The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Up next for review: The Sorcerer's Apprentice starring Nicholas Cage, Jay Baruchel and Alfred Molina. Directed by John Turteltaub and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

I have to start by asking why did this movie get such a bad review? Most of the press that I saw after the opening weekend was very negative but since we don't listen to the press we saw it anyway. Imagine my surprise when I didn't hate it. In fact, it's a decent family action/adventure, with the emphasis on family. It's a kid's movie at heart, but an entertaining one.

Nicholas Cage stars as Balthazar, a former apprentice of Merlin, who believes that Dave (Jay Baruchel) is the next Prime Merlinian and as such is the only person who can destroy the evil sorceress Morgana. Cage is very entertaining as the mentor, despite being a toned-down version of his manic self, and convincing during the battle scenes. Baruchel, however, I find...flat. It's likely due to the overexposure of the superhero movies which rely on the hero-in-geek's clothing trope quite heavily. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is no exception and that isn't Baruchel's fault.I think Baruchel himself does an ok job in this movie. He's no superstar but he does manage to get the audience to laugh and that's really all we can ask for from his character.

The most interesting bit for me were the references within the movie to other movies because I found it odd. I won't spoil which movies The Sorcerer's Apprentice riffs on but some are more subtle than others so pay attention. I found them very obvious and at first I wasn't sure if it was a joke or if it was intentional. Why choose those movies to reference? They felt out of place to me. They also felt a little forced and shoe-horned into the movie's world, but the audience liked them and laughed when appropriate so I suppose that's a success (if you're looking for cheap laughs when the scene requires no laughter). I just didn't understand why the tribute to Disney's Fantasia wasn't enough and why the other two movies referenced were chosen.

Sorcerer's Apprentice offers tons of action, lots of fun, and a few laughs. I say see it. Sure it's formulaic and light but that is what it's supposed to be. It is Disney, after all.

rottentomatoes.com here

IMDB here

Will The Hobbit Films EVER make it to the big screen?

The powers that be have been talking about releasing J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit ever since the LOTR trilogy was released. What seems to be hindering this film (which is slated to be split into two films and released in 2012 and 2013) is the lack of direction, literally.

Newest developments see Peter Jackson taking the helm of this project after director Guillermo del Toro dropped out.

Jackson, already a produce on the films, is hesitant to direct the films and having to devote another significant chunk of his life to Tolkien's work.

I, personally, would have loved to see del Toro's take on this classic story, which has already become a classic film because of the previous installments in the LOTR trilogy. However, I would not be disappointed if Jackson did resume a position directing Tolkien's story.

Who do you think should direct The Hobbit films?

Jackson to Direct The Hobbit?

Green Zone

This movie tells the story of an American soldier who starts to question the intelligence used in the infiltration of WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) sites in Iraq that suspiciously turn out to be nothing more than abandoned warehouses and so begins his investigation as to the source of the intelligence despite pressure from above not to do so.

Don’t let the fact that it’s directed by the same director of The Bourne Ultimatum fool you into believing that it’s just a carbon copy Bourne-esque action flick. Far from it. The political, social, and cultural tension shines through in the film’s engaging dialog and brilliant camera work. As such, you need to pay attention to each character’s motives, and despite the movie’s heavy usage of dialog, Green Zone rewards you with a thrilling ending that definitely should not be missed.

Overall, this isn’t a typical action movie where an explosion occurs every five minutes and, honestly, it’s somewhat refreshing. It’ll keep you thinking, questioning, and leave you with a satisfying sense of completion. My only regret is that I didn’t see this movie at the cinema because some scenes are incredibly cinematic and would have looked awesome on the big screen. If you happen to see a copy at your local video store, give it a chance.