6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
Balthazar Blake is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath. He can't do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler, a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protege. The sorcerer gives his unwilling apprentice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Toby KebbellAdventure | 100% |
Family | 91% |
Fantasy | 80% |
Action | 57% |
Comedy | 44% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (1 BD, 2 DVDs)
Digital copy (on disc)
DVD copy
D-Box
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
If I were nine or ten years old, The Sorcerer's Apprentice would be the single greatest film in my young life. A string of inventive, air-crackling wizard duels, a slick series of fantastical set pieces, a boy who inherits the powers of a god, searing plasma bolts (that appear as if from nowhere), massive steel eagles, magic-fueled car chases, chewy popcorn humor, street-splitting CG monstrosities and rebellious mops run amok... I can't even begin to explain how utterly enchanted I would be. But I'm not nine or ten, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice isn't nearly as magical a film as it could be. In the wake of a misplaced, mishandled, exposition-laden prologue, the story rockets from one battle to the next with commendable enthusiasm, but struggles to weave a cohesive narrative. Jarring tonal shifts are a big distraction, style trumps substance at every turn, and it all falls flat whenever the fire and lightning subside. As much as The Sorcerer's Apprentice wants to be a modern Disney classic, it's little more than a fundamentally flawed, mildly entertaining bit of family-friendly fun.
"You will not control your magic if you will not control yourself."
Baked to a golden Bruckheimer brown, Disney's spectacular 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation is a wondrous sight to behold. Bristling beneath a lovingly preserved veil of filmic grain is a world bursting with spellbinding colors, dazzling primaries, bottomless blacks, gorgeous contrast and warm, relatively lifelike skintones. Confetti-strewn streets come alive, otherworldly green flames lick the screen and blazing plasma bolts ignite the darkness, all with jaw-displacing pizazz. Detail never falters either. Faces, fabrics and distant buildings are teeming with sharply resolved fine textures, object definition is crisp and natural (with only the slightest hint of intermittent edge enhancement) and delineation is revealing. Note Nicholas Cage's scraggly stubble, the fur on Alfred Molina's coat, the bricks on the floor of Dave's lab, Becky's knitted scarves and hats, every slick scale of the film's CG-birthed dragon, and every set piece the filmmakers have concocted; all of it polished to pixel perfection. And the encode itself? I didn't see signs of significant artifacting, banding, aliasing, crush, smearing or, really, any of the usual high definition suspects, and the transfer's grainfield is unobtrusive and exceedingly consistent. Looking back through my notes, I can't even find a single negative comment. While I'm sure Bojan Bazelli's overcooked palette will induce a few groans in the anti-Bruckheimer camp, but from a technical standpoint, The Sorcerer's Apprentice simply could not look any better.
Disney's aggressive, reality-warping DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is just as extraordinary as the film's video transfer, and The Sorcerer's AV presentation impresses on every level. Dialogue is bright and engaging, and prioritization is spot on; sound effects split the soundscape and zip from channel to channel without fail; and dynamics unearth untold evils and embrace every explosive wizard duel with the authority of a master magician. Rear speaker activity is lively and precise, and the film's soundfield is incredibly enveloping. LFE output is earthy and robust, infusing each implosion, fireball, plasma bolt, spatial rift and lumbering dragon with frightening presence. Moreover, pans are nearly invisible, Trevor Rabin's score fills the stage with ease, and the experience is free of distractions, mishaps and underwhelming interludes. It may not be the most subtle mix you'll encounter this year, but its sonic goods captivate from beginning to end, far more than the film itself.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice conjures up a solid suite of entertaining EPKs, but the supplemental package never tries to wow audiences with Disney's usual BD wizardry. "Magic in the City" (HD, 13 minutes) looks at shooting a high octane fantasy in the middle of New York; "The Science of Sorcery" (HD, 11 minutes) digs into, what else, the science behind the film's molecule-displacing sorcery; "Making Magic Real" (HD, 12 minutes), the best feature of the bunch, reveals just how many of the on-screen shock and awe is largely comprised of practical effects; "Fantasia: Reinventing a Classic" (HD, 10 minutes) charts the filmmakers' development of a lengthy live-action scene inspired by the classic Fantasia short; "The Fashionable Drake Stone" (HD, 2 minutes) directs attention to Horvath's flamboyant lackey; "The Grimhold: An Evil Work of Art" (HD, 4 minutes) delves into the creation of the Russian Doll prisons that appear in the film; "The Encantus" (HD, 2 minutes) flips through Balthazar's book of spells; "Wolves & Puppies" (HD, 3 minutes) introduces Horvath's canines; and "The World's Coolest Car" (HD, 2 minutes) takes viewers behind the wheel of Nicholas Cage's one-of-a-kind Rolls Royce Phantom. From there, a solid assortment of "Deleted Scenes" (HD, 8 minute) and "Outtakes" (HD, 3 minutes) round out the package.
Ultimately, while Disney's EPKs and deleted scenes are appreciated, a filmmakers commentary, a Picture-in-Picture track, more substantial production documentaries or a full, high definition presentation of the original Fantasia short would have added tremendous value to the release.
I roll my eyes every time someone says, "it is what it is." (Of course it is. What else would it be?) But The Sorcerer's Apprentice... sigh, is what it is: a decent dose of big, dumb family fun. At ten, I would have declared it one of the best films of all time. At thirty though, I see too many missed opportunities to grant it much leeway. At least Disney's Blu-ray release sweetens the deal. Its supplemental package is short on magic, but its video transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio track will leave high definition enthusiasts wondering how the wizards at Disney pulled off such a perfect illusion. All in all, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a solid rental and a possible purchase. Give it a spin and see how much or how little it appeals to you.
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