Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Dave (Jay Baruchel) is not your average NYU student; he's the heir to Merlin's powerful magic. Recruited by the sorcerer Balthazar Blake (Nicholas Cage) to help him battle the forces of darkness in modern-day Manhattan, he's forced into a crash course in the art and science of magic. Can he fulfill his destiny?

Loosely based on Fantasia's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Jon Turteltaub (National Treasure) reunite to deliver an over-the-top thrill ride. Cage and Baruchel are awesome as master and apprentice who persevere through an overcomplicated script. The action scenes are extremely well shot and the CGI is quite good, especially when Dave coerces the mop into cleaning duty.

Video Highlights

• AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Mesmerizing color palette
• Inky blacks
• Razor-sharp detail

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Intelligible dialog
• Creative sound design with a plethora of discrete effects
• Crisp dynamics with reference-quality frequency response

The color palette was definitively altered in post with an amber cast to flesh tones, but overall there isn't much to complain about. The audio track is outstanding and is a crowd pleaser.

Bonus Materials

• 5 Behind-the-Scenes featurettes (HD)
• 5 Deleted Scenes (HD)
• Outtakes (HD)
• DVD copy of the film

The film is geared towards the 10 and up crowd but it can cater to adults as long as you keep your expectations in check. Cage is outstanding in his role as the teacher and I appreciated the humor of Baruchel, but the star is the reference-quality presentation. Recommended.

Release Date: November 30, 2010
Studio: Disney

Movie: 7/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 10/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Panamax M5400PM power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics