A while back a guy named Merlin took on three pupils: Balthazar,Morgana and Horvath. One went rogue… Balthazar was then forced to trapMorgana and Horvath in a magical receptacle that looked like RussianDolls, and because the only sorcerer powerful enough to kill Morganaonce and for all – The Prime Merlinian – doesn't even exist yet therethey remain… For about 1,000 years. Over which time many things change,but not Balthazar's raggedy S&M wizard outfit and scruffy "if I wearthe wig do I still have to act?" hair.

A chance encounter introduces a 10 year old Dave to proceedings andBalthazar immediately twigs that this is no random event – and thatDave is in fact something a little special. Bet you can't guess inwhich way.

Unfortunately young Dave inadvertently releases Horvath from hisimprisonment and in the ensuing battle both he and Balthazar aretrapped in another receptacle which is apparently time locked for 10years. Compared to the thousand Horvath just spent that should be awalk in the park.

10 years on… Dave is a big boy now, and he has written off the previousmeeting as a wild daydream. Dave (Jay Baruchel) is a sciency-smartself-professed nerd, eschewing the normal college misadventures and thepursuit of tail for the pursuit of knowledge – until he runs into hishottt (all t's warranted) childhood schoolmate named Becky, now acollege radio DJ.

Becky actually adds nothing to the movie, her presence is basicallyextraneous. But at this point I would like to point out that this is aDisney movie and love interests are just mandatory. In fact there arethree or four forced Disney moments where they simply try too hard tobe charming and humorous, but wind up being try hard and annoying.

So to fast track this review Horvath and Balthazar both get out andcontinue on with fighting over the Russian Dolls with evil Morgana andBalthazar's missus in it. Balthazar once again runs into Dave andconvinces him to act as his apprentice, leading to alternating trainingmontages and chase scenes that basically make up the remainder of thefilm, Horvath wants to release Morgana and Balthazar wants to stop him– with Becky and Dave's burgeoning lurrvvve humming along in thebackground.

It is all very PG 13.

Dave's stuttery, twitchy likability gets old real fast, especially asI've now seen it in 4 or 5 films. Every "Wha?", "Woah" and "Hold on asec" twigs a gag reflex I didn't think I had.

Nicolas Cage looks like he needs a nudge during scenes at times he isso obviously sleepwalking, I guess when you're making a transparentcash in on Harry Potter in the hope of creating another multi-billiondollar franchise every day must seem like hump day.

There are CGI wolves, a giant mechanical hawk, a group of Chinesedragon dancers are magically morphed into becoming an actual dragon,and the Wall Street bull comes to life, technically it all looks finebut if you don't care about the story that's all that remains, an emptytechnical achievement.

There is one truly cool visual in the entire movie and you've seen it –it's in the trailer. Unless you have a desperate hankering for some PGmagic and can't wait until Harry Potter 27 comes out I would advise youto watch the trailer again. Then go watch another film.

The three times I nearly smiled were when the film made directreferences to three other films, and I think I smiled momentarily as Ithought of watching them instead of this.

Final Rating – 5 / 10. This is all so carefully constructed, it looksshiny and expensive but the one thing it seems to lack is spirit and alittle adventure.

This was great! Jay Baruchel just does it, sometimes in between beingthis very nice guy, nerdy, sometimes weird or sad and even a little bitscary where you can see him capable of being a bad guy... And NicolasCage is completely believable, a master, powerful but still a nice guytoo. I've read something somewhere about Balthazar being too moody:first, I think it was just the way it should be, and second, look athis life! He looks pretty sane and smiley to me... Nicolas Cage did agood job at showing how the pain does not go away, how it can still befresh after a thousand years, how it influenced his life. AlfredMolina, Toby Kebell and Teresa Palmer are also perfect. They give theright touch to their characters.

You really get to see magic, fun magic and great powers with no limits.I am not so much into cars... but there is a race in there that is sowhat it ought to be! And at the end, when you see Dave managing his art- being a real good one - you just root for him...

This movie is really funny, sometimes it comes from the text andsometimes from the way they say it - by the way Jay Baruchel has agreat voice! The jokes are with the right balance between Dave andBalthazar.

Grade 8, and please, please, give us a sequel!! And I would appreciateif Dave did not 1) want to stop being a sorcerer in first sequel, and2) become a jerk, serious bad guy in second one (or at least give agood reason / a good shape to it, no stuff coming from outer space,please...) - we've just seen that too many times...

Sometimes funny? Yes.

Good special effects? Yes.

Actors? Yes.

So, what is bad with this movie?

Actually, there's nothing wrong, but nothing new either. Good actors,good special effects, but very predictable scenario - from thebeginning till the end, you know what will be next.

But if you want to relax after a hard work day, laugh a bit, or spendsome time with your children at the movies - you won't be toodisappointed.

I loved it! It is that simple. No, it may not be the "best" motionpicture of the year - for me, "Inception" wins that ranking - but it isthe most enjoyable film I have seen for a very long time. Just to letyou know, I have a list of my four favourite "best" movies but now Imust begin a list of my most enjoyable movies. This list must includesuch films as "The Halleluia Trail", "Cat Ballou", "Support Your LocalSheriff"(hmmm,I see a pattern here...), a few others, and now "SA".There is nothing objectionable for anyone save for a person whodislikes fantasies about magic and such should run away on seeing thetitle. Nicholas Cage does not overact; he actually gives a subtleperformance. Jay Baruchel is perfectly cast and pulls it off perfectlyas the brilliant but "dorky" student. The writing captures an extremeversion of boy-girl psychology very well. Alfred Molina does what healways does: raises the quality of absolutely anything in which heappears; he is a class act as well as one of the finest actors alivetoday. Teresa Palmer is beautiful, vulnerable and spunky in awell-written role. Turteltaub does a commendable job directing and theeffects are top notch. Besides, how can one not love a movie thatincludes a gargoyle from the Chrysler building? Lest you missed mysummary, let me add that this is above all an *enjoyable* motionpicture.

Here's the spoiler. Jay Baruchel is the worst actor in the history offilms. Every word is punctuated by jerky, spasmatic over-exaggeratedmovements, facial tics, cartoonish expressions, and basically just theworst acting ever caught on screen. In a 150 million dollar summerblockbuster. Just watch, and pay special attention to Jay. You canwatch an "actor" literally ruin a movie right before your eyes.

Nicolas Cage is his usual awful acting self, but next to Baruchel helooks like the world's greatest thespian. This could have been a halfdecent, special effects driven popcorn movie, but Jay makes it justhorrible and unwatchable.