Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

As an avid gamer and self professed film fanatic, you would think that this film would be right up my street. When I first heard that Jake Gyllenhaal was going to be playing the prince I wasn't particularly happy; a perfect example of getting a big name actor to play a part that they just don't fit because it will bring in the cash. As time passed though I saw a couple of screen shots of him in character and they changed my mind. He really did look the part. The sad truth of the matter is that video game adaptions are never usually that great. See anything by Uwe Boll for details. I am a fan of video game movies regardless of their inherent ability to suck harder than a Henry Hoover! This being the case, I got my cinema pass at the ready and prepared for the worst.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time takes place between the 1st and 2nd games. This is supposed to fill in the blanks for the viewer, and possibly explain why the prince changed from being a happy go lucky scamp to a kind of dark and brooding teenager. It becomes apparent from the script that this film has every intention of trying to be the next Pirates of the Caribbean, what with it being a Bruckheimer production.

The plot does leave a lot to be desired. A fantasy tale about a dagger with the ability to turn back time and the people who are sworn to protect it. Blah, blah, blah. Get on with the slow motion action sequences and quip prone dialog.

Acting wise the film is fairly decent, Ben Kingsley being the most seasoned professional involved. All of the script is well handled and can even prove to be rather funny. Alfred Molina's penny pinching criminal is mostly to thank for this. However, the chemistry between Jake and Gemma Arterton seems to be a little lackluster. First they hate each other, then it's almost like destiny has brought them together. They look at each other longingly throughout most of the film, just waiting to get it on. In all honesty, I was begging them to get it over with so we could continue with the film.

On the whole not a bad attempt at a film. Funny, action packed, decent acting, good cast and pretty decent CGI. Putting all this aside, I have to say though that it is still just an average film. Nothing greatly special, but probably good enough to get a sequel; Hopefully with improvements. I would gladly go and see it again because of the entertainment factor, but I am waiting for the next installment.

Rating:
3 out of 5

See it if you liked:
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
National Treasure
The Mummy

What does IMDB say?