The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) User Reviews

Fantastic adventures set in Manhattan plenty of necromancy and witchery

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 20 June 2011]

Amusing film is packed with intrigue , comedy , tense and especial effects galore , dealing with a Master sorcerer named Balthazar Blake who recruits a seemingly everyday guy in his mission to defend New York City from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath . It starts in 740 A.D., in Britain, the disciple of Merlin Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina) unites forces to the wicked Morgana Le Fay (Alice Krige) and betrays his master. However, the other two disciples of Merlin Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage), a descendant from a historical line familiar whose mission was defeat nasty witch and Veronica (Monica Belluci) defeat the evil and Balthazar catches Horvath in a magic recipient and Veronica merges with Morgana and they are seized in another vessel. Along the centuries, Balthazar unsuccessfully seeks out the Prime Merlian, the only sorcerer capable to destroy Morgana, using a dragon ring and he finally finds him in the present days in Manhattan . Balthazar can't do it alone, so he enlists Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant pupil. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness. It'll take all the courage Dave can muster to survive his training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes The Sorcerer's Apprentice. The young is spontaneously implicated as key on find out the weird events .However the sorcerer's apprentice is in love with Becky Barnes (Teresa Palmer) and Blake doubts whether he is actually the chosen one .They will take on lots of adventures, risks and confronting a stubborn enemy. The sorcerer and his new friend undergo a chase that take them throughout the N.Y. streets .

This entertaining movie displays suspense , noisy action, intrigue, humor and extraordinary adventures. The picture blends rip-roaring feats , thrills , mystery and witchery , along with a Walt Disney style . It's a cinematic roller coaster pretty amusing that have you on the edge of your seat. The tale is silly and laughable but the effects and action are quite well. Among the most spectacular of its visuals there are a metallic eagle , the attack of a sculpture showing a giant bull brought to life and other monsters roaring menacingly towards the camera. Some illogical parts in the argument are more than compensated for the excitement provided by the excellent visual effects by John Nelson . Stimulating action set pieces illuminate the full-blown adventures of ours protagonists with breathtaking final attraction in the scenes of the ultimate confrontation among wizards . Stirring and lively musical score by Trevor Rabin . Cameraman Bojan Bazelli makes a glamorous cinematography though mostly night. The flick is lavishly produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and professionally directed by John Turteltaub (the kid , Phenomenon, While you were sleeping) .Both of them have collaborated in two hits as ¨National treasure¨ and ¨National treasure : Book of secrets¨ . The picture will appeal to Nicolas Cage fans and Jerry Brukheimer movies enthusiasts.

Light and entertaining fun for the whole family

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 6 August 2010]

Overall, this is entertaining and well done. The effects are not revolutionary but at least fit in to the story rather than detract from it. No violence or mayhem - its OK for a younger to general audience. Main fault is the hero Dave played by Jay Baruchel isn't up to the part.

The script is pleasant if predictable - does the nerd hero rise to the task and vanquish the evil forces. There could have been more historical witches besides Abigail Williams of Salem. There are some humorous bits but not too many.

Acting is better than expected. Nicholas Cage is quite good more serious and less horsey than usual. Monica looks a little older and has too little screen time. Alfred Molina is convincing without being annoying. Alice Krige (Morgana) is good and looks young. Teresa Palmer (Becky) the girlfriend acts and looks like a blonde Kristen Stewart.

The main problem is Jay Baruchel (Dave) is a too geeky to the point of spastic sometimes. It is painful to watch him. He lacks charm and charisma nerdy or otherwise. He is not a cute geek. He speaks like he has a speech impediment. Would have been better with someone more like Shia Labeouf, Justin Long or Michael Angarano if they wanted one of the new nerd/geek heroes.

Baruchel ruined it

[alen-k · 6/10 · 6 December 2010]

This Disney movie is fun and the effects are first grade.

Nicolas Cage is good as expected. Same goes to Alfred Molina and it's always nice to see Monica Bellucci.

BUT, there is one BIG problem and that is Jay Baruchel. Why, o why, they had to put him into this movie? He ruined it completely with his annoying appearance, voice and, above all, irritating not-at-all-talented acting. They should have find different actor for this role. I don't have someone in mind but this one is very wrong. Without him it would be a much better movie.

But, it's still entertaining, in spite of occasional not funny jokes which are forced into scenario. The story is bearable and neat effects pulls it out of average, slightly.

