Disney goes for the 'Sorcerer' sweep
Nicolas Cage showing off a little sorcery. (Walt Disney Pictures)
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Running time: *** minutes
MPAA rating: PG (fantasy action violence, some mild rude humor and brief language)
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The film-making folks at Disney are quite comfortable poking around their own back lot for ideas.
They only had to look as far as one of their most popular amusement park rides to come up with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, which shows no signs of letting up as a box office cash cow.
Here we go again. The Mouse House and director Jon Turteltaub slip us a Mickey with "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." A Mickey Mouse, that is.
Nicolas Cage, Alfred Molina and Jay Baruchel head the cast in an ambitious live action sorcerer's yarn that pulsates with comic quips, CGI wizardry and, for lack of better words, fantasy high jinks.
It's all very loosely based on the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of Walt Disney's creative ceiling-breaker "Fantasia" of 1937. Mickey Mouse conjures up a runaway straw broom in that one. The new version pays homage to the original with a contrived segment.
Know this: "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," circa 2010 is lively and fun comic-adventure. And know this: It's not because Turteltaub or some Disney exec felt the need to spotlight the broom (or, in this case, mop) segment. Frankly, that part's pretty boring.
The rest isn't, though. Cage, sporting a beleaguered look and rag-mop hair extensions, portrays Balthazar, a former apprentice to Merlin himself about a thousand years ago. Flash forward to modern day Manhattan and Balthazar is continuing his search for a chosen one, of sorts, to carry on the fight against evil sorcerer Horvath (Alfred Molina).
Balthazar will need a protege, of course. So young actor Jay Baruchel takes on Dave, an NYU physics major with no idea he's about to play a major role in attempting to save mankind from Horvath and evil sorceress Morgana (Alice Krige). They're intent on raising the dead to wipe out the living.
With that as the driving force, it doesn't appear that this conglomeration of special effects and nonsense would amount to much fun. It does, though.
Cage, who chooses roles badly at times ("Knowing," Bangkok Dangerous"), rolls up his sorcerer's sleeves and has the kind of acting blast we've grown familiar with in the "National Treasure" flicks.
Also, I really like the way Molina (the terrific British actor of "An Education" and the forgettable "Prince of Persia") injects frivolity into the villain of the piece.
If I were the jury, I'd still be out on Baruchel, though. In his meatiest role yet, the guy who finally grabbed center stage with the recent "She's Out of My League," might just be out of his here.
For some reason, instead of conjuring up Mickey Mouse's determined demeanor as the sorcerer's apprentice, Baruchel channels Christian Slater and even Peter Falk's "Columbo" with a stammering, stuttering speech pattern.
Annoying, that. But it can't smother the overall frolic appeal of what could be the next Disney franchise.
Ahoy, there. Take that, you "Pirates."
They only had to look as far as one of their most popular amusement park rides to come up with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, which shows no signs of letting up as a box office cash cow.
Here we go again. The Mouse House and director Jon Turteltaub slip us a Mickey with "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." A Mickey Mouse, that is.
Nicolas Cage, Alfred Molina and Jay Baruchel head the cast in an ambitious live action sorcerer's yarn that pulsates with comic quips, CGI wizardry and, for lack of better words, fantasy high jinks.
It's all very loosely based on the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of Walt Disney's creative ceiling-breaker "Fantasia" of 1937. Mickey Mouse conjures up a runaway straw broom in that one. The new version pays homage to the original with a contrived segment.
Know this: "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," circa 2010 is lively and fun comic-adventure. And know this: It's not because Turteltaub or some Disney exec felt the need to spotlight the broom (or, in this case, mop) segment. Frankly, that part's pretty boring.
The rest isn't, though. Cage, sporting a beleaguered look and rag-mop hair extensions, portrays Balthazar, a former apprentice to Merlin himself about a thousand years ago. Flash forward to modern day Manhattan and Balthazar is continuing his search for a chosen one, of sorts, to carry on the fight against evil sorcerer Horvath (Alfred Molina).
Balthazar will need a protege, of course. So young actor Jay Baruchel takes on Dave, an NYU physics major with no idea he's about to play a major role in attempting to save mankind from Horvath and evil sorceress Morgana (Alice Krige). They're intent on raising the dead to wipe out the living.
With that as the driving force, it doesn't appear that this conglomeration of special effects and nonsense would amount to much fun. It does, though.
Cage, who chooses roles badly at times ("Knowing," Bangkok Dangerous"), rolls up his sorcerer's sleeves and has the kind of acting blast we've grown familiar with in the "National Treasure" flicks.
Also, I really like the way Molina (the terrific British actor of "An Education" and the forgettable "Prince of Persia") injects frivolity into the villain of the piece.
If I were the jury, I'd still be out on Baruchel, though. In his meatiest role yet, the guy who finally grabbed center stage with the recent "She's Out of My League," might just be out of his here.
For some reason, instead of conjuring up Mickey Mouse's determined demeanor as the sorcerer's apprentice, Baruchel channels Christian Slater and even Peter Falk's "Columbo" with a stammering, stuttering speech pattern.
Annoying, that. But it can't smother the overall frolic appeal of what could be the next Disney franchise.
Ahoy, there. Take that, you "Pirates."
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