The great sorcerer Merlin has 3 apprentices – Balthazar Blake(Nicolas Cage), Veronica(Monica Belluci) and Maxim Horvath(Alfred Molina). In the year 740 AD, Maxim betrays Merlin in the fight with Morgana. When Merlin is slowly succumbing to death, Balthazar and Veronica fights with Morgana and Maxim. In the ensuing fight, Maxim escapes. But Morgana and Veronica gets trapped inside a doll known as Grimhold. Before dying, Merlin passes his dragon ring to Balthazar. Balthazar will have to find Merlin’s successor, who will be the Prime Merlinian, with the help of the dragon ring. While Balthazar searches for the Prime Merlinian, many sorcerers including Maxim tries to rescue Morgana from captivity. But all of them are captured by Balthazar and imprisoned inside the Grimhold.
In the year 2000, Balthazar come across a 9 yr old Dave Stutler in an antique store. Balthazar identifies Dave as the Prime Merlinian. Before Balthazar could plan the next steps, Dave accidentally releases Maxim from the Grimhold. Balthazar and Maxim fights inside the antique store and ends up trapped inside a magical vase. Dave escapes out of the antique store. 10 years later, Balthazar and Maxim escapes when the spell is broken. Now, Dave(Jay Baruchel) is a physics student after undergoing therapy due to the antique store incident. Balthazar has two tasks at hand after finding Dave. He has to train Dave to be a sorcerer and stop Maxim from releasing Morgana. How Balthazar trains Dave and defeats Morgana forms the rest of the story.
Jon Turtletaub directs this movie while Jerry Bruckheimer produces it. The director-producer duo has reunited after National Treasure 2. The storyline is familiar, the scenarios are clichéd and outcomes predictable. Being a summer movie, the emphasis is on the audio sensory delights instead of the story. The sorcery and the training provides occasions to showcase CGI and also to raise chuckles. The above scenes also stand out in an otherwise predictable fare.
The movie boasts of a lot of accomplished performers. But they are all adequate for the role and do not leave a lasting impression.
If you have run out of other options in the multiplex, go for this one!
Language: English
Genre: Action
Rating: **
Tags: Movies,Nicolas Cage,Monica Belluci,Alfred Molina,Jay Baruchel,Jon Turtletaub,Jerry Bruckheimer,Action
Sad that cage being such a talented actor is acting selectively in the worst movies of last couple of years.
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