A decent fantasy-action flick

[Zukriuchen · 26 July 2012]

While it's certainly not a masterpiece, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" manages to be an enjoyable movie. A consistent movie with some great performances and awesome special effects, it's problems lay in other things.

First of all, I'd like to say that I don't think Jay Baruchel is the worst actor ever. He isn't great, sure, and they could have picked another actor, but it definitely doesn't take the enjoyment away from the movie. My main problems with this movie are about it's atmosphere and general feel. What bothers me the most is that it doesn't seem to take itself seriously. Scenes that are supposed to be super serious have the characters laughing as if nothing was at stake, and some parts could have had some more work put on. This takes away the "character" feel, and gives the "actor" feel. Don't get me wrong, a character can laugh during an action scene, but it depends solely on how it's done, and in this movie, it's certainly not done well.

I'd recommend this movie if you like a family-friendly fantasy film, and I'd say that if you have the chance to watch it, go for it, but really, don't expect too much.

Why was Baruchel cast??

[IliasManos · 1/10 · 9 November 2019]

A generally pleasant movie to watch, with a solid cast and even amazing narrator (McShane), and all this was blown by Baruchel's performance.

I can't comprehend why was this man cast.

Potentially good film spoiled by inept comedy and lead actor

[svw · 5/10 · 4 January 2013]

This fantasy film has a lot going for it: an engaging story, lavish Disney production, the exciting location of New York City, and a talented cast including Nic Cage, Alfred Molina, Jake Cherry and many strong support actors. Unfortunately all this was wasted by casting the dismally tedious Jay Baruchel in the lead role, and demanding that he act in a knockabout comedy style which is jarring and out of place. Cage and Baruchel share many scenes, but they appear to be acting in two different films. Without the incredibly annoying Baruchel and the poor script he was given, this could have been a great (non-comedy) film.

Easy charming fun - perfect summer fare

[archravenstorm · 8/10 · 16 July 2010]

The same people who to me are surprisingly rudely negative about this film would probably say I'm too easily pleased, but I enjoy movies as escapism for the most part and see no need to pick this very enjoyable vehicle to death. Actually, some early negatives I'd read had me worried that I would be irritated I spent the money, instead I've already decided to buy this when it comes out.

Overall, I'd say if you like romping easy movies like The Mummy, National Treasure, and Lake Placid you'll like this, plus refreshingly (without being sickeningly sweet) there is not one swear word or sexed-up scene, so take the older kids and Grandma. I thought Nicolas Cage was excellent, he looked great and can wear a leather duster better than most, and there was some nice chemistry between Cage and Baruchel. Alred Molina looked like he was having fun and is such an enjoyable villain. Baruchel does a good job - he is so geeky at times it is a tad painful - and I found myself rooting for him. The 2 main female characters are lovely and appealing personalities.

More pluses: A lively pace and I never lost interest plus a fair number of laughs. Some interesting character twists with the oily young rock-star magician helping Molina, and some very funny cheeky nods to the original animated Fanatasia - watch for the nod to Star Wars. Great and interesting special effects that made sense when they were used. Even the way the actors moved when they were doing magic was very good (for some reason the wand-waving in Harry Potter sometimes reminds me of people using a flyswatter or shaking a bug off a stick, that didn't happen in this film).

So no, this isn't some classic of cinema, it is what it is and is a bit thin here and there, but it's also quite good for a "magical romp" and is in no way a bad film or a waste of money. I could have done without the occasional background songs which seemed designed to emphasize romantic angst or appeal to young teenagers, but that was bearable. I saw this at an early evening show and there were not many people in the theater, but we all laughed and there was applause at the end, and we left the theater smiling. Personally I think the critics panning this are full of BS or are trying to prove what intellectuals they are. In the meantime see this with your family or take your friends, and then go out and get some ice cream and sit outside and enjoy summer. Hope they make a sequel, too.

A decent surprise.

[Theothervip · 6 April 2011]

Rating: **1/2 out of 4.

I had little to no expectations for Disney's latest animated-to-live- action translation THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE. It looked like serviceable popcorn entertainment; lots of jarring CGI effects and slapstick humor. Turns out it's true that minimal expectations help in seeing a movie in its own terms and, as family-film trifle, APPRENTICE delivers, if not much else.

