Review of The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) by Oxana — 23 Aug 2014

This movie starts off really well; the pace is just right and the part in the beginning about Merlin and his apprentices doesn't seem too hurried (although they could have taken their time unfolding it, really, since all that information was important when it came to the rest of the movie).

All in all everything seems just dandy; the acting, the story, the twists and turns and humor just roll in and keep it all nice and tight.

Then something happens. At the most crucial moment, when the real action begins, the details get really messy and the plot kind of gritty. They start hurrying on and add more layers too fast. As good as the effects (I even enjoyed Nicholas Cage in this one), the story just deflates.

The romantic relationship of Dave and Berky seemed too fake and fast, and when she just takes the truth about Dave's life without more than a shrug, it's really ridiculous (at that point, a normal person should give the other at least a comment of doubt, even feel horror and suspicion about his mental health). The end is totally clichéd with them flying off to some sappy, happy ending.

I would have rated the movie better based on the beginning, but near the end things simply lost focus. They just had to get a happy conclusion by force, and the wicked undertone disappeared. Everyone was nice and comfortable with the truth of what they were and what they had to do.