The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – A Walt Disney Pictures’ Release

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/sorcerersapprentice/

Release Date: July 14th

Rated PG for crude content, and some scary scenes

Running time: 108 minutes

Jon Turteltaub (dir.)

Lawrence Konner (screen story)

Mark Rosenthal (screen story)

Matt Lopez (screen story)

Matt Lopez (screenplay)

Doug Miro (screenplay)

Carlo Bernard (screenplay)

Trevor Rabin (music)

Nicolas Cage as Balthazar

Jay Baruchel as Dave

Alfred Molina as Horvath

Teresa Palmer as Becky

Toby Kebbell as Drake Stone

©Walt Disney Pictures

Balthazar (Nicholas Cage) and Dave (Jay Baruchel) in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Our reviews below:

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The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of 4)

The Sorerer’s Apprentice is the latest slick, summer blockbuster from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and it’s one of the finest live-action films of the season, so far.  Sorcerer Balthazar (Nicholas Cage) has spent over 1000 years looking for his next apprentice, to help him defeat the evil curse of Horvath (Alfred Molina).  He finds his apprentice in the form of Dave (Jay Baruchel), a 20-year old physics nerd who just wants to finish his thesis on Tesla coils.

Dave gets mixed up in the world of sorcery and magic, but what may prove even more confusing for him are the romantic feelings that are starting to flourish between him and classmate Becky (Teresa Palmer).  On one level, this is a fun fantasy, but on the other, it’s a nerdy romance.  It’s hard to say which level is more fun to watch.

The action scenes are quite well done, in particular a car chase that takes a brief detour through mirror world, but the reason I enjoyed this film so much is because it’s got its sense of humour in the right place.  The dark tone of sorcery and magic is kept light with well-placed touches of comedy that never feel forced or out-of-place.

The three principal actors, Jay Baruchel, Nicholas Cage and Alfred Molina, are all perfectly cast in their roles, and the movie largely works due to their quirky performances.  They’re always fun to watch, and play well off each other, be it in scenes of fantasy, action or humour.

In one of my favourite scenes, director Jon Turtletaub pays homage to the famous Mickey Mouse Sorcerer’s Apprentice sequence from Walt Dinsey’s Fantasia.  It’s a classy throwback, that is sure to elicit cheers from most knowing audiences.  You can read my more in-depth thoughts on Fantasia here.

There will be those who don’t like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, but then there are those who’ve disliked nearly every blockbuster to be released in this mildly underwhelming summer.  For me, I find it hard to argue with a film this enjoyable.  It’s “this much” crazy, but it’s also fun, and I loved it…a lot.  So get yourself a pair of pointy “old man” shoes and head on down to the theatre.  And make sure you stay right through the end credits, for a tidy set-up to a sequel.  ___________________________________________________________________________

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Review By Erin V.

**** (out of 4)

In 1940, Disney was inspired by both music and art to create the concert film of sorts, Fantasia.  The one sequence that everyone seems to remember and love is The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.  In this sequence, an old sorcerer leaves his book of magic unattended for a few minutes, and his apprentice, (in this case Mickey Mouse), decides to use it to make the brooms he’s cleaning with come to life and do his work for him.

This was Disney’s re-imagining of a classic.  The original, (in German titled Der Zauberlehrling), was a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, based on an ancient Greek tale.  The famous music you hear, (in French titled L’apprenti Sorcier), is by Paul Dukas, who composed music inspired by the poem, which was then premiered in Paris in 1897.

Now, Jerry Bruckheimer has produced a new film based on The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as a live-action blockbuster.  In this newest take on the classic, a whole story is built around the famous poem’s broom sequence – which does show up here, complete with the music in one of the great scenes in the film.  Here though, the sorcerer is named Balthzar Blake (played by Nicholas Cage), and his apprentice is Dave Stutler (Jay Barachel).  Balthazar has been searching for hundreds of years for the successor to Merlin, and finds him in Dave, who he must train to stop a ton of evil sorcerers being released from a prison called a ‘grimhold.’  The first one out, is Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), and he is determined to stop Dave before he is trained.

I won’t really spoil anything for you beyond that or what’s in the trailer, since I think you should go see it for yourself.  I found the casting to be perfect and the action well-staged.  The fantasy elements were fun and the suspense was handled well as we lead up to, and in the, ultimate showdown.  There was enough comedy as well and a lot of memorable lines in the banter between Cage and Baruchel.  You come out of this movie with a smile on your face – I’m judging this will be a hit with audiences.  It’s one of the few movies so far released this summer that I really would recommend going for.

Standout scenes for me, are some of the action sequences such as a car chase with them magically changing their vehicles mid-chase, and some cool ideas such as getting stuck in mirror-worlds and the problems of trying to learn to control plasma-bolts – the ‘weapon of choice’ for Balthazar.  I thought the plasma-bolts were fun and cool.  Actually, all of the special effects feel fresh-yet familiar-and are fun to watch.  The music by Trevor Rabin – who also scored G-Force last year – matched the feel of the film and helped tie everything together nicely.

This is basically an odd, classic coming-of-age story, that I would happily go see again – I just really liked The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.  Bottom line, go see this one as a summer treat and stay until the end of the credits for an extra scene.

Sure, the movie’s crazy at times – but it is fun.

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The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Review By Nicole

**** (out of 4)

Loosely inspired by Disney’s famous animated short from Fantasia, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a fun adventure fantasy.  The film opens with a flashback explaining the history of Merlin the magician. versus the evil witch Morgana, who wants to take over the world.  Morgana is captured in a matrushka doll for over 100 years.  Only Merlin’s greatest successor, the Prime Merlinian, can destroy Morgana.

