Merlin had three students, Balthazar (Nicholas Cage), Veronica (Monica Bellucci) and Maxim (Alfred Molina). Jealous of Veronica's relationship with Balthazar, Maxim betrays Merlin by siding with Merlin's nemesis, Morgana le Fay (Alice Krige). Morgana slays Merlin and possesses Veronica, forcing Balthazar to imprison Mazim and Veronica in a Grimhold (a magical prison resembling a series of Russian dolls). With his dying breath, Merlin instructs Balthazar to look for his successor to finally slay Morgana.
He finds the successor in the form of Dave (Jay Baruchel) many years later who aids him in his quest to free Veronica and rid of Morgana.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
I just want to focus on one aspect of the movie, and it is the part where Dave, in an attempt to clean his place up, uses what little he learnt of magic to do so. Mimicking Disney's Fantasia where Mickey Mouse tried to do the same thing 70 years ago, the buckets start filling themselves up, and the brooms and mops start sweeping and mopping respectively. Unfortunately, Dave did not learn how to stop the cleaning equipment, and floods the whole place. He nearly gets himself electocuted, if not for the timely arrival of Balthazar.
And in a way it does reflects us (or rather me) as an amatuer thinker/scientist/theologian/philosopher/student. We tend to take a small piece of the cake of knowledge and assume that is the whole story. And we apply it, flaunting what little we know as the whole cake.
I see it in some of my Christian friends, who take what little they know in science and trying to show evolutionary theory as unscientific. I see it in my non-beliving friends, taking their paradigms of Christianity and are satisfied with that. And I see it most in myself, wondering all the time in intellectual discussions if I misrepresent any viewpoint, with what little I know.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
A short review
A rather simple movie. Not too great, but nice presentation and a decent storyline keep it from falling flat in its face. I give it 60/100.
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