The Sorcerers Apprentice
SCORE: 75
Everyone that remembers Mickey Mouse having problems with magic in
Fantasia will appreciate one important scene in The Sorcerers
Apprentice. This movie is based loosely on that scene, but tells a much
deeper story. Merlin and Morgana fight when one of Merlin's three
apprentices betrays him. Another apprentice sacrifices herself to stop
Morgana, and the the third is entrusted with finding the boy who will
save the world from Morgana. A dragon's ring is the magical artifact
that will determine who this savior is.
The Sorcerers Apprentice revolves around a whole world of magic that is
set in the real world. The director took an interesting direction with
this. Magic and science are shown as complimenting one another. The
reason the young man Dave (played by Jay Baruchel) is so good at physics
is because of the magical ability in his body. Each sorcerer has a
conduit with which they can do magic. A ring, cane or some other
artifact with a gem that allows them to project their magical thoughts.
This can be turning a paper dragon into a real one, shooting fire,
plasma balls, air, etc.
The visuals in The Sorcerers Apprentice are beyond this world. The scene
where the mops come to life and clean are absolutely amazing. The
characters dress appropriately, although there is a fair amount of
violence. Thankfully there is no gore. You may want to pay attention to
the ages of children in terms of watching The Sorcerers Apprentice. I
had my five year old and my eight year old with me when I watched The
Sorcerers Apprentice. That night I found out what a mistake I had made.
Our five year old had nightmares about the bugs, and the dragon.
The musical score in The Sorcerers Apprentice is really good. It matches
the mood of the movie as well as the action. The audience gets
explanations for various key historical parts at the right stages. The
Sorcerers Apprentice does contain some humor that you may not
appreciate. I found various parts funny, even though some are self
deprecating. The Sorcerers Apprentice also contains a few language
issues here and there.
Disney was kind enough to send Family Friendly Gaming the Blu-ray + DVD
package of The Sorcerers Apprentice. There are some exceptional behind
the scenes features on these discs. Deleted scenes, out-takes, Fantasia
Reinventing a Classic, Magic in the City, Making Magic Real, The Science
of Sorcery and more. It is really neat to see how they did what they did
in this movie. I spent a fair amount of time watching the bonus
features, and enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed the movie.
The menu screens on The Sorcerers Apprentice pop out very naturally. My
only quibble here is how small the text is on them. I understand they
cram a lot into the descriptions, but it is a pet peeve of mine. The
storyline is laid out right at the beginning. The Sorcerers Apprentice
contains a sub plot in terms of romance which carries on throughout the
film. Actually there are multiple romances in The Sorcerers Apprentice -
so pay attention when you watch it. I enjoyed watching The Sorcerers
Apprentice, as did my children. I did not enjoy the nightmare it
created, and will be more careful with that child in the future.
The magical elements of The Sorcerers Apprentice is the one issue some
families will have. The core of The Sorcerers Apprentice is good
fighting off evil. The immortality aspect of Balthazar Blake (Nicolas
Cage's character) is one for discussion around the dinner table. Another
topic for discussion is what would you do to stop an evil person. Would
you hurt a loved one if it meant saving the world? What kind of bondage
would you yourself take on to stop evil? How would you use power if it
was given to you? These are deep and intense topics that The Sorcerers
Apprentice touches upon.
- Yolanda
Graphics: 73%
Sound: 71%
Replay/Extras: 88%
Gameplay: 78%
Family Friendly Factor: 66%
System: Blu-ray/DVD
Publisher: Disney
Rating: 'PG' for Parental Guidance Suggested
{Fantasy Action Violence, Some Mild Rude Humor, Brief Language}
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