Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2010

The latest product of Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney, an evil collaboration bent on dazzling preteen boys out of their allowances, is this uninspired fantasy (is that an oxymoron?), a shameless and utterly predictable SFX-driven Harry Potter rip-off. Disney apparently even saw fit to throw into the profit pit its own classic title scene from Fantasia, where Mickey Mouse battled the broomsticks. Ironically, this is the most interesting thing in the movie (faint praise). Slumming cast includes Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel and Monica Bellucci, and thank heavens for Alfred Molina, the only really watchable actor.