So, folks… what do we make of this trailer for Disney/Bruckheimer’s new fantasy-actioner “The Sorceror’s Apprentice,” another of the growingly-common subset of genre films attaching a ‘name title’ to what appears to be an original story in order to look more like a franchise blockbuster?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h_fMAV7jXc
The basic idea seems to be a bare-outline “Harry Potter” reworked from a classical British “special boy” structure to an American one – i.e. instead of admittance to a prestigious elite academy being the seemingly-ordinary “Chosen One’s” passage to skill-honing and higher destiny (the Dickensian/British model) he’ll be schooled in badass-lonerhood by an older badass-loner, “Karate Kid”/”Rocky”-style. All told, doesn’t look half-bad – gotta love the dragon and the animated Empire State eagle. Though, yes, the presence of Nicolas Cage means at least a 50/50 chance of otherworldly brilliance or out-of-place awkwardness.
MOVIEBOB CENTRAL 
Going by Cage in the trailer, I'd say that the conclusion will be otherworldly awkwardness compensated by his best smirk.
I'd say it's almost close to the male equivalent of Buffy The Vampire Slayer (the original film, not the TV series) for the relationship between the kid and Cage. Otherwise, there is very little to the chosen kid's life that is given in the trailer (a girlfriend, once maybe) to really see a comparison, cultural or otherwise to Harry Potter whose interest stems not in the magic power but in his actual life and how it continues on as he adjusts to having the power, saving the school, etc.
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My first reaction: No no no no no no! This can't be good.
On a more reasonable note: This is a Bruckheimer production, so it has the potential to be really good, but if so, the trailer showed none of it.
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My first thought is there's no way a formula driven hustle like this could be any good, but after Pirates of the Carribean, (named after a theme-park ride?!), National Treasure (a Treasure map on the Constitution?!), and G-Force (CGI super-guinea pigs) you just never know with Bruckheimer…
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The nice thing about the car going through that glass window at 1:39 is that they probably didn't even have to use the special effects crew for it. (http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/05/06/crew-members-of/)
All I can see in that trailer is Nick Cage's hair. Hopefully this movie will do well enough to settle his financial debt, or we're in for a lot more movies like Knowing.
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He's not wearing a pointed blue hat with stars on it … Why isn't he wearing a pointed blue hat with stars on it?
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I'm not entirely sure if you truly get “Harry Potter”, Bob. If anything this looks more like a second chance at a Eragon if anything.
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bruckheimer's track record doesn't impress me, as he seems to be a working example of style over content. and nicholas cage just pisses me off. i never like him. ever.
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I'm not a big fan of Nicholas Cage's acting, though the effects are pretty stylish. I liked the moth part where it turned into clothing. Very inventive đ
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Without making any speculation !! Seriously it not Harry Potter its a cheep shot on Neil Gaiman's “The books of magic” of DC (search it with “Timothy Hunter” in Wikipedia) they only making it just because there were rumors of making it a movie 2 years ago of the comic books and because John Constantine is the sorcerer's teacher with humor and too many rough edges.It not my a hypothesis.
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