This has been a busy summer for Jerry Bruckheimer, first producing Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in May and now putting forward a big July release with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Given that Nicolas Cage is my favorite actor and that he and Bruckheimer have previously collaborated on some of my favorite films (Con Air, The Rock, and Gone in Sixty Seconds), I was understandably excited for this newest entry. In terms of the larger potential audience, there was a considerable amount of curiosity generated about an entire film built around the famous segment from the Disney classic Fantasia, but when one considers that Cage, Bruckheimer, director Jon Turteltaub, and distributor Walt Disney Pictures have all successfully teamed together before with the National Treasure franchise, the potential for this summer blockbuster seemed nearly limitless.
After seeing The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, even though the film is a fun entry during this summer movie season, in its entirety, I was still a little disappointed. The acting is solid with very impressive special effects and action sequences, but the film is marred by a jumpy story that places a little too much of an obligation on the audience to blindly accept what they see on screen. To clarify, I’m not trying to argue that the core plot element of sorcery is inherently logical, but when plot elements don’t adhere to rules that have already been established within the film itself, far too many questions arise. Looking past the story itself, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice still provokes the viewer’s imagination to the point that it’s simply enjoyable to sit back and follow the adventure.
On a personal note, I will be traveling next week, so new posts will be put on hold, but I’ll return with reviews for Inception and Salt when I get back…enjoy.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
