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The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Movie Review

I have a terrible thing to admit.

A terrible, horrible thing.

I didn’t mind Nicholas Cage in this movie.

Perhaps because he played an old crazy wizard [sorry, sorcerer] who wore a long leather jacket and hobo full arm gloves, but seriously, he wasn’t that bad. He as a gruff rough and tough 1000 year old wizard [sorry, sorcerer] cast against the delightfully nerdy Jay Baruchel [who I have a HUGE crush on] was quite a good decision.
Such a pity then that the movie is simply a rehash of many similar films and stories.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a story of Dave [Jay Baruchel] who is a nerdy loner who of course becomes the Chosen One for an epic battle which has been going on since long before he was born between the wizards [sorry, sorcerers] who were the apprentices of history’s greatest wizard [sorry, sorcerer] Merlin. It is a coming of age story where he learns his true powers, learns to make his own way in the world and learns that love is more powerful than anything else. Feel like you’ve heard it before? You have.

This doesn’t actually mean this is a bad film. It’s certainly not the worst film I’ve ever seen, and I did have fun watching it. It just means it’s never going to break new ground. Some of the comedy from Baruchel is fresh and cute [if you like nerdy, awkward humour] and a good hit to the crotch can make anyone laugh at times, but it’s nothing more than a coming of age story involving wizards [sorry, sorcerers].

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice [the fable, if you can call it that] is a very old story which Disney have already used many a year ago in Fantasia. And should you watch this film having already seen Fantasia, you will understand the similarities, particularly in one scene that parallels Mickey’s adventures from 1940. That simple story is one of being too headstrong for one’s own good. And in both Fantasia and in Sorcerer’s Apprentice, this causes all kinds of trouble, until the main character learns he must train his powers to be the Chosen wizard [sorry, sorcerer] he is supposed to be.
Personally, I would say Fantasia’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice [which only runs for approximately 10 minutes] is much more emotionally powerful than this new live action film. Watch Fantasia before you see this to understand the parallels. But all in all it is a simple coming of age story involving nerds and wizards [sorry, sorcerers] and action and will entertain you for a couple hours if all you’re looking for is light entertainment. I would recommend it as a movie night DVD.

As a footnote, a sequel is already set up within the film [and in the after credits scene] should it do well at the box office. It really doesn’t need a sequel, but it does seem to be the way Hollywood is going lately – a film does ok, let’s give it a sequel! Maybe they should consider leaving stories be once in a while…

Do you agree? Is Nick not that bad? oOr is his haripiece really doing all the work?  Feedback and let us know!

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Article Links

• http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/sorcerersapprentice/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sorcerer
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963966/

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Comments

One Response to “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Movie Review”

1. One Girl in Melbourne says:

   I totally PWNED David Stratton with this review! In the review of Sorcerer’s Apprentice on The Movie Show, he was like “Uhh, I think this movie takes off Fantasia” of course it does! It was supposed to! DO YOUR RESEARCH DAVID STRATTON! ^_^

   [I know I'm milking this, but that's the first and most likely last time I'll get to say that ^_^]

   September 16, 2010 at 12:37 am

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