Exposition abounds when we are introduced to the plot, which opens in 700 A.D., where great Wizard Merlin is killed by his evil adversary Morgana (Alice Krige, in it for only a few minutes), and passes his legacy to one of his young apprentices, Balthazar (holy smoke! It's Nicholas Cage!). Before his death, Merlin hands him a tiny dragon statuette which turns into a ring which would determine the great wizard's heir. Oh yeah, Balthazar also traps the souls of other wizards, including the evil Morgana and sweetheart Monica Bellucci (barely in it for other than being, well, Monica Bellucci) inside a nesting doll called the Grimhold. Forward a thousand centuries later and Balthazar, still in search of the bearer of Merlin's gifts, finally comes upon a boy named Dave Stutler (who is what else? A total nerd!). Forward a few years more and Dave, now a geeky teenager (Jay Baruchel), is now ready to be trained with the Magical Arts (which, the movie explains, is actually more connected to modern science than we thought) and save the world.

Whew! That's a lot of plot exposition for a movie based around a segment in Disney's Fantasia (with Mickey Mouse no less!). And it moves so quickly from one situation to the other. But better to throw in dozens of special effects and action sequence. The special effects are nothing new; the CGI reeks of CGI circa 1990. But this comes off a charm. With so many movies around throwing out fantasy for realism (meaning lots of shaky "you are there" camera work), THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE is a pretty close throwback to some of those 80's effects-heavy fantasy movies usually associated with Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic effects house (the film reminds most of the effects-laden YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES when I saw the trailer). It's not so much as true movie magic than simply throwing in as much effects as they can to substitute for a lackluster action-oriented story.

The actors aren't in such bad shape. Cage, who's been on the slums lately, is pretty good here though it's a bit of a stretch to call it an improvement over some of his previous roles. But he does have more fun here and I had more fun with him here; it's in this role did I get the feeling that he knows very well that he looks ridiculous and goes to hell with it. Same goes for Alfred Molina, turning in deliciously campy baddie with an accent Horvath. These two guys do better than the rest of the younger members. Baruchel is trying too hard to be your total loser- turned-hero character when he really shouldn't. He seemed fine doing voice-over in HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, but he can't bring the role from animated world to reality. Teresa Palmer is your typical girl-of-your- dreams leading dame. Some actors (Bellucci, Krige) barely makes what passes as appearances.

THE SORCEROR'S APPRENTICE is fun, and at a time where movies like these fail to deliver such simple mercies, it's a pleasant little surprise.

The plot is really nothing new, but the movie itself is fun enough on its own.

[Ryan_MYeah · 7/10 · 26 July 2010]

This weekend, I got to see The Sorcerer's Apprentice, the latest Disney released film from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The plot of the movie is pretty much textbook Bruckheimer, like his film Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time which was released earlier in the year. While it's not quite as good as Prince of Persia, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is still not bad.

The premise is simple enough. Dave Stutler (Played in his youth by Jake Cherry), is a kid who one day wandered into a bizarre shop, run by an out of the ordinary man named Balthazar Blake (Played by Nicolas Cage), a sorcerer. Blake offered him a mysterious ring shaped like a dragon, and after a bit of unfortunate mishaps, Dave set free Blake's arch-nemesis Maxim Horvath (Played by Alfred Molina). Cut to ten years later where Dave (Now played by Jay Baruchel) is in college, and has become quite the physics nerds, and fallen in love with an old classmate (Played by Teresa Palmer). But now, Balthazar is back, and tells Dave that the ring means he is the Prime-Merlinian, a powerful wizard who will become the successor of Merlin himself. Dave becomes Balthazar's apprentice, and together the two must stop Horvath, and an evil sorceress from, you guessed it, taking over the world.

So, yeah, story is been there, done that. Awkward hero and scary mentor, threat of global apocalypse, simplistic action plot, silly comic relief, awkward romance, it's all there. But, it's what the movie does with that is why it's so fun, and the action is actually fun to watch. Fast Paced, Well staged, and I have no problems with the pacing, except for the prologue which feels pretty rushed, and the ending which feels rushed and kind of abrupt as well.

Performances in the movie are fun too. Jay Baruchel and Nicolas Cage's chemistry on screen is so much fun, not only that, but they're good on their own as well. I want to give some serious credit to Alfred Molina as well, who's practically made a career out of being a scene stealer in any movie he's in. The rest of the cast, while not fully developed, most of them are fun to watch.

The tech design of this movie is cool too. The visuals are nice to look at, the sound mix and design is great, and the production design is also cleverly done. Nice cinematography too, and Trevor Rabin provides a typical, yet not too shabby orchestral score.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is far from perfect. It's no Inception or Toy Story 3, but if you're looking for a fun, entertaining popcorn flick to spend two hours at the cinema, then this one isn't a bad choice.

