The Sorcerer's Apprentice novelization
Aug. 19th, 2010 02:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ericadawn16So, I've read a LOT of novelizations in my time. Some are basically the same film you saw like Toy Story, some have a few deleted scenes here and there like Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl while others differ in very big ways like Buffy the Vampire Slayer based off the original script that Joss Whedon came up with.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice falls in between POTC:COTBP and Buffy. I would love to know who's responsible for this. Was it written like Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was? Namely, that the night before a particular scene, the writers are off to the side in a bar, typing with one hand and while nursing a beer with the other because that scene has to be rewritten for some reason. Or was it improvised during filming? Changed during the editing? The personal additions or correcting of the author of the novelization?
I guess I'm going with a little of everything.
First of all, Dave's roommate, Bennett, tells him Happy Birthday which I thought it was in that sarcastic way, but it turns out it wasn't. This, I find strange because his mom doesn't mention it at all. Wouldn't you think she'd be like, "You have the big field trip today so wear clean underwear and Happy Birthday"?
Still, it was clear that he had to have a birthday between writing the report on Napoleon when he was nine and when he drew King Kong on the bus when he was ten.
Geez, getting totally embarrassed in front of the whole class on your birthday...no wonder he had issues.
In the book, Tank is Bennett's dog. I'm glad this was changed. It made for a much cuter passage of time to go from ten year old Dave with Tank in bed to twenty year old Tank with Dave is bed especially since Tank seems to have aged a lot better than Buster in Toy Story 3.
Balthazar knew Tesla. In fact, he was a good friend and fellow Merlinian.
In the book, they tried to explain things a bit more, like the different types of magic, including the Forbidden Domain. It was a little confusing because sometimes they referred to it as a place. However, I liked how this was the main conflict between Merlin and Morgana. Merlin felt Morgana couldn't be trusted with it so she kills him. She proves this skill later but Dave has the same power because he gets to be that bad-ass.
Didn't see the words in the film did ya?
"Take Me Up. Cast Me Away."
The book explains how Dave needs the Ring to learn, but it's like training wheels, eventually, you'll need to ride without them. I also liked the double meaning with the Chrysler Building scene which brings us to the Dave/Becky relationship. In the book, at the end of the Chrysler Building scene, they kiss which I'm not surprised they cut. Bruckheimer films tend to use the Ted and Terry rules regarding the hero couple(s): They can't kiss until the last fifteen minutes.
Becky and Balthazar were both characterized a lot better in the film. In the book, Balthazar comes off kind of mean, insulting Dave more than once especially when it comes to Becky. He even says, "She is way out of your league, by the way."
I'm hoping someone noticed Jay's IMDB profile and was like, Yeah, wecan't use that. Confession time: It's one of the few Jay Baruchel films I haven't seen...but I will...eventually.
Anyway, then you have Becky telling him right before the final battle, "I checked 'friend.' I was wrong."
You know what? Even if you did put "Friend" ten years ago, you never tell HIM that! Especially when the world might be ending in twenty minutes or less? Always, ALWAYS lie or do the even cooler film thing, "I'll tell you afterwards." This proves you have faith in him, otherwise...you come off like a bitch. Becky comes off indifferent and kind of bitchy in the book whereas in the film, she was nice, not as smart as Dave but very accepting of things.
Now, about that ending: No Eagle rescue! No reference back to the Fantasia scene earlier?! Okay, I blame the second on the bookwriter. It feels rushed towards the end.
Another nitpick with the film is that Balthazar says he was going to tell Veronica how he felt and give her the necklace. Now, the ending confirms that she knew all along, but it still felt to me like they were "together" before that. Then, the book has this...
Different flashback scene...
Veronica (looking at necklace for sale): A man is going to take that to his home and, after they finish dinner, before they go to bed, he'll give it to the woman he loves. She'll be surprised. Happy."
Balthazar: You don't think that will ever be us?
Veronica: If we don't fight Morgana, who will?
Aww, definitely feels more like a Girlfriend/Boyfriend scene, plus, otherwise, how would Horvath have found out? Or was it just because Balthazar bought the necklace?
Oh, the book, also had Horvath appearing once more in the final battle to block a shot that would have hurt Veronica...
More about Veronica "She came from a noble family. She ran away because she knew she was different, When Merlin found her, she was starving and half-dead. But she had the gift."
Makes me wonder what background Balthazar and Maxim have...
