The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The first half is undeniably awesome! Cage has a big mane on his head after thirteen years and is cooler than ever, Baruchel is a nerdy dork and Molina's slimy villain is best of all. But then the rules are laid down, Turteltaub starts repeating everything (can they really do no more than throw plasma balls at each other!?) and the wit and perspective disappear. The finale is as breathless and boring as the bulldog. It’s a sad state of affairs when, after less than an hour, you still think you’d love to give this "Bruckheimer popcorn" four stars. (11/14/2010)

Excessive bet on certainty. There have been many modern action-romantic fantasies in recent years, but not every one can be made into a saga. This one definitely won't be. It's not a disaster, but almost everything has been seen better elsewhere. Nicolas Cage stands out the most in the film, as if he was born for Turteltaub's films, but he will shine even more in the third National Treasure. Modestly positive impressions are left by him, the "flash" version of Secrets by OneRepublic, and an unexpected reminder of a classic Disney short. (05/14/2011)

Back in movie theatres after a long time. I can't say I regretted the price of admission, since my parents paid it for me, i.e. I went to take my younger sister out. It reminded me of other movies (like Beauty and the Beast) at several points. As early as the very intro, where the betrayal occurs, I was already laughing; but it was so good, I got past it. Then the year 2000, where even I was enthralled by the drawing on the glass of the school bus, then just routine and blah blah. Thankfully, the boy grows up, time passes, and we have 2010, where of course what everyone expects happens. Yes, please turn your brains off and you'll be entertained, but unfortunately mine turned on a few times and I had to make a sarcastic remark here and there (my sister liked them, I don't know about the rest of you who heard me). By the end, I was praying there wouldn't be another instalment (even though the creators left a way in). Otherwise, the weird wizard was resurrected exactly as I expected; we need people like Dave in our health care system... :-D The acting was average (only Dave delivered at times, I'd say, especially when he got the same look on his face that my uncle gets when he gets drunk, I really give positive points for that, not just anyone can do that...). And the three songs are worth downloading. (08/20/2010)

I hereby declare Teresa Palmer the beauty of the year. Otherwise, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a fine fairytale, spoiled by Turteltaub’s directing. Jerry should look for somebody more capable. Cage plays a pleasant weirdo once again and Jay Baruchel does a good job too. Is there any other movie where a mop saved the day? Give me the doll! (12/30/2010)

A teenage fantasy (for teenagers). It's not a bad film, but it's too specifically targeted and can't even be considered a family film. The best actors (Monica Bellucci, Alfred Molina) unfortunately play only second fiddle. (09/19/2022)

Except for the exaggerated runtime and the rather unsympathetic main character, I have practically nothing to complain about regarding The Sorcerer's Apprentice. The film was exactly what I expected it to be. Entertaining, digitally spectacular, funny (sometimes a lot ---> quotes from Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, the line "Are you someone from Depeche mode?"), well acted for easy family entertainment (except for the aforementioned apprentice), and sometimes even action-packed (the car chase) and harmless. Cage and Molina won't disappoint their fans, and Monica Bellucci certainly won't either, although she isn’t on screen for very long. Turteltaub directs skillfully and briskly, helped a lot by Rabin's music (but it doesn't impress when listened to on its own). If you want Hollywood popcorn entertainment, you'll get it. He who spits in anger can only curse himself. Nobody was expecting The Prestige 2, were they? (03/05/2011)

Quite fun and with a lot of expensive digital tricks to see (which ultimately improve the overall impression), but also toothless and with a clumsy main character to boot. There is so much illogicality in the story that the great number of starving African children appear to be a negligible figure in comparison. The few good ideas are drowned out by the fact that the few spells are repeated over and over again, and that it's all too complicated and yet shamefully predictable. In addition, Turteltaub isn’t able to film a battle of two wizards or an action scene in a way that looks even slightly interesting. Basically, it’s the same as The Last Airbender, but I gave that film 3 stars, because at least I laughed decently during it. (09/02/2011)

Well, yeah, I like Nicolas Cage, I'm not ashamed of it, and basically every movie with him somehow interests me. Sure, this isn't a role like in "Kick-Ass", but this mentor pose suits him quite well. The film is a classic entertaining blockbuster and I don't have much against it. It's not narratively perfect or super original, you just need to watch it once, but for that one viewing, it was a fun entertainment. (02/13/2014)