I give it **1/2 out of ****

Typical but fun blockbuster

[helmutty · 7/10 · 24 July 2010]

In USA, this is clashed against the highly superior Inception and therefore, it has not earn as much money as it is thought to be. Inception is a great movie with not so straight forward storyline. So there is a movie oppose to Inception, The Sorcerer's Apprentice with its straight forward cliché' story. Singapore is smart to release them in different weeks.

The story: How many times have this kind of 'be a hero and get the girl' premises been in movies. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is the latest movie to feature that. The only thing different is the cool action scenes. With much special effects as enhancement, the action scenes are candy eye which try to replace the cliché' story about a nerd training into an apprentice of a sorcerer and getting the girl he is so mad in love. I had fun seeing the characters whacking out each other with magical balls and powers. Trevor's score is good as usual.

Overall: I guess this is for those who don't like complex movies like Inception which need some thinking. This is a typical blockbuster movie with CGI and action scenes towering over its simple plot. I like it for its brave front of just having cool CGI action scenes to keep the story going. When the movie ended, I felt that I would actually like to see more adventures of them. It is good for what it is. A full-blown CGI action movie.

A Fun And Underrated Modern Take On The Arthurian Legend While Creating its own thing

[KalKenobi83 · 7/10 · 1 November 2020]

Watched The Sorcerer's Apprentice with Jay Baruchel(Fanboys) as Dave Sutler, Teresa Palmer(Bedtime Stories) as Becky Barnes, Omar Benson Miller(8 Mile) as Bennet Zurrow, Monica Belucci(The Matrix Reloaded) as Veronica Gorolosien, Toby Kebell(RocknRolla) as Drake Stone,James A.Stephens(Sherlock Holmes) as Merlin, Nicolas Cage(National Treasure) as Balthazar Blake, With Alfred Molina(Spider-Man 2 ) as Maxim Horvath, and Alice Krige(Star Trek:First Contact) as Morgana Le Fey .

I thought the film was good it was a little awkward at times between Dave and Becky also i enjoyed Cages Mentor as Blake also didn't mind the whole science is magic angle as well love this was disney's attempt to make Fantasia Universe i know they were hinting at Chernabog for his first live action appearance on the screen also enjoyed it has stuff included from the arthurian myth Merlin and Morgana. The Fights were great no use of wands or laser swords it was all hand magic A Fun And Underrated Modern Take On The Arthurian Legend While Creating its own thing

Score By Trevor Rabin(Remember The Titans), Cinematography By Bojan Bazelli(G-Force) direction by Jon Turtletaub(Cool Runnings) A Fun And Underrated Modern Take On The Arthurian Legend While Creating its own thing 7/10

Entertaining

[bob-rutzel-1 · 6/10 · 18 January 2011]

Balthazar (Cage) is a Sorcerer in the present day and finds Dave (Baruchel) who will become his apprentice to help defeat Horvath (Molina) another Sorcerer who has designs on ending the known world. This can't be good.

I was afraid there would be too much CGI in here, but I think the right mix was found. When you have Sorcerers you know you are going to see magic and these days you need CGI - otherwise what's the point?

This was highly entertaining and good family fun.

Okay, some downsides. Okay, picky ones. Dave was portrayed as too GEEKY and, at times, mostly in the beginning as a 20-yr old, he was annoying. Also when he broke with Balthazar and says he cannot do it (defeat Horvath), the very next scene he is in has him backing Balthazar up and getting him out of Horvath's clutches. What changed his mind? Where was the epiphany?

Also, here Dave has an opportunity to save the world and he is more concerned about being next to Becky (Palmer) his love interest. The enormity of the world-saving-bit hasn't really hit home with him. Yes, yes, we know about conflict, hormones, indecision, and a moment of truth, but this went too far into unbelievable even for an unbelievable story about Sorcerers in the modern world.

However, the real winner in here is Molina's Horvath. Horvath is kind of a nice bad-guy who we wished was a good guy. He played it perfectly mixing comedy with meaness. The interplay between Balthazar and Horvath was very good and issued some good lines. For the most part, Molina's Horvath saves the movie.

As for Nicolas Cage, he was the straight man (um good Sorcerer) in all of this and played the part perfectly.

All in all a good time for the family.

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.

