Cool New Clips from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Over the last month or so, Disney has released a wealth of material for their new film The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Typically I get a little burned out on a film if a studio puts out too many clips before the official release, but from the latest trailer to a cool behind-the-scenes look at the movie’s “Fantasia” scene, I keep getting more intrigued by director Jon Turteltaub and producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s family-friendly fantasy.

Take these three new clips for example. In the first (which is actually an extended version of a previous clip), we see Nicolas Cage’s Balthazar Blake duke it out with Alfred Molina’s Maxim Horvath. All the while, a young version of Jay Baruchel’s character, Dave Strutler, tries to stay out of harm’s way.

Besides establishing some of the characters, the first clip shows off the film’s impressive visual effects, which, we hope, will far outshine the summer’s other major family-friendly action film, The Last Airbender. The second and third clips are much shorter, but are still interesting. The second clip features Balthazar explaining how sorcery is part science and part magic. The third is another action sequence, showing off more of Balthazar’s nifty tricks.

Check out all three clips courtesy of Yahoo below:

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If you don’t get the basic gist of the plot from these clips, here’s the official synopsis for the film.

Balthazar Blake (Nicholas Cage) is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar can’t do it alone, and recruits Dave Strutler (Jay Baruchel), 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’ll take all the courage Dave can muster to survive his training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

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Nicolas Cage is a very hit-or-miss actor in my opinion, but he doesn’t look half-bad in this film. I think what makes it work is his chemistry with Jay Baruchel, whose voice work in this year’s How to Train Your Dragon was lauded, proving he can do more than just Judd Apatow comedies.

Overall, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice looks like the type of movie that should find success at the box office while actually offering a decent movie for families. Do I think that The Sorcerer’s Apprentice will be an Academy Award-winner? No, but it still looks like a lot of fun (and in a summer movie season this weak, that counts for a lot). An apt comparison is the National Treasure franchise, which was also directed by Job Turtletaub and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

What do you think of these new clips? Are you interested in seeing The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Fun side question: Are you a Nicolas Cage fan? (I ask because he’s one of those actors that people love to hate.)

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice hits theaters on July 14th.

Source: Yahoo