The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Trevor Rabin
" Once you enter, there is no going back! "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the download only release
Opening at the box office against the mighty dreams of Inception, this Walt Disney production of the people that brought you National Treasure earned back its money, and offered the people watching an enjoyable if highly predictable time. The special effects were awesome and on blu-ray it looks and sounds fantastic. Enough to make me a modest fan of the score by composer Trevor Rabin, which at first I wasn't too fond off. But for what its worth, it clicks inside the film. The movie is called The Sorcerer's Apprentice and it was mostly Nicolas Cage's idea, considering he wanted to make a feature length movie based upon the Fantasia segment of the same name.
This digital release opens awkwardly with the scene it tries to recreate the most, namely when Dave uses his magic to clean up his lab like Mickey did in Fantasia. So what you get visually you get briefly musically as well, with Goethe's 1797 poem Der Zauberlehrling as extra bonus on the side. Following after that is "Story of the Prime Merlinian", the opening premise explaining the capture of Morgana and Horvath. Rabin isn't afraid to put his choir through a couple of menacing swirls, before ending with the first statement of the much used (and rather cool) main theme.
That main theme returns quickly enough when we already have the final track of the movie appearing in the begin. And it's here that the theme shines with pride during Bathlazar's revival. In "Classroom" piano and guitar blossom the friendship / love between Dave and Becky, in "The Urn" the Kraken himself from POTC 2 comes to revive the wizards personally and in "Morgana Fight" Rabin lets the fight unearth with the main theme, choir and rhythmic beats in the better Rabin tradition.
The main theme shows Balthazar that Dave is truly the one he's been searching for ("The Ring"), this puts immediately some doubts into Dave's strengths ("Dave Has Doubts"), but luckily Becky's around to comfort him with assistance of guitar and piano ("Becky and Dave on Rooftop"). And then there's nothing that can stop them from the action once Rabin delivers us his better rocking voice with cool theme statements in "Car Chase".
And so it all continues in the latter tracks as well. A nice soft main theme version in "Story of Veronica", some choral force in "Bull Fight", a couple of reduced main theme performances in "Sorcerer's Apprentice Suite" and a more cheap sounding take on Fantasia's known tale in "Fantasia Original Demo".
This is the second release of Trevor Rabin that goes digitally and while I understand it's better to have it like this than not at all, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is luckily a whole lot better than Race to Witch Mountain. There's nothing new under the wand here, because Rabin's delivering his known tricks here. But it's pretty enjoyable if you're a Trevor Rabin fan. The Sorcerer's Apprentice has a nice cool theme, some rocking moments that feel right at home and an overall acceptable quality. And for those who might want to enjoy it, the movie does make ample use of the score's brighter moments. Go Team Magical!
Tracklisting
1. Sorcerer's Apprentice (3.14)
2. Story of the Prime Merlinian (4.02)
3. Note Chase (0.39)
4. Dave Revives Balthazar (2.41)
5. Classroom (1.25)
6. The Urn (1.39)
7. The Grimhold (1.39)
8. Morgana Fight (2.59)
9. The Ring (1.43)
10. Walk in the Rain (0.43)
11. Merlin Circle (2.01)
12. Dave Has Doubts (0.53)
13. Becky and Dave on Rooftop (1.23)
14. Car Chase (3.53)
15. Seeing Veronica (0.55)
16. Story of Veronica (1.43)
17. Horvath Made Off with the Grimhold (1.12)
18. Kiss from Becky (0.33)
19. Bull Fight (2.10)
20. Balthazar Saves Veronica (1.12)
21. Sorcerer's Apprentice Suite (2.28)
22. Fantasia Original Demo (4.21)
Total Length: 43.15
This digital release opens awkwardly with the scene it tries to recreate the most, namely when Dave uses his magic to clean up his lab like Mickey did in Fantasia. So what you get visually you get briefly musically as well, with Goethe's 1797 poem Der Zauberlehrling as extra bonus on the side. Following after that is "Story of the Prime Merlinian", the opening premise explaining the capture of Morgana and Horvath. Rabin isn't afraid to put his choir through a couple of menacing swirls, before ending with the first statement of the much used (and rather cool) main theme.
That main theme returns quickly enough when we already have the final track of the movie appearing in the begin. And it's here that the theme shines with pride during Bathlazar's revival. In "Classroom" piano and guitar blossom the friendship / love between Dave and Becky, in "The Urn" the Kraken himself from POTC 2 comes to revive the wizards personally and in "Morgana Fight" Rabin lets the fight unearth with the main theme, choir and rhythmic beats in the better Rabin tradition.
The main theme shows Balthazar that Dave is truly the one he's been searching for ("The Ring"), this puts immediately some doubts into Dave's strengths ("Dave Has Doubts"), but luckily Becky's around to comfort him with assistance of guitar and piano ("Becky and Dave on Rooftop"). And then there's nothing that can stop them from the action once Rabin delivers us his better rocking voice with cool theme statements in "Car Chase".
And so it all continues in the latter tracks as well. A nice soft main theme version in "Story of Veronica", some choral force in "Bull Fight", a couple of reduced main theme performances in "Sorcerer's Apprentice Suite" and a more cheap sounding take on Fantasia's known tale in "Fantasia Original Demo".
This is the second release of Trevor Rabin that goes digitally and while I understand it's better to have it like this than not at all, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is luckily a whole lot better than Race to Witch Mountain. There's nothing new under the wand here, because Rabin's delivering his known tricks here. But it's pretty enjoyable if you're a Trevor Rabin fan. The Sorcerer's Apprentice has a nice cool theme, some rocking moments that feel right at home and an overall acceptable quality. And for those who might want to enjoy it, the movie does make ample use of the score's brighter moments. Go Team Magical!
Tracklisting
1. Sorcerer's Apprentice (3.14)
2. Story of the Prime Merlinian (4.02)
3. Note Chase (0.39)
4. Dave Revives Balthazar (2.41)
5. Classroom (1.25)
6. The Urn (1.39)
7. The Grimhold (1.39)
8. Morgana Fight (2.59)
9. The Ring (1.43)
10. Walk in the Rain (0.43)
11. Merlin Circle (2.01)
12. Dave Has Doubts (0.53)
13. Becky and Dave on Rooftop (1.23)
14. Car Chase (3.53)
15. Seeing Veronica (0.55)
16. Story of Veronica (1.43)
17. Horvath Made Off with the Grimhold (1.12)
18. Kiss from Becky (0.33)
19. Bull Fight (2.10)
20. Balthazar Saves Veronica (1.12)
21. Sorcerer's Apprentice Suite (2.28)
22. Fantasia Original Demo (4.21)
Total Length: 43.15