The Sorcerer's Apprentice

"It's the coolest job ever."

2010 1h 49m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 5,410

FantasyAdventureAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“It's the coolest job ever.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Disney PlusSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Nicolas Cage
Balthazar Blake
Jay Baruchel
David "Dave" Stutler
Alfred Molina
Maxim Horvath
Teresa Palmer
Rebecca "Becky" Barnes
Toby Kebbell
Drake Stone
Omar Benson Miller
Bennet Zurrow
Monica Bellucci
Veronica Gorloisen
Alice Krige
Morgana le Fay

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writers: Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, Lawrence Konner
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

$150M budget — tentpole studio territory.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 16 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

224+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jon Turteltaub, shot by Bojan Bazelli. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Trevor Rabin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Scott Chestnut shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel and Alfred Molina carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It's the coolest job ever.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jon Turteltaub directs. Bojan Bazelli behind the camera. Trevor Rabin scores. Scott Chestnut cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1$150M budget — tentpole studio territory.
2Released 16 years ago.
3224+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Directed by Jon Turteltaub, shot by Bojan Bazelli. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Trevor Rabin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Scott Chestnut shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel and Alfred Molina carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "It's the coolest job ever.".
9IMDB entry: tt0963966 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 28 themes, including "witch", "mission", "magic", "mystic".
11Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Bojan Bazelli
Original score: Trevor Rabin
Editing: Scott Chestnut
Production design: Naomi Shohan
Costume design: Michael Kaplan
Makeup / hair: Ilona Herman
VFX supervisor: John Nelson
Sound: Christopher Boyes
Stunt coordinator: George Marshall Ruge
Runtime: 109 min · 1h 49m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $150,000,000
Box office: $215,300,000
Return: 144% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)

Also by

Jon Turteltaub

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Dark Jedi2018-01-11
★ 9/10
As usual the so-called critics wrote it down quite a lot but the reviews by ordinary people gave it a much better score (although not stellar). Not very surprising of course since those self-proclaimed besserwissers always moan about films made just to entertain. I found the film well worth the time and money spent. Of course the plot was not very intriguing but is there anyone who would really expect that from a film like this? It’s clearly aimed at younger people and people with a liking for magic and old-fashioned adventure. The effects where really nice and I certainly liked the old-fashioned magic theme. The fact that the lead actor was Nicolas Cage of course helps a lot as well.
r96sk2020-11-09
★ 7/10
Good enough, if nothing standout. 'The Sorcerer’s Apprentice' is an interesting film. The premise isn't anything revolutionary, it follows the same beats that a load of these sorta films do; I recall 'Bulletproof Monk' and 'Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' having similar-ish set-ups. That's not to say it isn't enjoyable, as I did like it. Nicolas Cage always manages to entertain one way or another, while Jay Baruchel works well for the comedic stuff in particular. Alfred Molina makes another live-action Disney appearance, following on from 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time' two months prior. He's solid, but better in the latter. The special effects are excellent, I really enjoyed seeing it all come to life onscreen. The score is decent, though the pacing could've been finer. Overall, it's a film I just about feel satisfied with. Worth a watch? Sure.
CinemaSerf2022-04-04
★ 5/10
Aside from an entertaining scene with some of Lukas' wonderful "L'Apprenti Sorcier" and some overly enthusiastic mops, this is a really poor adaptation of this Arthurian legend. In days of old, "Merlin" manages to imprison "Morgana" (Alice Krige) inside a sort of Russian doll. It falls to "Balthazar" (Nicolas Cage) to keep it safe over the millennia until the successor to the sagely old wizard emerges. Well it does, in the unlikely guise of the rather geeky "Dave" (Jay Baruchel) and so it falls to the former to train the hapless latter in the arts of sorcery. Meanwhile, the nasty "Horvath" (Alfred Molina) is bent on releasing the witch from her captivity, and aided by a Billy Idol style rocker "Drake Stone" (Toby Kebbell) is hot on their trail. To be fair, the intention is good - there is plenty of quickly-paced action, the visual effects are adequate and it really looks ok. The acting, though, is pretty terrible. There isn't the slightest hint of a spark between Cage and his young protege; Molina as the suave and ruthless "Horvath" falls fairly flat and the rest of the cast really just serve to clutter this up. Apart, that is, from Kebbell who is having a little fun. The dialogue is unremarkable, and at ten minutes shy of two hours, this is also just way too long. Pity. It has the resources to be good - just let down by the imagination of Messrs Cage and Turteltaub.