure Richard spends his entire first scene shirtless); he doesn't have the effortless hero charisma of a Kevin Sorbo, though, so it's hard to picture him as a redeemer long foretold. Perhaps that's deliberate: Richard is presented as a very ordinary youth, down to his banal name, and he is drawn into the fight against Darken Ruhl mainly by the sacrifices made in the Seeker's name and his realization that he can't let them have been for nothing. Horner conveys this side of the character very effectively.
Bridget Regan is so much the fantasy archetype of a gorgeous, kick-butt, wise but vulnerable maiden that it's hard to see the performance at all. We'll need to see what happens when she's given a chance to break free of convention.
No Mo Slo-Mo
The show's biggest asset so far is Bruce Spence, who's had a lot of interesting roles in interesting films and shows over the years (my favorite: he was the Mouth of Sauron in Return of the King). He plays the strangeness and irreverence of the wizard not for the comedy relief, though Zedd performs this function, but as social iconoclasm: Zedd has fun being outside the social norms, and for all he takes his role as Richard's mentor seriously he laughs at the world, and is honestly amused by unexpected turns of events.
The production looks lusher than it is: thanks in part to the prestige of the source novels, the producers have endeavored to deliver quality merchandise. At times they try too hard: this is one of those productions that try to make an impression by switching into slow motion as a character runs toward an enemy or raises up his weapon, then suddenly snaps back into real time. There are other problems; notably, the middle section of the two-hour premiere involves a lot of running around chasing a McGuffin -- the magic book Kahlan brings with her to give to Richard, only to see it fall into enemy hands.
Legend of the Seeker has all the hallmarks of another weekend afternoon guilty pleasure, and in terms of quality and being fun to watch it's far and away better than the low end of sci-fi television represented by titles like Flash Gordon and the current Knight Rider. Now that the origin story is over, the big question is: Will Legend have new tales to tell, or will it settle for retelling the old ones all over again?
