The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 film)

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a 2010 American action-fantasy film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, directed by Jon Turteltaub, and released by Walt Disney Pictures, the team behind the National Treasure franchise. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, and Monica Bellucci.
The film is named after a segment in Disney's 1940 film Fantasia called The Sorcerer's Apprentice starring Mickey Mouse (with one scene being an extensive reference to it), which in turn is based on the late-1890s symphonic poem by Paul Dukas and the 1797 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ballad. Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage), a "Merlinean", is a sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan, fighting against the forces of evil, in particular his nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), while searching for the person who will eventually inherit Merlin's powers ("The Prime Merlinean"). This turns out to be Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a physics student, whom Balthazar takes as a reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling apprentice a crash course in the art of science, magic, and sorcery, in order to stop Horvath and Morgana le Fay (Alice Krige) from raising the souls of the evil dead sorcerers ("Morganians") and destroying the world.
== Plot ==
In Britain 740 AD, Merlin has three apprentices: Balthazar Blake, Veronica Gorloisen, and Maxim Horvath. Horvath betrays Merlin by allying with Morgana le Fay, an evil sorceress who mortally wounds Merlin before Veronica rips Morgana's soul from her body and absorbs it into her own. As Morgana attempts to kill Veronica from within, Balthazar stops her by imprisoning Morgana and Veronica in the "Grimhold", a magical prison in the shape of a nesting doll. Before dying, Merlin gives Balthazar his dragon figurine that will identify the Prime Merlinean, Merlin's descendant and the only one able to defeat Morgana. Throughout history, Balthazar searches for his descendant and imprisons Morganians, sorcerers who try to release Morgana, including Horvath, into the Grimhold.
In 2000, in New York City, a 10-year-old Dave Stutler encounters Balthazar in his Manhattan antique store. When Balthazar gives Dave Merlin's dragon figurine, the statue comes to life to form a ring, revealing his status as the Prime Merlinean. As Balthazar retrieves a book meant to teach magic, Dave accidentally opens the Grimhold, releasing Horvath. Balthazar and Horvath battle for possession of the Grimhold and are imprisoned in an ancient Chinese urn with a ten-year lock curse while Dave flees with the ring.
Ten years later, Dave is a physics student at NYU. The ten-year imprisonment curse of the urn ends, releasing both Horvath and Balthazar. Horvath pursues Dave and the Grimhold. Balthazar rescues Dave, riding an animated steel eagle adapted from a Chrysler Building gargoyle. Dave refuses to help Balthazar, having been under psychiatric care since their first meeting, until Balthazar agrees to leave after finding the Grimhold. They track the Grimhold to Chinatown, where Horvath has released the next Morganian, Sun Lok. Dave defeats Sun Lok, and Balthazar retrieves the Grimhold. Dave changes his mind and agrees to become Balthazar's apprentice. He also becomes romantically involved with his childhood crush, Becky, against Balthazar's wishes and advice.
To get back the Grimhold, Horvath enlists the help of Drake Stone, a celebrity magician who is also a Morganian. They attempt to kill Dave, but Balthazar saves him. Cued by Horvath, Dave demands to know the truth about Balthazar's quest. Balthazar reveals that Morgana is trapped in the Grimhold with Veronica. Morgana, if freed, would cast a spell called "The Rising", which would revive sorcerers from the dead and enslave mankind. As the Prime Merlinian, Dave is the only one who can stop her.
Despite Balthazar's disdain for his relationship with Becky, Dave convinces him to allow him to meet her for a date. Dave tries to use magic to clean his lab but loses control of his animated cleaning mops, which forces him to cancel his date with Becky. He is saved because of Balthazar's intervention and gives up on magic until Becky unknowingly changes his mind. He returns to his lab just as Drake and Horvath steal the Grimhold. Horvath betrays Drake by stealing his magic.
Horvath releases the witch Abigail Williams, using her to kidnap Becky at the radio station, and then steals her magic. He threatens to kill Becky, forcing Dave to surrender his ring. Without the ring, Dave has no conduit to use his magic, so Balthazar goes after Horvath in Battery Park. Horvath releases Morgana, who begins the Rising Spell, while Horvath animates the Charging Bull sculpture and commands it to attack Balthazar. Dave arrives and stuns Horvath with a Tesla coil tied to Balthazar's car while Balthazar's eagle flies away with the bull. Becky disrupts the Rising Spell, stunning Morgana.
Balthazar takes Morgana, body and soul, from Veronica into himself, but Morgana escapes and tries to incinerate them. Dave succeeds in stopping her without his ring. Morgana overwhelms Balthazar and Veronica's shield spells, killing Balthazar when he intercepts a bolt meant for Veronica. Dave makes another, larger Tesla coil out of the square's lamp posts and power lines to stun her and then fires a plasma barrage, finally destroying her. He revives Balthazar by restarting his heart with plasma shocks, and Balthazar reunites with Veronica. Dave and Becky fly to France for breakfast on Balthazar's eagle.
== Cast ==
* Nicolas Cage as Balthazar Blake, a millennia-old sorcerer of the 777th degree/rank; based on Yen Sid in Fantasia
* Jay Baruchel as David "Dave" Stutler, a highly intelligent college student who becomes Blake's reluctant apprentice
* Jake Cherry as young Dave Stutler
* Alfred Molina as Maxim Horvath, an evil sorcerer and Balthazar's nemesis. Once friends with his fellow apprentices, he became embittered when Veronica chose Balthazar over himself, eventually turning against them and Merlin.
* Teresa Palmer as Rebecca "Becky" Barnes, Dave's love interest
* Peyton List as young Becky Barnes
* Toby Kebbell as Drake Stone, a Morganian who supports himself as a celebrity illusionist and joins forces with Horvath when called
* Omar Benson Miller as Bennet Zurrow, Dave's roommate
* Monica Bellucci as Veronica Gorloisen, a sorceress and Balthazar's love interest
* Alice Krige as Morgana le Fay
* Robert Capron as Oliver, Dave's childhood friend
* Ian McShane as the Narrator (uncredited)
* James A. Stephens as Merlin
* Gregory Woo as Sun Lok
* Nicole Ehinger as Abigail Williams
* Ethan Peck as Andre
* Adriane Lenox as Ms. Jessalyn Algar
* Henry Yuk as Chinese Dragon Carrier
Category:2010 films
Category:Walt Disney Pictures films
Category:Jerry Bruckheimer films
Category:Saturn Films
Category:Films with opening only narration
Category:2:35:1 Aspect Ratio Films
Category:Rated PG