The Sorcerer's Apprentice
“Then I looked inside Nicolas Cage and found a secret, people are random and pointless.”
If you know me then you’ll know I really don’t like Nicholas Cage. Well, too be more specific, I don’t like Post Con-Air Cafe. That’s the line. The line occurred after repeatedly saying “I don’t like Cage” for people to then go “but Con-Air” and listing past movies before this one that I enjoyed. So there is now a Post Con-Air Cage line. Or to use it scientifically, the descent into Crazy Cage. Because frankly, everyone has noticed that the actor just simply isn’t stellar anymore. So I am just going to brush Kick-Ass aside (because that’s the kind of awesome and ridiculousness that needs Cage,) and state that the one movie that I genuinely enjoy is this.
But my god, is it pants.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a movie version of the Fantasia snippet with Mickey and the Brooms. Also starring Jay Bruchnel as Dave, Cage plays Balthazar, a wizard who studied under Merlin. However, he is bretayed by another named Maxim and brings Morgana to kill Merlin. A young witch named Veronica, who Balthazar is in love with, takes Veronica into her soul and Balthazar traps them in a Russian Doll along with all the other bad witches and wizards. Years later in modern New York, Balthazar meets Dave, the Prime Merlinian (that’s the ultimate wizard.) But at the same time,
Why Is It Bad?
Right well, for an ultimate wizard film, this lacks in magic. It doesn’t spark imagination and the weight of the story should really have the awe-inspiring feel to it. Disney really do seem to cop out on their live-action movie these days. Where the animation soars, they flop. This is no different. The story is convoluted but instead of matching up to it, it falls flat. The final battle is sub-par and at a lot of build-up falls flat. At the best of times, the movie barely holds your attention and if you are lucky enough to not fall asleep during it, you won’t be entirely spellbound by it.
Why is it Good?
“For the least demanding viewers.”
That is how it is billed on Rotten Tomatoes. And to some degree, that’s me. I enjoyed it. I have absolutely no reason why. Part of me thinks its because magic always titillates me. The other part knows it’s because Jay Baruchel, having thankful start to break away from the Seth Rogen grasp, is so incredibly likeable that you invest yourself in the very real Dave. Cage, though makes a lot of over dramatic faces, is quite fun and Alfred Molina (who plays Maxim) is ever the British villain. Plus, One Republic “Secrets” is THE song so it enough to peak your interest like “oh, this song is good.”
To put it bluntly; The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a good film. It’s ok. Great for children and people of that disposition and something to watch when your brain is going put put.
To put it more bluntly;
Meh, it’s alright.
TTFN
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