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Movie Profile
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
2010 ยท United States - Jon Turteltaub
In 740 AD, one of the three apprentices of Merlin (James A. Stephens), Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), betrays him by joining forces with the evil sorceress Morgana le Fay (Alice Krige). Morgana mortally wounds Merlin before another apprentice, Veronica Gorloisen (Monica Bellucci), absorbs Morgana's soul into her own body. As Morgana tries to kill Veronica from within, the final apprentice, Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) stops her by imprisoning Morgana and Veronica in the Grimhold, a magic prison in the shape of a nesting doll. Before dying, Merlin gives Baltazhar a dragon ring that will identify the Prime Merlinean, Merlin's successor who will be the only one able to defeat Morgana. Throughout history Balthazar imprisons Morganians, sorcerers who try to release Morgana, including Horvath, into successive layers on the Grimhold while he searches for the successor.
Genres:
Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Family, Action, Drama, Comedy
Release date:
2010-07-14
External links:
The Sorcerer's Apprentice at IMDB The Sorcerer's Apprentice at Wikipedia
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Rotten Tomatoes
20 Critic reviews
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Minneapolis Star Tribune
January 31, 2011 read full article
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Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor
He cana(TM)t hold a candle to Mickey.
July 16, 2010 read full article
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Nancy Churnin
Dallas Morning News
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 read full article
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Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
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.
July 16, 2010 read full article
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Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
The Sorcerer's Apprentice should be rated U for Untouched by Human Hands.
July 15, 2010 read full article
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Tom Long
Detroit News
A big gob of mythical makeover and special effects-freewheeling fun.
July 15, 2010 read full article
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David Germain
Associated Press
It's a fairly fun time for families, and Hollywood can -- and continually does -- build franchises out of far worse concoctions than this.
July 15, 2010 read full article
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Jennie Punter
Globe and Mail
With a predictable plot, by-the-numbers action-movie jolts and no real sense of wonder, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is really just a pumpkin.
July 15, 2010 read full article
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Cliff Doerksen
Chicago Reader
Once the filmmakers have dispensed with a grueling expository preface set in Arthurian England, this shameless Harry Potter knockoff is a pretty tasty bucket of popcorn.
July 15, 2010 read full article
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Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
On a hot summer day, a family trip to the movies can be a time-filler or a time-waster. Apprentice honorably fits the second category.
July 15, 2010 read full article
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A.O. Scott
New York Times
While Mr. Molina and Mr. Cage supply a measure of well-compensated eccentricity, their labors ultimately serve to emphasize the grinding mediocrity of the enterprise.
July 15, 2010 read full article
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Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
A generally joyless pastiche of sorcery history, imitation Potter "chosen one" Messianics and mirthless silliness, it's another in a string of recent black marks against Cage's Oscar-owning reputation.
July 15, 2010 read full article
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James Berardinelli
ReelViews
The movie isn't so much bad as it is formulaic and uninspired. In some ways, that might almost be a worse sin.
July 15, 2010 read full article
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Mary F. Pols
MSN Movies
The movie proceeds exactly as you'd expect, only longer and with much less insanity than you'd expect from Cage.
July 14, 2010 read full article
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Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
The Sorcerer's Apprentice is too long, and it's ersatz magic, but at least it casts an ersatz spell.
July 14, 2010 read full article
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Kyle Smith
New York Post
The title character in The Sorcerer's Apprentice is played by Jay Baruchel, and here things begin to go seriously astray. They don't ever stop.
July 14, 2010 read full article
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Walter V. Addiego
San Francisco Chronicle
It's an OK, family-oriented comedy action blockbuster with jokes and special effects troweled on to bolster its not-terribly-fresh story of magic and mentoring.
July 14, 2010 read full article
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Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
In place of a plot, there's a premise; in place of carefully crafted action, there are stupefying exercises in computer-generated imagery, and in place of an ending, there's a hook for the sequel and, if all goes well, a new franchise.
July 14, 2010 read full article
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Bruce Demara
Toronto Star
The story takes a little too long to tell, the special effects take precedence over the plot and the climax is as predictable as the hefty box office the film is likely to amass.
July 14, 2010 read full article
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Joe Neumaier
New York Daily News
That there are more misses than hits will matter only if you're above the legal age to drive.
July 14, 2010 read full article
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