The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010)

Nicolas Cage had an idea: take the beloved Fantasia episode known as “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” set it in modern times, and replace Yen Sid and Mickey Mouse with a stammering Canadian and Cage in a rawhide overcoat. While Disney purists (are there any left?) might consider this akin to heresy, the film does manage to generate a little of the ‘ol magic amidst a series of fizzles and misfires.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice begins in 740 AD with an all-out battle between the wizard Merlin (James A. Stephens) and his nemesis, the evil Morgana le Fay (Alice Krige). Just when Merlin looks to have the upper hand, he’s betrayed by his apprentice, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), and mortally wounded by Morgana. Luckily, Merlin has two other apprentices, Veronica (Monica Bellucci) and Balthazar Blake (Cage).

Veronica sacrifices herself to trap Morgana, but not before Horvath escapes with a powerful spell that may one day allow his mistress to conquer the world. Left all alone, Balthazar is tasked by a dying Merlin to take his ring and search for his future successor, the Prime Merlinian, the only person capable of stopping Morgana for good.

1,260 years later…

Dave Stutler (Jake Cherry), a nine-year-old Manhattan student on a field trip, stumbles into Blake’s magic/antique shop, proves himself to be the Prime Merlinian, and then accidentally releases Horvath from captivity. A battle ensues, and both sorcerers end up imprisoned in a Chinese vase that holds its occupants for exactly ten years.

10 years later…

Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel) is all grown up, a brilliant physics student, and still more than a little freaked out by the supernatural events of a decade ago. So imagine his surprise when Balthazar and Horvath re-enter his life, each searching for the magical prison that contains Morgana (as well as a pair of evil sorcerers, known as Morganians, and poor Victoria). If he wants to save the world, Dave will have to undergo a crash course in sorcery, a task made all the more difficult by a chance encounter with Becky (Teresa Palmer), his childhood sweetheart.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice features a generous amount of action, and several of the set pieces are truly unique. For example, I can’t think of a film that’s ever combined a car chase with a wizard’s duel. The special effects are plentiful, with fire-breathing dragons, bolts of energy, and a number of magical traps and devices. As long as blasts are whizzing about, the film maintains an action-packed rhythm sure to entertain a broad demographic. But as soon as the narrative pauses to catch its breath, that’s when the problems begin.

Dave’s romance with Becky feels shoehorned into the film, and the on-screen electricity between Baruchel and Palmer isn’t a fraction of that put off by his character’s Tesla coil experiment. Baruchel’s odd delivery doesn’t help. When he’s not speaking with a voice that periodically reminds one of a bad Christian Slater impersonation, the co-star of Tropic Thunder is stooping over or hobbling around like an 80-year-old man. While audiences are usually willing to accept mismatched on-screen romances, this one asks a bit too much. I was also struck by the resemblance between Palmer and Alice Eve, making me feel like I was back watching She’s Out of My League.

And while Cage looks dynamic in his wig and oddball overcoat, the role of Balthazar Blake lacks any real pizzazz. Blame the small army of screenwriters involved in the process, as well as Alfred Molina’s scene-stealing turn as the natty Horvath. The other villains (including a Chinese sorcerer, a Salem witch, and a modern-day Morganian turned celebrity illusionist) show promise, although their participation is all-too-brief.

The Sorcerer‘s Apprentice creates a believable fantasy world where magic is practiced right under the public’s nose with nary a sideways glance. While this may heighten our suspension of disbelief, any progress is thwarted by the weak romantic sub-plot and failed attempts at humor. Look for this spell to quietly fade away after a few weeks.