The Sorcerer's Apprentice falls in between POTC:COTBP and Buffy. I would love to know who's responsible for this. Was it written like Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was? Namely, that the night before a particular scene, the writers are off to the side in a bar, typing with one hand and while nursing a beer with the other because that scene has to be rewritten for some reason. Or was it improvised during filming? Changed during the editing? The personal additions or correcting of the author of the novelization?
I guess I'm going with a little of everything.
First of all, Dave's roommate, Bennett, tells him Happy Birthday which I thought it was in that sarcastic way, but it turns out it wasn't. This, I find strange because his mom doesn't mention it at all. Wouldn't you think she'd be like, "You have the big field trip today so wear clean underwear and Happy Birthday"?
Still, it was clear that he had to have a birthday between writing the report on Napoleon when he was nine and when he drew King Kong on the bus when he was ten.
Geez, getting totally embarrassed in front of the whole class on your birthday...no wonder he had issues.
In the book, Tank is Bennett's dog. I'm glad this was changed. It made for a much cuter passage of time to go from ten year old Dave with Tank in bed to twenty year old Tank with Dave is bed especially since Tank seems to have aged a lot better than Buster in Toy Story 3.
Balthazar knew Tesla. In fact, he was a good friend and fellow Merlinian.
In the book, they tried to explain things a bit more, like the different types of magic, including the Forbidden Domain. It was a little confusing because sometimes they referred to it as a place. However, I liked how this was the main conflict between Merlin and Morgana. Merlin felt Morgana couldn't be trusted with it so she kills him. She proves this skill later but Dave has the same power because he gets to be that bad-ass.
Didn't see the words in the film did ya?
"Take Me Up. Cast Me Away."
The book explains how Dave needs the Ring to learn, but it's like training wheels, eventually, you'll need to ride without them. I also liked the double meaning with the Chrysler Building scene which brings us to the Dave/Becky relationship. In the book, at the end of the Chrysler Building scene, they kiss which I'm not surprised they cut. Bruckheimer films tend to use the Ted and Terry rules regarding the hero couple(s): They can't kiss until the last fifteen minutes.
Becky and Balthazar were both characterized a lot better in the film. In the book, Balthazar comes off kind of mean, insulting Dave more than once especially when it comes to Becky. He even says, "She is way out of your league, by the way."
I'm hoping someone noticed Jay's IMDB profile and was like, Yeah, wecan't use that. Confession time: It's one of the few Jay Baruchel films I haven't seen...but I will...eventually.
Anyway, then you have Becky telling him right before the final battle, "I checked 'friend.' I was wrong."
You know what? Even if you did put "Friend" ten years ago, you never tell HIM that! Especially when the world might be ending in twenty minutes or less? Always, ALWAYS lie or do the even cooler film thing, "I'll tell you afterwards." This proves you have faith in him, otherwise...you come off like a bitch. Becky comes off indifferent and kind of bitchy in the book whereas in the film, she was nice, not as smart as Dave but very accepting of things.
Now, about that ending: No Eagle rescue! No reference back to the Fantasia scene earlier?! Okay, I blame the second on the bookwriter. It feels rushed towards the end.
Another nitpick with the film is that Balthazar says he was going to tell Veronica how he felt and give her the necklace. Now, the ending confirms that she knew all along, but it still felt to me like they were "together" before that. Then, the book has this...
Different flashback scene...
Veronica (looking at necklace for sale): A man is going to take that to his home and, after they finish dinner, before they go to bed, he'll give it to the woman he loves. She'll be surprised. Happy."
Balthazar: You don't think that will ever be us?
Veronica: If we don't fight Morgana, who will?
Aww, definitely feels more like a Girlfriend/Boyfriend scene, plus, otherwise, how would Horvath have found out? Or was it just because Balthazar bought the necklace?
Oh, the book, also had Horvath appearing once more in the final battle to block a shot that would have hurt Veronica...
More about Veronica "She came from a noble family. She ran away because she knew she was different, When Merlin found her, she was starving and half-dead. But she had the gift."
Makes me wonder what background Balthazar and Maxim have...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-08-19 06:51 pm (UTC)I also cracked up when Dave made a joke about Fibonacci numbers. I figured they wouldn't put that in the movie either because non-math/computer science/physics majors or little kids wouldn't get it! XD
no subject
Date: 2010-08-19 11:05 pm (UTC)I also liked how we actually got some of the study sessions between them...I'm so glad I didn't take Physics, lol.
I'm thinking of doing a longer entry on the Comm. where maybe we could have a discussion on what we think could be Balthazar and Maxim's backgrounds.
I know there's a fanfic but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet.