Movies Reviews

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Movie Review

By Anne Brodie May 21, 2010, 17:41 GMT

The film is an adaptation of the mega-popular video game franchise that follows an adventurous prince who joins a rival princess on a quest to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm which could bring about the destruction of the world. ...more

It’s tough to picture Jake Gyllenhaal as an action hero.  His characters have been driven by tender emotion and love, in layered, nuanced performances, not by testosterone coursing through veins on spectacularly enlarged pecs.  And yet he is one.  He battles brutes, rogues, wicked uncles and sandstorms like there’s no tomorrow.  Will wonders never cease? 

Gyllenhaal is an action hero based on a video game action hero, and does a credible job given the superficial nature that kind of spin off.  He’s to be congratulated for taking a risk and succeeding.

He plays Dastan, the adopted son of King Sharaman, who was impressed by his free running skills as a Persian street urchin.  The king realises he has found a son with whom he can have a true relationship, who had no claim to the throne.  Dastan joins the king, his brother and two princes, they form a loving family unit, and all is well in the land.

But into any perfect scenario a little rain must fall. The kingdom’s luck takes a turn for the worse when the king decides to invade a peace loving land.  Its Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton), a fabled beauty, is as ferocious as she is easy on the eyes.  She has no interest in being subjugated.

The king dies after donning a poisoned robe in true medieval style and his sons and brother are left to dance around the issue of who will wear the crown.  Dastan is framed for the murder and flees, which we all know, is the wrong thing to do.  But he does and becomes a full time fugitive warrior. 

Only one thing can save him – a knife, currently in the hands of the Princess which can turn back time.  He will save his father and reveal the real murderer.

Epic fantasties generally involve icons made of precious and semi-precious materials, and Prince of Persia is no different.  A gold knife with a crystal hilt is filled with sand that can flow out and melt away the years.  Everyone wants it, battles are waged for it; it is capable of unleashing all kinds of hell and tonnes of swirling sand.  There are the usual cryptic rules around its use and handling, mythologies and a history which involve much explication.

Arterton is charged with laying out the rules – that’s no enviable position.  Long explanations are emotional poison to films; they interrupt the action and take us out of the story.  That’s a general failing of ‘task’ or ‘quest’ fantasies, too much information awkwardly presented. 

But there is a great sense of fun.  It’s lighthearted and easy to grasp.  One of my favourite scenes involves Alfred Molina who runs the local ostrich racing ring.  He is fighting for honour and country in one of the zillion battles, but takes time out to confront chickens at the coop, telling them to shut up.  It just seems so out there.  Molina masterfully provides comic relief while Gyllenhaal looks after the muscle flexing and dreamy eyed fortitude.

After a solid hour and a half of story and relationships, things devolve into a series of battles which is probably good for the demographic the film’s targeting, but wearying for those outside it.  Even so, Prince of Persia is far more interesting than Robin Hood.

35mm action adventure fntasty
Written by Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro, et al
Directed by Mike Newell
Opens: May 28th
Runtime: 116
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action
Country: USA
Language: English