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Okay, first off-my review is going to be different from what I've read of other reviews. Just going to let you know in advance, because I enjoyed this film.The story begins with a tale. Morgana and Merlin were two opposing forces that are at war with each other. Merlin had three apprentice's; Balthazar Blake, Veronica Gorloisen, and Maxim Horvath. Horvath betrays Black and Gorloisen. In a desperate attempt to stop Morgana Gorloisen does a spell to combine Morgana's soul into her body; therefore, allowing Blake to entrap them within the Grimhold (a Russian stacker doll). Maxim is given Merlin's ring in hopes of finding the Prime Merlinian (Merlin's heir). Centuries later a young Dave Stutler finds himself in a magical store where he first encounters Blake. This ends in disaster as Horvath is set free, and Blake traps him inside a magical urn for 10 years. 10 years later, Blake and Horvath re-emerge to try and find the Grimhold.
Okay, the original-original story is based off a 1797 poem by Goethe. The story within the poem is well presented in Disney's Fantasia Musical in 1940. The Musical score was composed by Paul Dukas. Now the poem and the story have become fused in American culture as being one and the same. However, it says something that this short has inspired so much over the years. You have Fantasmic!-a water show at Disneyland parks, and now this film. From that short came this story.
This film is unique in several ways, story wise and special effects wise. Instead of the magic being passed through a hat-as was the case in Fantasia-it's passed through jewelry (rings mostly). This uses a different form of magic that most audience's aren't accustomed to-scientific magic. (Not as much of a contradiction as one would think-Alchemy would be the closest). The characters Nicolas Cage (Blake) and Jay Baruchel (Stutler) are an odd mix, but it does work for the film's overall story. The two are meant to be opposites because of timeframe and mentor/master relationship. The humor between the character's is well timed and really presents the character's relationships with one another. I also liked Veronica's, performed by Monica Bellucci, exotic look. She looked like she could've been in Britain, but was probably from a different location. This film seems to be directly up director Jon Turtletaub's, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer's, alley.
The special effects play off the idea of scientific magic and combat magic. I loved the car chase scene just because it was so unique. Cars that can change on a whim of thought (imagine if they had that ability in the Fast and the Furious), is truly unique. It was also adorable with the wolf puppies. In the bonus features they used trained wolves, so in the film they had to digitally make them scarier. The wolf puppies couldn't stay awake during the filming, because they were newborns. The steel eagle and the bull (from Battery Park)were nicely placed. This film does have a scientific basis, but it's still meant to be taken as fiction. So, don't expect it to be realistic all the time.
I give this film a 10 out of 10! It's a good family film, and it's nothing like Prince of Persia. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer knows how to choose his films.
Answer to last blog: Director Steven R. Monroe is more well known in Hollywood, and television, as a camera operator.
Que: What was the name of the magical shop owned by Blake in the beginning of the film?
Archena Cabaner
Arcana Cabana
Abra Cadavra
Arcra Cavedra
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