Balthazar Blake is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath. Balthazar can't do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler, a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness.
There is much that's appealing, from the performances to the scene where Turteltaub re-creates a live-action version of the classic scene from Disney's Fantasia.
– Nancy Churnin,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Jul 2010
rotten:
As Balthazar, Cage doesn't disappoint. He's just manic enough to keep the character from becoming too predictable. More's the pity, then, that a pro like him has to cede so much screen time to his character's young protege.
– Michael O'Sullivan,
Washington Post,
16 Jul 2010
rotten:
The Sorcerer's Apprentice should be rated U for Untouched by Human Hands.