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Dave (Jay Baruchel) is just an average college student, or so it appears, until the sorcerer Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) recruits him as his reluctant protege and gives him a crash course in the art and science of magic. As he prepares for a battle against the forces of darkness in modern-day Manhattan, Dave finds it is going to take all of the courage he can muster to survive his training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes The Sorcerer';s Apprentice.
There is much that's appealing, from the performances to the scene where Turteltaub re-creates a live-action version of the classic scene from Disney's Fantasia.
July 16, 2010
Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema
Whether intentional or not, The Sorcerer's Apprentice plays like Disney's stalled attempt to launch a stripped down Harry Potter-like franchise.
It also looks quite nice with some well-designed adventure moments and clean camera work that's flashy but usually elegant. But that's a few islands of interest on a sea of interchangeable marketing parts that's all sizzle and no substance.
As an object to look at and be zoomed along in like an amusement park ride -- which is all it's meant to be -- this movie is pretty much more of the summery same.
As Balthazar, Cage doesn't disappoint. He's just manic enough to keep the character from becoming too predictable. More's the pity, then, that a pro like him has to cede so much screen time to his character's young protege.