Prince of Persia Film Review

Monday, May 31, 2010 , Posted by Should I See It at 2:23 AM



Film: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Directed By: Mike Newell
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina
Plot: Prince Dastan comes into a possession of a mystical dagger that can turn back time. With the help of Princess Tamina, he must return it to its safe keeping place before it falls into the wrong hands.


I know that Prince of Persia is based on a video game. I never played it, but for my brothers it was one of the defining moments in their game-playing lives (in other words the game is AWESOME). SO how well it compares to the original game I have no idea. I am sure there are plenty of fan boys elsewhere on the web who can tell you all about it, but not here I’m afraid.

I guess it's fun watching Jake Gyllenhaal jump around. His muscles are in good form, but his performance less so. He is uneven. At times, perfectly charming, at other times, he looses it. Though he thankfully never decends into the Orlando Bloom realm of boring (but more on that later).


 
Of course there is a love story, and for this type of movie, this couple fare better than most. I appreciate the film maker’s restraint in resolving the relationship at the end of the film.  Gemma Arterton as Princess Tamina does well enough. She has to deliver some awful lines. But she makes her way through with sunk and sparkle as best she can. 
 
Alfred Molina brings the charm and the funny that almost, though not quite, makes up for the lack of it in the rest of the film. I have to say that I did actually learn some thing from this film: Ostriches are really ugly.
 
Prince of Persia is a decent film, but it never crosses into the 'fabulous' territory that it desperately wants to. The dialogue could have done with some revising. A lot of the intended laughs fall flat. The continual references to destiny seem a little hyperbolic for a film of this kind. And, perhaps a more streamlined plot would have worked better: As it stands, the ‘dagger’ is lost and retrieved so many times it’s dizzying. This is a movie, people, not a video game. And at under two hours, it feels like a lot longer.
 
 
 
 
Of course, comparisons with Pirates of the Caribbean are inevitable. the film is coping a lot of criticism for not being 'clever' like Pirates, as is Jake Gyllenhaal for not being Johnny Depp. But in perspective, Johnny Depp was the only good thing about the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie (the other two I cannot comment on). Without Depp, there is no movie. At least Gyllenhaal fares better than his real POTC counterpart Orlando Bloom, who manages to be as bland as rice crackers in every movie he's in.
 
But, back on topic.
 
Mike Newell could have been a little bit more adventurous shot wise, particularly in the action scenes. I was actually excited about Newell directing this, as I really enjoyed what he did with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. But, I don't know, he didnt bring the funny that I was after.  Nor did he bring the depth of character that I expected.
 
 
 
To sequel or not to sequel, that is the question.
 
Even though i dont think this film is strong enough to warrant a sequel, I cant imagine it's far from the producer's minds. Films far less worthy have had sequels. I guess it will depend on the $$$$$$ it makes at the box office.







Should I See It?

If you just want a bit of fun, go for it! But don’t expect anything too……deep.





Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Official Site here.