Awful Collection of Clichés and Special Effects with a Dreadful Nasal Lead Actor

[claudio_carvalho · 3/10 · 20 November 2010]

In 740 A.D., in Britain, the disciple of Merlin Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina) joins to the wicked Morgana le Fay (Alice Krige) and betrays his master. However, the other two disciples of Merlin Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) and Veronica (Monica Bellucci) defeat the evil and Balthazar traps Horvath in a magic vessel and Veronica merges with Morgana and they are trapped in another recipient. Along the centuries, Balthazar unsuccessfully seeks out the Prime Merlian, the only sorcerer capable to destroy Morgana, using a dragon ring and he finally finds him in the present days in Manhattan. The clumsy nerd Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel) is chosen by a magic dragon ring and Balthazar teaches magic to him. However the sorcerer's apprentice is in love with Becky Barnes (Teresa Palmer) and questions whether he is really the chosen one.

The deceptive "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is an awful collection of clichés and special effects with a dreadful nasal lead actor. The annoying Jay Baruchel is not funny and is also one of the worst actors I have ever seen, and he ruins the film. The predictable story uses all the imaginable clichés, with explosions, car races and special effects trying to be attractive. I do not understand how a producer invests millions of dollars in a film with Jay Baruchel in a lead role, and why Nicolas Cage and Monica Bellucci accepted to work in this flick. Jay Baruchel should use his payment to go to a speech and language pathologist and have acting classes. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "O Aprendiz de Feiticeiro" ("The Sorcerer's Apprentice")

Oh oh oh it's magic, you know, never believe it's not so.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 10 March 2013]

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is directed by Jon Turteltaub and collectively written by Matt Lopez, Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (poem). It stars Nicolas Cage, Alfred Molina, Jay Baruchel, Teresa Palmer, Toby Kebbel and Monica Belluchi. Music is by Trevor Rabin and cinematography by Bojan Bazelli.

Film is based on the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment in Disney's Fantasia. The plot finds Baruchel as a science geek who discovers he has hidden talents as a magician when ancient sorcerer Balthazar Blake (Cage) appears in modern day Manhattan. Unfortunately this also means as apprentice to Balthazar, he is thrust into doing battle against Maxim Horvath (Molina), a skilled sorcerer of old who has some devilish plans he wants to enact.

The Disney/Cage/Turteltaub combination once again deliver family friendly high jinx for the target audience. It's an engaging fantasy adventure that has some thought put into the script, it zips along thanks to Turteltaub's direction and it features some high energy action backed up by excellent special effects. Molina is having a great time of it, so too is Kebbell, who looks like he has wandered in off the set of Velvet Goldmine. Cage less so it seems, his moody broody approach is a small detriment to the picture's over all fun ethic. Film also lacks an emotional core, though it does try to amend briefly with a tween romance thread, but it's no major problem as this is countered with some lovely stabs of humour and nifty film references.

Fun family film, flaws and all. Not for the highbrow though, obviously. 7/10

a movie featuring Nicolas Cage and Alfred Molina as dueling sorcerers shouldn't be this... bland

[Quinoa1984 · 5/10 · 18 July 2010]

Jerry Bruckheimer, you should usually know what you get and pay for with his films, but every so often one hopes that the bar will be raised. Sometimes the action and excitement works in delirious ways (a former Nicolas Cage vehicle, Con Air), and other times it sinks to new lows (Bad Boys II). Most other times, it's the home of the mall-cineplex brand of generic, mundane action movies that have competent direction and cinematography and are so over-produced that they sound much like the over-produced pop songs featured on the soundtrack. The Sorcerer's Apprentice, another Bruckheimer movie directed by Jon Turtletaub and starring Cage is no exception. But the potential that is squandered is what is kind of sad. Kind of, I say, since it could have been worse.

It's the old story of a young guy plucked up to be the "chosen one" because he has some kind of gift (or he's just interested, both are the case here), and has a 'master' (not a mentor, there's a difference I guess) who teaches him the ropes. Jay Baruchel and Cage play apprentice and master, and they're facing off against Alfred Molina's Horvath, one of three Merlin students who are now foes in 2010 vying to stop/open a vase with an evil witch in their who can destroy the world, yada yada, Baruchel has a girl he wants to be with and/or protect, so on so forth. The script is by the numbers, so much so that watching the trailer you only get a hint as to how laid-out everything is. If you guessed, for example, that there will be a moment when the young hero decides this isn't for him because it's "too hard", you guessed right. And if you guessed that he comes back, you just won the 64,000 dollars.

