There’s little more humiliating in this line of work than admitting you enjoyed a movie that exists primarily as a merchandising tie-in, but if you can accept the idea of this Sorcerer’s Apprentice – that is, an iconic Fantasia segment reimagined as a contemporary action film, starring a long-haired but deranged Nicolas Cage as a 1,000-year-old sorcerer and Jay Baruchel as his nerdy-hapless college-age protégé – the movie offers ample fun for your inner eight-year-old. Expect a boatload of Pirates-like sequels.

Part of it may be that standards are falling. Say what you will about producer Jerry Bruckheimer, but the man has no qualms about dropping coin on special effects. Set in New York, the movie shows wit hypothesising how wizardry would take shape in modern Manhattan, as when a spell reverses all the writing in Times Square. However, there are geographical and chronological consistency issues. Is that Chicago’s Carbide and Carbon Building?

The script could have been written by committee, but it’s a committee that worships screenwriting maestro Robert McKee. And Alfred Molina takes more relish in a paycheque role as a wry, cane-wielding villain than anyone would expect. He’ll probably laugh all the way to the bank.