Dancing Mops Premise?

A year ago when I read that Nicholas Cage was making a movie called the Sorcerer's Apprentice, I decided I wasn't interested. About the same time when I saw some of the props for the movie at D23, I was slightly doubting my rash decision of disinterest. Then a few months past where I was too excited about movies like New Moon, Sherlock Holmes, Princess and the Frog, Percy Jackson and so many others. I didn't think about the Sorcerer's Apprentice again until about three weeks ago when I saw a trailer for it. Suddenly, I was much more interested.

Trailers tend to do that to me, the short well-crafted three minute or less story sucks me in like gullible child. Though I am fully aware that 75% of the time, the trailer is just the best parts of the movie: the most exciting, the funniest lines, the wittiest dialogue and so on. I have a slight theory though that if a movie trailer can engage me in the overall plot, or emotionally connect me to a character in three minutes the likelihood that the movie will be able to do it too in 120 minutes is high. So the first time I saw the trailer I was suddenly more intrigued than I had been before. A movie slightly based on the sorcerer's apprentice short with mickey mouse in Fantasia might not be terrible after all. There is magic and by the looks of the three minute trailer awesome special effects. The one scene with the old car flipping through a water mirror and turning into a fancy sports car, that was almost enough to make me want to see what other kind of magic there would be. Every time I saw the trailer, my desire to see the movie increased until finally I knew I would be seeing it.

So last night, in search of adventure I ended up at a movie theater for the midnight showing of Sorcerer's Apprentice. It wasn't a busy midnight, honestly it reminded me of my days working at a movie theater when the employees would get together for a private screening. It was nice, to have an entire row to ourselves for the movie. The movie started in the past, setting up the foundation for the entire story beginning with Merlin and Morgana. End backstory and the audience is being introduced to the main character and his storyline, and yes that is the very thought I had as the opening credits started and the film transported us from 740 Britian to 2000 New York City. I don't want to give too much away about the movie itself becuase it already follows a rather predictable storyline so I leave it with the little surprises it might have. But I do want to talk about the magic of the movie itself.

Movie magic, in this case, means a few things. Firstly and naturally so, the special effects of the actual magic. I was in love with it, in awe with my suspensed disbelief, of sorcerer's being stuck in mirror worlds and others sinking into quick sand rugs. Something like a little silver dragon moving around with life, doesn't even seem that strange to me anymore. I blame Harry Potter, but I expect and anticapate the movement of inanimate objects and I believe it. Partially because it looks real, watch something like Harry Potter or even the Sorcerer's Apprentice and tell me if you don't believe that the dragon is moving on its own. Stop thinking about how you know its fake and a series of special effects that makes it happen, becuase honestly you are probably not really thinking about that until after the movie is over. When you're watching it, you accept it not just because you knew it was going to happen in a movie about magic but because it LOOKS real.

The secondary movie magic that I want to talk about is the elements of music in the movie and creation of memorable scenes. There isn't tons of music in Sorcerer's Apprentice, but the music that is used is just perfectly fit into the scenes. The purpose of music to a story is to increase it's emotional bond to its audience, to give more life to the narrative itself and it was achieved. Memorable scenes, though a few could be named, it would actually be the dancing mops scene that the movie was actually based on. Or at least what I thought the movie was based on. There was the classic music, the leaving of the master and the complete screw up of the apprentice while the mops were dancing about and it made me and friends giddy. The power of nostaglia should never be underestimated, it evokes emotional ties for everyone involved. Dancing mops and music by Paul Dukas brings up ties to either the animated version with Mickey Mouse, or maybe to the epic water show on the rivers of America (Fantasmatic anyone?) or a variety of other things. Every time I even hear the song I want to start waving my arms around like a conductor, so that's an engaging piece of music. Even if just the delight of this one scene, I would suggest everyone go see the movie.

But it's not just about the special effects or the memorable scene. Sorcerer's Apprentice proved to be light hearted and enjoyable, everything that I wanted it to be as a summer blockbuster type. It makes you laugh out loud and root for the good guys. One of my fellow adventurer's even went so far as to suggest it would be he's new inspiration movie because of the awesome magical ideas. So if you're looking for a magical fun adventure, this is your movie.