?THE SORCERER?S Apprentice? has quite a few shiny, CGI-enhanced moments sprinkled throughout its length, many of which are glossy enough to distract viewers from the film?s rougher, uneven elements. Up to a point, that is?because no matter how ?fun? a 30-second scene is, if it doesn?t build on the ones that preceded it, or if it serves no other purpose than to distract, the charm wears off quickly.

While it?s not another one of those young-adult fantasy novels turned into a movie, ?The Sorcerer?s Apprentice? certainly borrows more than enough of the usual elements that have become so familiar to moviegoers ever since Harry Potter first made an appearance. The narrative itself is borrowed:

Special skills

In the film, an ordinary dork-ish hero (Jay Baruchel) finds out that he is, in fact, a sorcerer who must learn his special skills under the tutelage of a master (Nicolas Cage) and he must save everybody in the end! Sounds familiar?

The outlines of this fantasy-comedy adventure have been drawn so long ago that they?re practically templates. Then again, you expect that, especially in children?s stories.

It?s how the production shades and colors those outlines that?s important?and, with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Jon Turtletaub doing the painting, there are a lot of bright, primary colors and smooth, airbrushed surfaces. In other words, you?ll see nice, clean and standard elements.

The film is supposed to have been inspired by the segment of the same title starring Mickey Mouse in Disney?s 1940 animated feature, ?Fantasia,??and, indeed, there?s a mops-going-amok scene here that pays homage to that classic.

Interestingly, that ?Fantasia? segment gets its own inspiration from the brilliant 10-minute symphonic poem composed by Paul Dukas in 1897, which is based, in turn, on Goethe?s 1797 14-stanza poem, ?Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer?s Apprentice).?

Goethe and Bruckheimer are two names you wouldn?t normally see together in one sentence. Apart from the title and that one scene in the movie with the mops and the cleaning apparatus, however, Bruckheimer?s production bears no relationship whatsoever to Goethe?s or Disney?s.

In the latter two, the tale warns against calling on powers that one cannot control. On the other hand, Bruckheimer, Turtletaub and their writers just want to take you on a ride.

Reminder

It?s enjoyable enough, but when Bruckheimer?s action vehicle sputters and stalls, as it does from time to time, you get a not-so-pleasant reminder that you are in a soulless machine, powered by nothing more than wheels and gears.

Fortunately, there are humans aboard?and it is them, the actors, who rescue the film from its insensate mechanization.

As master and apprentice, Cage and Baruchel have a natural chemistry, as do their evil counterparts, Alfred Molina and Toby Kebbell. They enjoy exchanging clever quips and hamming it up, especially Molina, who all but twirls his evil moustache.

Notwithstanding their efforts, as well as the presence of molto bella, Monica Bellucci, however, ?The Sorcerer?s Apprentice? doesn?t really rise above the ordinary.