What's the potential here? Not so much Jay Baruchel, who once again plays the wimpy nerd who has a few clever one liners and is mostly just a by-the-book nerdy guy (worked much better in How to Train Your Dragon by the way). It's the older stars, Cage and Molina, that could have so much fun with their roles. On occasion they do, and one can tell they had some thrills putting on their old-style costumes- Cage in particular looking like he could be out of film-noir as much as a sorcerer- but the script gives them little to do except declare things to other characters and deliver exposition. It's sad especially to see Cage, who had two roles in a role where he came alive (Terence McDonaugh and Big Daddy), slumming it in ways reminiscent of Next or Bangkok Dangerous. He takes the role where it goes, but he's just really there, all apart of the bland action-movie veneer. Where's the excitement, even if it's bad excitement, when he flies a mechanical eagle across the sky or shoots fireballs?

Perhaps for children this should do; watching it I could imagine the Nostalgia Critic (or Nostalgia Critic Jr) taking it to task, years down the line. It has cool special effects and a modern soundtrack and a good-lookin' female supporting love interest for Baruchel who will probably get a lot of work soon. It's also got a wooden plot and only one really neat action/chase scene, in Times Square with mirrors. It's a mostly flat Hollywood endeavor with a few really talented people.

Fun

[FiendishDramaturgy · 8/10 · 25 July 2010]

Dueling sorcerers, a compelling back-story, top-notch acting talent, and the Disney brand bring the idea born of Fantasia's Sorcerer's Apprentice to the big screen in a live full movie adaptation. While this film did not fully live up to its potential, it is a fun movie which will find its way into the collection.

This is silly and sappy just like any other live action Disney movie, and if allowed, will worm its way into the heart in a disingenuous way. If you view this film expecting Casablanca or the Godfather, you WILL be unimpressed. But if you go in expecting to be entertained, you shouldn't be disappointed.

The action sequences between Cage and Molina aren't elevated as much as many would expect, due to the story centering around the kid's battle, not Balthazar's. This is another standard Disney formula wherein the kid is undeserving, unprepared, and uneducated in the ways of the Samurai but is thrust into the center of the fray, regardless. Those who would rail against this formula, obviously weren't there to see a Disney movie.

All in all? The five of us ranging in age from 45 to 15, loved it. It is clever, and creative, marrying the science of magic known by today's standards with the arcane stories of our past. I found it intriguing and adventurous enough not to be preachy, while still managing to educate even the most unwilling movie goer.

It rates an 8.4/10 from...

the Fiend :.

The Kid's A Fast Learner

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 4 August 2010]

Throughout the ages Nicholas Cage has been hunting for someone he can teach the sorcerer's trade too. He's got a big problem because he's been keeping all kinds of demons in some magic prison type jars and they're ready to bust.

It's fate that when he finds the kid who grows up to be Jay Baruchel, his rival down through the age escapes. Alfred Molina is that selfsame rival and his mission is to free the greatest female sorcerer and evilest woman of all time, Morgan LeFay. When Alice Krige as Morgan busts out of her jar, the whole world is in peril.

Walt Disney's Studio revived one of their most famous titles, a Mickey Mouse cartoon that was honored back in the day called The Sorcerer's Apprentice. This film bears no resemblance to that bit of animation history, but it's still an entertaining film with the cast all performing at their very best.

My own favorite was English actor Toby Kebbell playing a David Copperfield type magician who is Molina's sidekick, but in fact merely turns out to be a useful idiot. Baruchel and Teresa Palmer as the beauty queen who is his true love make a nice couple. Besides that, this is the wish dream of every science nerd out there, to woo and win the homecoming queen. Of course what she goes through would be enough to bond her for life to Baruchel.

As for being a science nerd, magic is nice, but a little scientific knowledge helps a lot as well. In the end Cage and Baruchel learn from each other as the younger guy has a few science tricks to help defeat the bad guys.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is not going to be ever listed as one of the great products from the Magic Kingdom, but it's an entertaining family film a good recommendation in these days.

Horrible.... Unbearable acting by Jay Baruchel...... Yuck....

[amarjiith · 1/10 · 7 January 2013]

The movie would really have been a very good one had Jay not been the main character. His acting was horrible. He speaks in an animated voice, making grimaces, and trying to be overly foolish. To be precise, Jay appeared like an animated character. Other than his acting, everything in the movie was good. But since he was the main character of the movie, the entire movie was ruined. His acting was similar to that of star war's Hayden Christensen.

By the way about the videography, sound and graphics, I would rate it 9/10. Also acting of all other actors including Cage, Molina were very good.

