Very slow middle that builds up to a great, exciting end
Thursday night, I and my son were invited by Liz Parker, from the blog Yes/No Films, to an advance screening of the new Disney movie "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" at the Livonia AMC 20.
Since this is a Disney film, I knew it would be a good, clean movie aimed at kids that is full of heroes, villains, and lots of action. I also knew that this film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and stared Nicolas Cage who both were part of the "National Treasure" franchise. I LOVED all of "National Treasure" films so I was really expecting a great movie.
Nicolas Cage plays Balthazar Blake, a sorcerer apprentice to Merlin the Magician from King Author fame. Merlin and Balthazar are betrayed by the sorcerer Maxin Horvath (played by Alfred Molina) who wants to destroy mankind. To save the world from doom, Balthazar imprisons Maxin and other evil sorcerers inside a Chinese nesting doll. Also imprisoned in the doll is Balthazar's one true love Veronica (played by the beautiful Monica Bellucci). Before Merlin dies, he gives Balthazar has sorcerer ring and tells him to find the one child that has the sorcerer power to save the world. Balthazar searches for centuries to find the child so that he can free Veronica from the doll. That child turns out to be Dave Stutler (played by Jay Baruchel) who is more science geek than powerful sorcerer.
The movie follows all the twists and turns of Balthazar teaching a grown-up Dave how to have confidence in this ability as a sorcerer and both of them trying to save the world from Maxin who Dave accidentally let out of the Chinese nesting doll. There are tons of actions scenes, magic duels, car chases and explosions - everything that a kid wants in a movie. My son loved the action scenes and he was cheering at the end of the movie.
For the most part I thought the movie was good. But for all the action in the film, the middle of the movie is boring and I kept looking at my watch to see when it would be over. That was surprising to me since I was never bored watching any the "National Treasure" movies. About 30 minutes of this movie could have been cut out and it would have been a much better film that would have been exciting from beginning to end. Also Jay Baruchel was good as the character Dave, but I felt I was watching him play the exact same nerdy role that he played in "She's out of My League".
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a good Disney movie that children and adults will like with lots of action and special effects. Just be prepared for a very slow middle that builds up to a great, exciting end.
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"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" opens in theaters July 14, 2010.
