Highly entertaining and cheerful film that literally prevents honest dislike

May 29, 2010 13:21 GMT  ·  By
“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” is a wonderful ride that compensates for weak plot with brilliant photography and action scenes
12 photos
   “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” is a wonderful ride that compensates for weak plot with brilliant photography and action scenes

“Releasing the Sand turns back time. Only the holder of the Dagger is aware of what’s happened,” Prince Dastan says in the latest video game-inspired film, “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.” A collaboration between Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Productions, the film comes across as a “Pirates of the Caribbean” where all the water has been replaced by sand. And the rather disgusting zombie-like seamen by Jake Gyllenhaal’s abs and incredibly strong arms, and Gemma Arterton’s gorgeous tan and luscious lips that aren’t kissed as much as the viewer might want or expect to. All in all, this is a film that is as chaotic, un-preoccupied with a serious plot and whole-heartedly fun as it is superbly crafted.

In order to like “Prince of Persia” by director Mike Newell, who also has under his belt the “Harry Potter” films, one must leave prejudices at the door of the theater and understand, before anything, that this is a film based on a video game. This is also a film with Jerry Bruckheimer’s name on the credits, which means one must be prepared for some serious action and lots of flash, and less attention to the details that would make an intriguing or intellectually challenging plot. In this respect, the film delivers – and then some, bringing to the table a horde of very comic book-esque characters, where nothing and no one is really surprising, but everyone does their job brilliantly.

Jake Gyllenhaal, known before this film more for his puppy eyes and his swoon-worthy quality, is Dastan, an orphan and honest boy. The setting is ancient Persia, an almost magical place constantly basked in the most wonderful golden light that gives things a near-precious feel. One day, Dastan comes to the rescue of another boy who was being unjustly punished, and thus gets the chance (unawares) to display his Parkour skills for the king kindly ruling over the land, King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup). The King already has two boys, Garsiv (Toby Kebbell) and Tus (Richard Coyle), but he decides to adopt Dastan nonetheless, and thus make of him a prince. The King’s brother, Nizam, (Sir Ben Kingsley), though he does not show it right then and there, is not happy about it, which speaks volumes in terms of how predictable the film will eventually turn out to be. Safe to say, one should never trust a man with heavy eyeliner and perfectly manicured facial hair.

Dastan the orphan boy grows up to be quite a daredevil: he jumps from camel to camel on their backs, runs on rooftops, walks on walls, and does the most amazing backflips while being tied with nothing but a rope that would, of course, inspire no kind of confidence these days with a genuine pro. He also lives by no other code than his own, but would never even dream of upsetting his father – which is perhaps why he takes a lot of banter from his brothers. What’s even more amazing in these action scenes than Gyllenhaal’s arms and abs is the fact that one can literally see which are the stunts he does himself. Moreover, all fight scenes are beautifully choreographed and don’t rely too heavily on speed, so that one is never lost when watching them – actually, if one concentrates a bit more, one can see how the damage is being inflicted on the opponent.

All is well until the order is given to attack the holy city of Alamut, of which unreliable intel says it’s harboring weapons of mass destruction (which is fancy-speak for fancy swords, of course). Again predictably, that too is a lie for all there is in the city is a gorgeous princess, Tamina (Gemma Arterton), who is the guardian of a magic Dagger, which can turn back time by just one minute by releasing some of the Sand of Time. The Dagger is also the only object that can break a huge glass-like vessel underneath Alamut, which contains enough of this mythical Sand to swipe everything on Earth and bring it back to Big Bang. Understandably, all villains want the Dagger and will stop at nothing to get it, which sets the two unlike allies, Dastan and Tamina, on a terrific journey through the desert, which is as fun as it is apparently lacking real substance.

That is not to say that the mission the two have is not urgent enough: just that the viewer experiences its translation on the big screen in a rather passive, though very alert, way. The types that make up the rest of the comic-book atmosphere of the film include Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina), whose clear function is that of bringing comic relief, with his ostrich races and his propensity towards tax evasion and easy money; knife-thrower Seso (Steve Toussaint), who evolves from threatening brute to loyal protector; and, of course, the Hassansins, who are a group of ninja-like warriors who handle incredible weapons with amazing speed and accuracy. All these characters come with stories that are clear from the get-go and leave no room for questions, which is why critics agree the film is too honest with the viewer to hate it, despite its flaws. In the end, order is established with a typical feel-good Disney ending that can’t but bring a smile and thus sum up what has been an amazing and exciting ride, albeit one devoid of real feeling.

“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” runs for 116 minutes and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action. It opened nationwide in Belgium, Finland and Iceland on May 19, has arrived in the US, Canada and China simultaneously on May 28, and will conclude its run in the Czech Republic on August 5.


The Good

“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” is a brilliant action movie, where all the fight scenes are carefully choreographed, superbly directed and shot, and bettered in post-production with CGI. The constant bantering and the special chemistry between Dastan and Tamina compensate for the somewhat weak plot, even though they take forever until they come to terms with their true feelings and act upon them. “Prince of Persia” is a beautiful children’s story told in a way that appeals to all adults, whether they’re men or women.

The Bad

“Prince of Persia” is an adrenaline-pumping and flashy ride that one could take and enjoy even if one were half-asleep, in that it asks very little of the viewer other than to sit back and just let go. The predictable plot, cheesy dialog and the standardized, uni-dimensional characters (types by all accounts) are among the flaws listed by critics as this film’s greatest. Then again, going into a film based on a video game expecting serious drama and character development, to the detriment of action, is in itself a very futile thing to do.

The Truth

Critics may hate “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” but fans – and even non-fans – certainly won’t. A film about magical objects that hold the key to one of man’s oldest dreams, that of turning back time, with gorgeous people set against gorgeous backdrops, told in a superb language of slo-mo and rewind, “Prince” is a great start for another successful Disney franchise. For those for whom action is not their cup of tea, “Prince” even throws on the table some pretty solid acting, excellent directing and awesome photography, making of it a must-see.

Photo Gallery (12 Images)

“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” is a wonderful ride that compensates for weak plot with brilliant photography and action scenes
Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton are unlike allies in “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time”Jake Gyllenhaal is Prince Dastan
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