Where's the Blue Hat?: A Review of The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Another Disney-Bruckheimer collaboration debuted this past week with the opening of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.  The film stars the ever-busy Nicolas Cage who some would argue has chosen quantity over quality as he has starred in nearly 30 films over the last decade.  It is not the first time that he has teamed up with Bruckheimer, as both National Treasure and its sequel were big at the box office.
The movie opens with the background to the story as many films due.  Especially for a plotline as far-out as this one, this pre-story was a necessity.  The narrative, which describes how Merlin himself trained Balthazar (Cage), seems to be more compelling than the actual story.  In fact a prequel that detailed the nearly 1300 years before Balthazar meets Dave (co-star Jay Baruchel) would have plenty of room for creative adventure.  I digress…


Dave is a physics nerd at NYU who suddenly finds out that he is the “chosen one” of magicians (he is even dubbed with a very hokey name that I will spare you of).  His task is to help defeat Merlin’s arch nemesis Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend.  Baruchel overplays the his character’s nerdiness and transforms him into not only a geek, but their chosen leader at the annual Lack of Social Skills Convention.  Cage is typical and his cadence and delivery of most of his lines mirrors that of many of his recent roles.


Without giving away too much of the plot (Spoiler alert: be ready for plasmoid CPR), this film suffers from a trend that is becoming all too common for Disney.  Disney hit it big when they created Pirates of the Caribbean based on the classic and iconic rides at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  Since then, they have been trying to repeat the phenomenon of taking something that at its core is Disney and elaborating on it until it is almost something entirely different.  Case studies would consist of Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree, and possibly even Enchanted (although the argument would be a little different here).
Everyone who knows Disney recognizes the link between this new film and the classic scene from the original Fantasia.  If this doesn’t ring any bells google image Disney’s Hollywood Studios and see what the main picture is.  The scene where Mickey dons the blue stars and moon hat has forever been immortalized in film and Disney culture as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.  While Disney tries to create a link with a mop scene and some borrowed music in the new film, the link is at best weak and disappointing.  Disney has become complacent in using old classic themes to drum up interest in new entirely different enterprises and this is just the latest example.


My main beef with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is not is that the plot is terrible, its just poorly executed.  Again, as any Bruckheimer production of late, it dazzles with some impressive effects and CGI, but much of the substance is missing.  There are allusions to Lucas blockbusters Indiana Jones and Star Wars, but this film is at best in a galaxy far far away from those two.  The movie does a great job of using the hit single “Secrets” by OneRepublic to push forward the college-aged romance and makes some of the sappiness ok.  However, lots of the rest of the plot seems hokey and forced.  If you’re a big fan on Cage, special effects, or OneRepublic try this one out.  Its not terrible, just mediocre.  Otherwise, grab a bag of popcorn and pull out your old VHS of Fantasia.


2 stars out of 5



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-Nuss

Disney's Middle Eastern Orphan Boy Take Two

When I saw the first trailer for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time I was conflicted. I was intrigued by the pairing of producing great Jerry Bruckheimer (C.S.I., Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure etc.) and the Disney corporation. , but the idea of Jake Gyllenhaal playing in a plot designed originally for a video game worried me. To date, I had not seen a Gyllenhaal movie that I had liked and because of cinematic endeavors such as Htiman, Max Payne, and Doom, I am leery about video game based plots. Yet, most likely because of an unhindered brand loyalty I found myself Trying to convince others to see Prince of Persia (POP) with me in theaters.

POP opens in a Middle-Eastern marketplace and thoughts of Aladdin come to mind faster than you can say “street rat.” The young Dastan (Gyllenhaal) is an orphan boy chosen by the King himself to be a prince. Had there been a vest-donned monkey déjà vu would have been an understatement.

The movie is true to Bruckheimer’s traditional style and majors in spectacle. The vast desert landscapes, stunning ancient castles, and over the top CGI effects are create a sort of visual overload, a typical Bruckheimer tool. Unfortunately, at times rather than being awe-inspiring, the effects can be distracting and even unbelievable.

The storyline actually pleasantly surprised me. The plot has depth that is not expected of a video game based film, and its central conflict is multi-dimensional. While certain parts of the plot are forced upon the viewer by character explanation, for the most part it progresses along quite smoothly.

There is no doubt who Disney is targeting with this film. As Tinker Bell movies grow in popularity and announcements have been made regarding the WDW Fantasyland expansion, many are criticizing Disney for alienating the elementary to middle school boy demographic. This PG-13 movie has plenty of action without the gore of similar films and its hero is one that young boys will undoubtedly pretend to be. I found myself disliking some of the shallow humor, but must be reminded that ten years ago, I probably would have found the jokes rather funny.

When the sands of time settle, the movie is entertaining. The ancient cultures may not be historically accurate, but they fit well into the story. Gyllenhaal was ok, but didn’t seem like the right fit for the role. Gemma Arterton plays the female role well, and this could be her breakout film as her only other movie of note was a small role as Strawberry Fields in the lackluster Quantum of Solace. Both were clearly cast for their looks rather than acting persona. I don’t see Disney basing a ride off of this one soon, but if you are a parent of young boys or are just a Disney loyalist this is one you should see. Disney proves it can tell a story well even if it is from a video game. I just hope that they don’t get to ambitious and try Call of Duty.

Hope you like the review. Don't forget to send requests and comments to clawandnussreviews@gmail.com. And please follow us on Twitter, if not, Joey may consider doing something drastic. Thanks for reading us, and don't forget we love referrals (wow that was cheesy, I apologize).

-Nuss