The Disney+ Action Fantasy Saved By Nicolas Cage
If you want to experience some wizardly mayhem at the hands of Nicolas Cage, then you need to check out The Sorcerer’s Apprentice on Disney+. While this film was a critical and commercial failure due to its incoherent plot and overuse of special effects, Cage’s portrayal of a cynical Merlinean sorcerer living in modern-day Manhattan is worthy of your time because of his performance alone. And despite the film’s negative reviews, it’s still a fun and safe movie that the whole family can enjoy.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Was Made Because Of Nicolas Cage
If you’re wondering how The Sorcerer’s Apprentice came to be, the answer is simple. Nicolas Cage wanted to be a wizard and had the resources and connections to make it happen. This may seem like a bold claim, but that’s pretty much the long and short of it.
It’s Not About Mickey And Broomsticks
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice centers on two primary characters: Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) and Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel).
The story starts in 740 AD, and we find Balthazar, an apprentice of Merlin, at odds with Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Horvath is a rogue wizard allied with the evil Morgana le Fay, who mortally wounded Merlin. Before Merlin succumbs to his injuries, he gives Balthazar a dragon figurine to help him identify his descendant, the Prime Merlinean.
Modern Magic
In the year 2000, after centuries of searching, Balthazar encounters 10-year-old Dave Stutler in an antique store. The dragon figurine wraps itself around Dave’s finger, identifying him as the Prime Merlinean. But all is not well for Nicolas Cage in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice because a run-in with Horvath results in the two sorcerers getting locked inside a magical urn for 10 years.
10 years later, Balthazar and Horvath are reintroduced into the mortal realm, and the true conflict in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice becomes clear. Horvath wants to raise the souls of dead evil sorcerers to destroy the world in this Nicolas Cage flick, and a now 20-year-old Dave is the key to stopping him.
A Magical Odd Couple
From this point forward, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice brings you into classic odd couple territory. Dave is a highly intelligent physics student who is just trying to win over the affection of his childhood crush, Becky (Teresa Palmer). Balthazar is Nicolas Cage acting out yet another “one last job” plot but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
A Tacked-On Romance
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice gets bogged down by a young adult romance that somehow becomes the primary narrative. What’s most irritating about this movie is that Dave is on the adventure of a lifetime, but he couldn’t care less because he wants to take a girl on a date. But Nicolas Cage steals the show because his flat facial expressions and deadpan delivery perfectly capture the same frustration that the viewing audience has while watching Dave try to haphazardly navigate through college life.
A Flop But Everyone Loved Nicolas Cage
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was a box office failure and received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. The film was mostly criticized for being disjointed and borderline nonsensical and has a 40 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes to back up these claims. But those who enjoyed the movie were fans of Nicolas Cage’s willingness to embrace the movie’s inherent silliness.
At the end of the day, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice failed to meet expectations. But the film’s inoffensive nature and Nicolas Cage’s ever-apparent dedication to showing up and rising to the challenge make it a great family-oriented adventure movie that you can watch on Disney+.
A Fun Family Film
At the end of the day, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice failed to meet expectations. But the film’s inoffensive nature and Nicolas Cage’s ever-apparent dedication to showing up and rising to the challenge make it a great family-oriented adventure movie that you can stream on Disney+.