Flash forward to the year 2000, when a young boy named Dave Stuttler attempts to give a note to a girl he fancies named Becky.  But when the note blows away, Dave chases it, only to find a mysterious shop belonging to a sorcerer named Balthazar Blake.  Balthazar’s dragon ring fits Dave perfectly, a sign that Dave is the next Prime Merlinian.

Ten years pass, and Balthazar’s nemesis Maxim Horvath has come to release Morgana from the matrushka (which Dave accidently misplaced ten years earlier).  Balthazar now must train Dave to become a great sorcerer, in order to stop Horvath and defeat Morgana.  Dave’s priorities however, are divided between becoming a sorcerer, and making Becky his girlfriend.  Can Dave save the day and get the girl?

I thoroughly enjoyed The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.  The acting and cast are perfect.  I especially liked Jay Baruchel, Nicholas Cage and Alfred Molina in this movie.  The special effects are amazing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a contender for some special effects nominations.  One of the best scenes is the homage to the original short.  This had the entire audience, myself included, laughing out loud.

Another thing I really liked about The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is the story.  Dave is a geeky young physics student, who is very smart, but socially awkward at the same time.  The Sorcerer’s Apprentice celebrates people like Dave, making him the hero and not just an object of comedy or pity.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a great film, with a sense of magic and adventure on par with the Harry Potter films.  Go see this movie, and be sure to stay till after the credits!

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The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Review By Maureen

**** (out of 4)

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney studios, and a stellar cast of actors have all worked their magic to make The Sorcerer’s Apprentice a must-see movie in theatres this summer.

This equally dark, suspenseful and funny live action fantasy is based on the classic tale of Merlin the sorcerer and his apprentices’ battle for control over the evil witch Morgana.  Balthazar Blake (played brilliantly by Nicholas Cage), one of Merlin’s original apprentices, has been searching the earth for hundreds of years trying to find the prime merlinian, the one individual who will have the power and skill to defeat Morgana’s powers.  At the same time anther one of Merlin’s apprentices, Maxim Horvath (played villainously well by Alfred Molina) also wants to find the prime merlinian and steal the power held in the dragon ring.

As it turns out, the prime merlinian is alive and well in modern-day Manhattan.  Dave Stuttler (perfectly played by Jay Baruchel) is a young physics geek who prefers science to magic.  Balthazar Blake’s job is to find and train the young prime merlinian, Dave in the science of sorcery magic.  Dave becomes the sorcerer’s apprentice.

The scenes between Nicholas Cage and Jay Baruchel are wonderful to watch.  They work well off each other and the exchanges between the two are very entertaining.  Also entertaining are Alfred Molina as the evil sorcerer, Max Horvath and his assistant, illusionist Drake Stone (Toby Keball) as they battle Balthazar Blake and Dave.

The apprentice training scenes and the action and fight scenes are extremely entertaining.  The special effects in this movie are excellent.  Keeping the dark and often scary scenes in balance are wonderful light comedic scenes such as the delightful Disneyesque nod to the original 1940 Sorcerer’s Apprentice dancing mops segment in the film Fantasia.

What makes this latest Sorcerer’s Apprentice work is the excellent casting.  Jay Baruchel’s Dave as the unlikely hero and his sweetly awkward romance with Becky (Teresa Palmer) five the movie a lighter tone.  The mixing of science and magic in the storyline also really works.  Nicholas Cage as Balthazar in his pointy, old man shoes also add to the entertainment.

Overall this is a really good entertainment value movie.  It compares well to other action fantasies such as the Harry Potter movies.  While too scary for younger kids, teenagers and adults will find The Sorcerer’s Apprentice to be a fun time at the movies.  Be sure to stay through the entire end credits.

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The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a fantasy/action feature from Jerry Bruckheimer released by Disney. The prologue shows how over a thousand years ago Merlin had three apprentices, Balthazar (Nicholas Cage), Morgana (Alice Krige) and Horvath (Alfred Molina).  Morgana turned out to be evil, and with the aid of Horvath planned to destroy the world. She was trapped in the inner shell of a set of Matriushka (nesting) dolls, with her accomplice Horvath later trapped in the outer layer.  Balthazar would not age until he found the “Prime Merlinian” destined to destroy Morgana. The nerdy Physics student Dave (Jay Baruchel) turned out to be the chosen one, agreeing to be trained by Balthazar, but not before accidentally releasing Horvath, who would stop at nothing to get Morgana back.  Dave was also distracted by a crush on the coed Becky (Teresa Palmer).  There are a lot of delightful surprises along the way.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice hits just the right tone of family-friendly action, fantasy and wit, not least due to the three principal actors, perfectly cast. Set in New York, the high voltage special effects are especially fun, including fast car chases and flights on the New York fantasy conveyance of choice–the animated Chrysler Building art deco bird gargoyles. The centrepiece is a fitting tribute to the eponymous tone poem L’Apprenti Sorcier by Paul Dukas animated in Disney’s Fantasia (1940). Left alone in his underground lab, Dave attempts to use his new found power to get the mops and brooms to clean up for him, with disastrous effects only put right when Balthazar returns.  Watch for clever references to Star Wars, Indiana Jones and other films, and stay right to the end of the credits for a hint of a sequel.

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Consensus: Jay Baruchel, Nicholas Cage and Alfred Molina are perfectly cast in this fun fantasy-adventure.  Filled with good special effects, and even some touches of nerdy romance, this is sure to be enjoyed by older kids and adults alike. ***3/4 (Out of 4)