Balthazar (Cage) is a Sorcerer in the present day and finds Dave (Baruchel) who will become his apprentice to help defeat Horvath (Molina) another Sorcerer who has designs on ending the known world. This can't be good.
I was afraid there would be too much CGI in here, but I think the right mix was found. When you have Sorcerers you know you are going to see magic and these days you need CGI - otherwise what's the point?
This was highly entertaining and good family fun.
Okay, some downsides. Okay, picky ones. Dave was portrayed as too GEEKY and, at times, mostly in the beginning as a 20-yr old, he was annoying. Also when he broke with Balthazar and says he cannot do it (defeat Horvath), the very next scene he is in has him backing Balthazar up and getting him out of Horvath's clutches. What changed his mind? Where was the epiphany?
Also, here Dave has an opportunity to save the world and he is more concerned about being next to Becky (Palmer) his love interest. The enormity of the world-saving-bit hasn't really hit home with him. Yes, yes, we know about conflict, hormones, indecision, and a moment of truth, but this went too far into unbelievable even for an unbelievable story about Sorcerers in the modern world.
However, the real winner in here is Molina's Horvath. Horvath is kind of a nice bad-guy who we wished was a good guy. He played it perfectly mixing comedy with meaness. The interplay between Balthazar and Horvath was very good and issued some good lines. For the most part, Molina's Horvath saves the movie.
As for Nicolas Cage, he was the straight man (um good Sorcerer) in all of this and played the part perfectly.
All in all a good time for the family.
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.
I was afraid there would be too much CGI in here, but I think the right mix was found. When you have Sorcerers you know you are going to see magic and these days you need CGI - otherwise what's the point?
This was highly entertaining and good family fun.
Okay, some downsides. Okay, picky ones. Dave was portrayed as too GEEKY and, at times, mostly in the beginning as a 20-yr old, he was annoying. Also when he broke with Balthazar and says he cannot do it (defeat Horvath), the very next scene he is in has him backing Balthazar up and getting him out of Horvath's clutches. What changed his mind? Where was the epiphany?
Also, here Dave has an opportunity to save the world and he is more concerned about being next to Becky (Palmer) his love interest. The enormity of the world-saving-bit hasn't really hit home with him. Yes, yes, we know about conflict, hormones, indecision, and a moment of truth, but this went too far into unbelievable even for an unbelievable story about Sorcerers in the modern world.
However, the real winner in here is Molina's Horvath. Horvath is kind of a nice bad-guy who we wished was a good guy. He played it perfectly mixing comedy with meaness. The interplay between Balthazar and Horvath was very good and issued some good lines. For the most part, Molina's Horvath saves the movie.
As for Nicolas Cage, he was the straight man (um good Sorcerer) in all of this and played the part perfectly.
All in all a good time for the family.
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.