Film Review with Robert Mann – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

23rd May 2010

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ***½

For Walt Disney Pictures, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is quite possibly one of the best things that has ever happened (financially speaking of course). A hit movie series of mega blockbuster proportions, and one that found its inspiration in a theme park ride of all places, the series has generated tremendous revenues for the Mouse House, but, as is the case with most film franchises, there is only so much life in it, and the people at Disney are well aware of this fact. Consequently, they have been looking for what they hope to be the next Pirates of the Caribbean style success and, in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, they may just have found it. An adventure in a similar vein to the Pirates movies and produced by the same person – Jerry Bruckheimer, who also gave Disney the hugely successful National Treasure movies – as them, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time finds its inspiration in a somewhat more tangible source, that of the the Prince of Persia video game series. The track record for movies based on video games to date is sketchy at best, in terms of both box office takings and actual film quality, with even the best video game adaptations – the Resident Evil films standing out in this regard – requiring you to leave your brain at home and the worst being examples of perhaps the very worst kind of filmmaking there is – the Uwe Boll kind. But, with a director who has a great track record – Mike Newell, who previously helmed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Four Weddings and a Funeral among other things – and a producer who consistently delivers entertaining popcorn fare, could Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time be one of the best ever video game adaptations, both at the box office and in the raw quality department?

Adopted by King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup), ruler of the Persian Empire, as a young boy, the good hearted and strong willed orphan Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) grows up to become a rogue prince, alongside his adopted brothers Tus (Richard Coyle), the next in line to the throne, and Garsiv (Toby Kebbell). Following a misguided attack on a city ruled by the mysterious princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton), King Sharaman is murdered and Dastan is framed as his father’s murderer. Dastan finds himelf on the run and in the possession of a magical dagger. Releasing the sand the dagger contains has the effect of turning back time for a period in which only the dagger’s holder is aware of what’s happening. Reluctantly joining forces with Tamina, Dastan learns that to find such a treasure means the Gods have a plan for him. Also seeking the dagger’s power are the evil forces led by Nizam (Ben Kinglsey) that want to use it to destroy the world. Tamina persuades Dastan that the only way for them to halt this Armageddon is to take the dagger to its secret guardian temple. Together, and with some help from the opportunistic Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina), they race against time – and the terrifying Hassansins who pursue them – to stop the dagger from falling into the wrong hands and thus save the world from destruction.

Despite many differences in theme and style, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time really does try to establish itself as the next Pirates of the Caribbean. In this regard the film is a failure, proving to be not nearly as entertaining as any of the three Pirates movies. Also, Jake Gyllenhaal, while a very good actor, is definitely no Johnny Depp. On its own terms, however, and by comparison to other movies based on video games, this film is a well crafted popcorn movie that, while no masterpiece, makes for a very enjoyable viewing experience. There is much more visual and creative flair in this film than you would find in the average videogame adaptation and, for once, it seems that a movie has been based on a game that had genuine potential for adaptation to the screen. While some will argue that the film is essentially a succession of action sequences linked together by a servicable if unspectacular plot, the writing here is quite sufficient for this to work as blockbuster entertainment. There is sufficient story here for us to actually care what happens to the characters and while the characters are not all very well developed, they are mostly pretty three dimensional, each complete with their own distinctive personality, and while the dialogue they speak is sometimes a tad obvious it is never bad either. Additionally, the film successfully blends in a number of pretty funny, if rarely hilarious, moments of humour, ensuring that this film is well grounded in the same kind of popcorn style as the ‘Pirates’ movies. These aspects, though, are, of course, successful in part thanks to the performances. The acting is generally of a high standard and, while no one will be winning any awards for their performances here, everyone entertains. Jake Gyllenhaal has enough charisma and cocksure swagger to ensure that female viewers in the audience will be charmed by him and that he convinces as the action hero type, and his chemistry with co-star Gemma Arterton is electric. Arterton herself is also very good, if a bit too similar to her role in Clash of the Titans. Additionally, Ben Kingsley is suitably sinister, although admittedly very obvious, as the villain of the piece and Alfed Molina is hugely entertaining in a role that is essentially comic relief but still sees him chewing scenery at every opportunity. The film is also well done in the visuals department. The visual effects are good but not quite great, the imagery obviously computer generated but not so much that it doesn’t still look good, and the locations that are realised throughout are quite beautiful in their presentation. The action sequences often make pretty good use of the visual effects but some of the best action comes courtesy of practical stunt work in a number of Parkour style free running sequences featuring some truly excellent stunt work. These scenes embody an almost old fashioned style and surely anyone fond of the original Indiana Jones movies will have some appreciation of them. The action sequences, both of the practical and visual effects variety, are well crafted and enjoyable, even though they are never truly awe inspiring. So, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time may not be the next Pirates of the Caribbean but, from a technical standpoint, it is one of the better made films to be based on a video game, and it is an enjoyable, if not especially memorable piece of popcorn cinema that will ensure that you won’t want to turn back time after leaving the cinema.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

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