Prince of Perisa: The Sands Of Time (2010)

2.5

U.S. Release Date: 05/28/10
Running Length: 116 Minutes
MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Toby Kebbell, Richard Coyle, Ronald Pickup, Gisli Orn Garoarsson
Director: Mike Newell
Screenplay: Boaz Yakin and Doug Miro & Carlo Bernard
Cinematography: John Seale
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
U.S. Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Review by: Carter Moulton

06/01/10

Imagine Jack Sparrow, smirking in the swashbuckled sunlight. He turns to Elizabeth Swann, throws her suggestive, sarcastic a comment. The audience laughs.

Imagine Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), smirking in the swashbuckled sunlight. He turns to Tamina (Gemma Arterton) and throws her a suggestive, sarcastic comment. Crickets. But you can’t blame them for trying.

Much of the charm of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl was buried away by the second and third installments of the franchise, and Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time, try as it might, can’t find it.

As a fan and owner of the video game, I couldn’t help but compare the two mediums. As far as a video game goes, Prince of Persia had a phenomenal story to begin with. I was generally pleased with the film’s additions to the core story. We get an extra dose of brotherly betrayal and a few more power-hungry characters sprinkled in, but it makes for a pretty cohesive tale. It could’ve been a lot worse.

Photo © Walt Disney Pictures

I was also impressed with certain shots that remained loyal to the video game. For instance, toward the beginning, we see a shot that weaves it’s way in, out, above, around, and through the Persian cityscape, much like the introduction sequences before each level in the video game. Director Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) was obviously interested in collaborating closely with the source material, and the film benefits from it.

I screened Prince of Persia at the British Film Institute IMAX. The screen, which is the largest in Britain, is 20 meters high by 26 meters wide. The facility was wonderful but didn’t do much for the viewing experience, as action sequences were often reduced to jumbled streaks of pixels. Perhaps this is why I thought the action left something to be desired. A few of them are visually impressive—especially one involving dual whips—but Newell should’ve shot the action scenes from farther back, allowing the audience to get a proper appreciation for Dastan’s high-flying moves. After all, the video game is a third-person action/adventure.

Also, why isn’t the dagger used in battle? Part of the game’s intrigue came from using the dagger to slow, reverse, and fast forward time during fight sequences. The dagger’s effect is used too sparingly. This falls on the shoulders of Newell, who—as mentioned earlier—obviously understands the cinematic aspects of the game but misses the uniqueness of the gameplay; however, Newell isn’t to blame for the semi-flat flirting between Gyllenhaal and Arterton. The uninspired screenplay provided by the team of Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro, and Carlo Bernard is.

Gyllenhaal is convincing as Dastan, the charming hulk of a hero; Ben Kingsley, on the other hand, is rather awful as Dastan’s evil uncle. It’s as if he was in desperate need of a paycheck. Despite the muddiness at hand, the film does manage to obtain that epic feel, as opposed to being some Pirates knockoff. If you’re looking to be entertained, Prince of Persia is an adequate if not forgettable way to spend an evening, but be careful: you probably don’t have a time-reversing dagger.