When The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was released in 2010 it was awesome! This was one of the earlier Disney live-action adaptations of one of their classic stories. As you have probably figured out, this is based on the Mickey Mouse scene from Fantasia and it made for a very interesting movie adaptation.
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The Movie Review
What got me excited about this before it was released was the team behind it. I am a big fan of Jerry Bruckheimer and his National Treasure team was behind this movie and I think if you have seen those movies, you can tell. While it may not be the greatest live-action adaptation by Disney and it may not be as great as I remembered it being, I still had a fun time re-watching this.
The movie has an epic opening in England in the days of Merlin! Merlin has three apprentices, Balthazar, Veronica, and Horvath. Merlin is betrayed by Horvath who has teamed up with the sorceress, Morgana Le Fey. While Merlin is killed, Veronica is able to seal Morgana’s soul in her own body and Balthazar seals them both away in a magical prison called, The Grimhold.
Just before Merlin dies, he gives Balthazar a special trinket that will help him find Merlin’s true heir. It is Merlin’s true heir that will be able to stop Morgana Le Fey once and for all and for generations, Balthazar searches for this heir, living many different lives as he does. Which brings him to modern-day New York City.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Trailer
In New York City, we find out that the heir is a young guy called Dave who is ten years old and a really nerdy kid. Dave and Balthazar cross paths, but before Balthazar can really tell him of his destiny, Dave has an accident that opens up the Grimhold and this is where the trouble comes!
You see, Horvath, comes back and in a scuffle, Balthazar and Horvath end up imprisoned in a relic for ten years. Dave freaks out, runs away, and for ten years is laughed at, medicated, and has a brutal life because of this. Once those ten years pass, Balthazar is released along with Horvath and it is a race to find Dave so he can fulfill his prophecy.
Look, I know saying that The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a live-action adaptation of the scene from Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 is a real stretch, but I think what they did here really works. Nicholas Cage as Balthazar, Jay Baruchel as Dave and Alfred Molina as Horvath have excellent chemistry and the whole movie moves at a brisk pace and is quite exciting, all be it lacks any real depth.
This is a fantasy and magic story and a fun one. I do feel that the more recent Disney live-action adaptations have more “substance” to them in terms of their story, but I still think The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a good time. It has a fantastic scene that is a great nod to the famous part of Fantasia where Mickey tries to use magic to clean which is probably the most memorable part of the movie.
I know that The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is probably never going to be classed as a classic. However, if you are looking for a fun movie to watch while you eat popcorn and a whole bunch of chocolate, you will have a good time with this. It is one of those movies that is kind of forgotten about and while not great, it is still pretty good.
