The Sorcerer's Apprentice

2002
4.2| 1h26m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 12 April 2002 Released
Producted By: Peakviewing Productions
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

Every hundred years, the evil sorceress Morgana returns to claim Fingall's talisman from Merlin, with which she intends to destroy the world. For the last fourteen hundred years she has failed... now she intends to conquer all. Young Ben Clark moves with his parents to a new town, where he befriends his elderly magician neighbor, Milner. Ben has a natural talent for magic and wants to learn all that he can from this old man. Ben carries the same scar as the original staff-bearer 1,400 years before. Both Morgana and Milner, who is revealed to be Merlin, see this as a sign that this time, the battle between good and evil will be stronger and harder than ever. Ben must make his own choice between good and evil as he is drawn into a battle and must draw on his own spirit and magic to decide which path to follow and hence, the fate of the world as we know it.

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Reviews

derekph-1 If I had read the other reviews here before DVRing this, I would not have bothered. I was able to stomach fifteen minutes of it before I checked these reviews - and the overall rating - and realized I'd made a mistake. It is definitely for children, there's absolutely nothing to hold an adult's interest. Not that I don't enjoy a kid movie now and then - the Nicholas Cage film with the same name as this one was worth watching. I like stories about Merlin and magic, when they are intelligently handled and well produced. I found the first Potter film only mildly entertaining. And this film is not nearly as well written or acted - and certainly not nearly as well produced as those. It feels made-for-TV, very low budget. So if you are looking for something to keep your four-year old occupied for a while, this might work. Just don't expect to enjoy sharing the experience.
iankearns-1 I could have so easily walked away and that is exactly what I should have done! This film stinks. Just because it was on TV I watched it and even then I had to break up the boredom by channel surfing. The professionalism of this film is minimal; set in the UK but all the buildings, road signs and car registrations (apart from the green range rover) are all RSA. The accents are all over the place; American, British, South African plus a few others I could not recognise. Halfway through I thought it was set in Sweden or somewhere, it really is so inconsistent that this is the main failing of the film. Your normally cant go wrong with King Arthur / Merlin stories but this one breaks the mould - yes you can!
isis_whit Of course, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" does not play in the same league as, let's say, "Harry Potter". It's not a fair comparison anyway, if you consider the budget available to a production like "Harry Potter". If you take "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" as what it is and don't dwell too much on its weaknesses, it will be enjoyable to watch.All in all, David Lister's directing is solid, certainly not outstanding. Byron Taylor does a good job playing young Ben Clark, and he is far less annoying that the average American child actor. The highlight of the movie clearly is Robert Davi in the part of sorcerer Merlin, who is allowed to show another facet of his talent in this movie. And he obviously enjoys it. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is nice entertainment for kids and the whole family on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
jmorri24 This is a very nice little family film - suitable for the whole family. And, with the current popularity of fantasy films - should prove popular. The highpoint of the film is the presence of the great Robert Davi in the role of Merlin. He makes a perfect wizard - both in the flashback sequences and in Merlin's modern incarnation. If you are looking for a pleasant evening with the family - this would be a great choice.