The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2001) Reviews

• Great Family Viewing

  jmorri242002-01-11

  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.

• Lovely film for the whole family

  dognanny200120012006-02-21

  This is one of my favorite Robert Davi films. I think he was marvelous in his part as Merlin, and the interaction between Ben and Himself is magical in itself. It just goes to show how talented Robert is and can handle any part or accent. I loved it! The South African country side was beautiful as well, and those houses were charming. Children and those young at heart should like this film, makes you want to believe in magic. And shows children that you can do anything you put your mind to. Children will come away from this film, learning to stand up for themselves and the difference between good and evil. and the women in the theaters will come away with dreams of Robert as Merlin making all their dreams come true- sigh!

• Nice little kid's movie

  isis_whit2002-01-24

  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.

• For children only

  derekph-12013-02-02

  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.

• What a heap!

  iankearns-12009-06-13

  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!