Movie Review: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice has a rather sappy plot and plot holes you could drive a truck through, but it's also got some good acting, some funny lines, and a lot of dazzling special effects

Plot of The Sorcerer's Apprentice

In 700 AD, the great wizard Merlin taught his spells to three apprentices: Balthazar, Horvath and Veronica. Two are now on the side of good (Balthazar and Veronica) and one is evil (Horvath). Then, ten years ago, Dave, a 10 year old boy, tried to impress Becky, a ten year old girl. She passed him a note, which blew all over the city, and wound up in a very strange store, where Dave met Balthazar.

In the current day, Balthazar recruits Dave to be his apprentice, as foretold in legend (naturally). Dave is now a student (or grad student, it isn't clear) and Becky is one of his classes. And he still has the hots for her, and still hasn't found out what the note said.

What follows is a story full of good vs. evil, with lots and lots of special effects, two love stories, and some fairly funny lines delivered by a good cast. But there are plot holes here, there, and everywhere. Some of these are common in any but the best fantasy, and stem from the rules being arbitrary. Balthazar and Horvath are both sorcerers. They have lots of magical powers, but these powers are not unlimited. The problem is that the limits seem arbitrary (e.g. they can turn a car into a truck but apparently not into a plane). Others are just silliness - in one part of the movie Becky must climb to the top of a skyscraper in New York City and redirect an antenna. Well, Becky has no magic powers, and an ordinary person cannot just do this. And there are lots of similar holes of both types.

Cast of The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Nicholas Cage plays Balthazar Blake
Jay Bruchel plays Dave
Alfred Molina plays Horvath
Teresa Palmer plays Becky

All four do a good job within the limits set by the script.

Audience for The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is rated PG. There's considerable violence for a PG movie, it's closer to a PG-13, and young children may have trouble with separating the violence from reality (it will depend on the kid, of course). But children will probably be less bothered by the plot holes than I was.