So I opine that you should watch this movie only if you could tolerate Hayden Christensen's acting in star wars 2 and 3.

Please rate this review after reading it.

Cage and Molina are perfect. Fun Film.

[DUKEJBM · 17 July 2010]

A mild surprise but a pleasant one at that. It's pretty much exactly what you would expect but the performances and the special effects elevate the film to better than average popcorn summer fun. This movie serves its purpose and brings a smile to your face. Cage and Molina are perfectly cast and deliver exceptional performances. In fact, the entire cast does a really nice job. The story doesn't exactly have tremendous depth but it sets up enough and certainly delivers enough emotion to make it worthwhile. Honestly, the characters give off a serious "Dr. Strange" vibe and for a Marvel fan like me, that's a very good thing.

Lighthearted Fun

[Lifexinxrewind · 7/10 · 20 March 2011]

While The Sorcerer's Apprentice is totally content with presenting the standard "hero's journey" to a tee, the film does manage to be a somewhat worthwhile experience due to a good sense of humor throughout. I found the special effects to be rather interesting and fit in nicely with the surroundings, and while this was basically a family friendly version of the kind movies Jerry Bruckheimer has built his career on, there was a level of charm that brought it up a few notches. I read a few reviews after it was over and nearly all of the negative ones attacked it as a Harry Potter rip-off. I, however, didn't feel this way. Not every movie about magic needs to be compared to Harry Potter, and I didn't feel like that was the goal of this film. It also should be stated that I've always liked Nic Cage and thought he did a good job here. Overall, The Sorcerer's Apprentice warrants a recommendation for someone looking for an entertaining adventure flick, just don't expect much more. 7/10

Should have been two movies

[internetmail-28339 · 7/10 · 17 January 2016]

We really liked several things in this movie. First, of course, Alfred Molina, who never disappoints. Talk about actors whom I'd like to have a conversation with one day and Alfred Molina tops my list. Then the sets and backgrounds, the humor, other actors like Tony Kebbel as Drake Stone, Nicholas Cage as Balthazar. We were not too fond of Jay Baruchel, but then again, he wasn't bad either. The great flaw of this movie was that it should have been two movies. The story is great, but feels way too rushed. The whole explanation part with Balthazar and Horvath being friends and falling out over Veronica as apprentices of Merlin could easily have filled the first movie. Still, this movie was made with lots of energy and fun, and that shows in the end result. It deserves better than the ratings it got. That first movie could have ended with Balthazar and Horvath disappearing into the Chinese vase.

Fun movie, sad it never got a sequel

[Laura_Ratings · 6/10 · 19 April 2022]

Good movie to watch. It's quite entertaining and has a good story, though I would have liked to see more backstory. It's sad that the movie never got a sequel, the movie/story had so much more potential to become a succesful series. I like to rewatch the movie from time to time and it's still entertaining each time.

Not so bad magical movie.

[naroiden · 7/10 · 18 June 2023]

Imagine a movie like a Karate-Kid but the kid learning how to be a wizard, this is that kind of movie as the name of the movie indicates and it's decent about being such a movie.

I admit for years I didn't want to watch it just because how cringe its poster is because a kid throws kamehameha like he is some Dragon Ball character. In the movie seeing such "Ki" attacks was cringy but at least it was not all there is. There was also good old magic tricks and traps you can't see in Harry Potter movies.

In general I liked the theme of the movie. It uses the legend of Merlin and they made sorcery make sense like to make stuff burn you feel the vibration of the object and increase the speed of the vibration. Wizards actually use their knowledge and understanding of the law of physics to do magic which is a cool idea for a sorcery story. It's not stupid like Harry Potter movies where they say some stuff and wave their stick.

At the beginning the way the movie tell the story of the past was so cringy due to the weird cinematography enough for me to almost close the movie but I was eating so it was better to keep watching the movie until I'm done eating instead of looking at ceiling but I'm glad I kept watching it. After the beginning sequence the cinematography gets decent.

I liked how the movie has references for many things - It was a great cheery on top.

If you will like the movie or not really depends on if you will like one of the protagonists called "Prime Merlinean". He is a nerd and chatty like Spider-Man/Peter Parker, at least sometimes he can crack a little joke and can be fun sometimes. The guy who play as Prime Merlinean really acts very decently. It's like they didn't tell him they are shooting a movie LOL. Sometimes it's basically fun to watch him react to things. Also regarding the reaction of people in the movie, people make realistic reactions to seeing something supernatural which is a great plus for the movie. Usually in movies to don't waste time characters are so ready to accept and go with the flow of any BS they experience LOL.

