‘Prince of Persia: Sands of Time’ Review
Video game movies are not good. However, from its initial announcement, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, seemed to have a great chance of reversing this trend. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of the Pirates of Caribbean trilogy, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Ackerton, and Ben Kingsley, the film had strong Hollywood support. Its received mixed reviews from the critics and I went into the film with lowered expectations. Emerging from the theater, I came to an entirely different conclusion that most reviewers came to. Although it wasn’t an Iron Man, strong rapport between actors combined with phantasmagorical special effects made Prince of Persia: Sands of Times and enjoyable action-adventure film to start the summer blockbuster season.
The story centers around Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) an orphan from the slums who is adopted by the king of Persia after he witnesses the young boy’s act of kindness and bravery. Although not of the royal bloodline, Dastan is an integral member of the royal family. He accompanies his older brothers (the elder is the heir to the throne) and the powerful Persian army to the mythical city of Alamut. The king’s brother, Nizam (Ben Kingsley), who is serving as a mentor of sorts to the future kings, lobbys the young princes to invade the city because they were aiding Persia’s enemies.
During the siege of the city, Dastan shows remarkable skill infiltrating the city the biggest reason for Persia’s victory. The ruler of Alamut, Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton), attempts to hide the mystical secret weapon of their civilization, the Dagger of Time. However, during the hectic final moments of the battle for the city, Dastan comes into possession of the weapon, yet doesn’t realize it’s full power.
Tamina is presented as the husband of the future king, a role she is willing to take only after she realizes that it will bring her closer to the dagger. During the festivities following the victory, Dastan is fooled into presenting a poisoned gift to his father, King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup). Believed to be the assassin, Dastan is forced to flee the city along with Tamina. When Tamina attempts to steal the Dagger of Time back, the weapon she swore an oath to protect, Dastan stumbles upon its ancient power. The holder has the ability to reverse time for up to a minute. After a series of argument, Dastan and Tamina agree to work together to clear the name of the innocent prince and to protect the dagger. On their journey, they encounter enemies and make new friends.Of particular significance is Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina), a gambling boss who has a fetish for his ostriches. Amar serves as some comic relief, similar to Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow in Bruckheimer’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He certainly isn’t as funny or as important as Jack Sparrow, yet he lightens the tone of the film and allows for some good laughs.
The journey across the vast Persian Empire is perfect for showing off some incredible visuals. Filmed largely in Morocco, the desserts and vast canyons are breathtaking, and reminded me of John Ford’s classic western The Searchers. Increasing the eye candy, the film is filled with spectacular special effects that create imaginative cities and exciting fight scenes. There are a few homages to the video games, particularly the camera’s movement during fight scenes. The scenes are enjoyable, but at the same time, they don’t revolutionize sword fighting (which, I am fully aware, would be a difficult order to fulfill).
One of the bigger criticisms of the movie by some leading critics (such as Roger Ebert) was that the acting by the leading actors seemed contrived. Although there are certain lines that seem a little awkward, I found the rapport between Gyllenhaal and Arterton genuine. The beautiful Arterton oozes sensuality and serves as a confident, strong heroine, while Gyllenhaal plays a Peter Parker type of hero (unbelievably strong, yet very self-conscious). While I was pleased with certain elements of the acting, I was surprised with the lack of screen time for Kingsley’s character. Although Nizam is an integral part of the plot, none of his scenes were especially memorable.
When I walked out of the theater, I was expecting to come to some more detracting points from the more obvious ones connected to the storyline. This was a video game movie right? It couldn’t possibly be a good film. However, the more I thought about it, I realized that although Prince of Persia: Sands of Time wasn’t going to join the pantheon of great superhero films that have been released in the last decade, it was an enjoyable ride. Although it doesn’t destroy the notion that video game movies are terrible, it certainly points the genre in the right direction. Simply put, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is the best movie based off of a video game and an entertaining summer blockbuster.
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