It's one of the rare movie that doesn't have obvious plot holes or any errors except The Twin Towers is missing in the year 2000 of New York but it's probably intentional to not make people remember the one of the saddest day. You gotta also consider how these kind of movies are like parallel universe stories just because the events of the movie cannot happen in real life so no wonder what exist and what doesn't exist in particular time is different in these movies comparing to real life.

Lastly soundtrack of the movie is very good which is rare. Thanks to the movie I could learn a song called "New Life" by O+S. I was hungry for a new song these days. It's rare for me to find a good song that has good lyrics that are greatly harmonized with a good melody. The rest of the songs were not so bad.

Flavorless Fantasy Rides Heavily on Effects But Lacks Genuine Heart

[EUyeshima · 4/10 · 4 August 2010]

It's sad to see the current state of Nicolas Cage's once-promising career stuck in Jerry Bruckheimer's series of bombastic blockbusters like this uninspired 2010 Disney fantasy adventure. One wonders if the actor's current financial woes have forced him to make heavily commercial choices at the expense of worthwhile projects like his Oscar-winning turn in Mike Figgis' 1995 "Leaving Las Vegas" or Spike Jonze's 2002 "Adaptation". Apparently, Cage is the one responsible for the concept behind this movie based only tangentially on the famous Mickey Mouse sequence in the 1940 animated classic, "Fantasia". There is a weak homage to the earlier film with a series of uncooperative wet mops, but the rest of the story is calculated, hokey Arthurian legend, the patchwork result of three credited scriptwriters, Matt Lopez, Doug Miro, and Carlo Bernard, who play strictly by the cliché guidebook.

The convoluted plot, such as it is, focuses on one of Merlin's apprentices, the noble Balthazar Blake, who must fight to save mankind from the evil machinations of Horvath, who of course, wants to destroy it. It's a grudge match that starts in 740 AD when Balthazar's lady, Veronica, gets stuck in a nesting doll called a grimhold with the malevolent Morgana le Fay. The action moves forward to Manhattan at the millennium where ten-year-old Dave Stutler meets the ageless Balthazar in an antique store. Complications ensue, as Horvath shows up and both mythical characters get locked into a vase for ten years. The story moves forward again to current-day New York with Balthazar finally freed and Veronica's liberation dependent on the discovery of an enchanted being called the Prime Merlinian. This turns out to be the now-twenty-year old Dave, a NYU physics student who epitomizes pure geekdom. Meanwhile, Morgana plans to gather an evil army to destroy the world when she gets freed. Dave also has a love interest in a comely student named Becky who has been his crush for the past decade.

As elaborate as the special effects are, they strike me as standard-issue and at times downright cynical with very little of a wow factor. The film is at its best only when Cage and Alfred Molina as Horvath are trying to outwit each other with competing feats of screen magic. It's a credit to both seasoned actors that neither embarrasses himself too badly in the superficial roles they accepted here. The same cannot be said for Jay Baruchel ("Knocked Up") who plays Dave as an excessive case study in constant awkwardness. The women fare even worse with Monica Bellucci and Alice Krige in barely-there roles as Veronica and Morgana, respectively. Teresa Palmer nicely underplays Becky, the girl of Dave's dreams, although her character's role in the climax is absurdly contrived. Leaden direction from Jon Turteltaub does little to offset the manipulative nature of this Disney-merchandise extravaganza, which by the end, leaves very little impact. In fact, I'm having trouble remembering it now.

Great fun, cynics need not apply

[supercygnus · 8/10 · 17 July 2010]

Jay B. is funny and charming in a believably nerdy fashion; Cage is at his quirky but charismatic best; the effects are plentiful and top notch; there's both a tragic love story and a young cute one plus a healthy dose of clever references to Disney's epic Fantasia (from which this film is partially inspired). If you read this list of attributes and it caught your interest and like the idea of centuries old sorcerers doing battle across New York in spectacular fashion then it wont matter what any other review says, you're going to want to check this flick out. It's funny, the cast is likable and there's a freaking dragon tearing up Chinatown (and that isn't even the finale!). On the other hand if all of this made you cringe, well nothing is going to persuade you to see it either. The truth is SORCERER'S APPRENTICE is fairly predictable, and the opening few minutes suffer a great deal from a completely distracting (and not needed) bit of narration but it is also solid matinée fun that I know I (and apparently the theater of folks I saw it with) really enjoyed.