Review: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an epic action-adventure film based on the Ubisoft video game of the same name. Set in medieval Persia, the story's central plot focuses on an adventurous prince who reluctantly teams up with a rival princess to stop a ruthless ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that will scour the face of the earth. Director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) attempts to create a film of epic proportions that falls a bit short of its predecessors.
Prince Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) was born and raised a pauper, but after king Sharaman (Ronald Pickup) witnesses an act of bravery by Dastan, he is welcomed into the royal household. As an adopted prince and brother, Dastan enjoys wrestling with his men to the politics of the kingdom, leaving the future leadership to brothers Tus (Richard Coyle) and Garsiv (Toby Kebbell). The brothers invade the holy city of Alamut after their Uncle Nizam (Ben Kingsley) convinces them that the citizens of Alamut are providing weapons to their enemies. Dastan isn't fully convinced, but rather than disagree with his brothers he instead leads a successful and heroic attack on the city. There he meets the mysterious and beautiful princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton), who is guardian to an ancient dagger that is a gift from the gods. Through chance, Dastan discovers the dagger's exceptional power -- by releasing the Sands of Time contained in the hilt, the possessor can reverse time. It doesn't take long for Dastan to realize that the dagger is the ultimate weapon -- someone with malicious intentions could use the dagger to rule the world.
For the most part, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time casting hits the mark. Ben Kingsley is well suited as the king's brother and advisor, the power-hungry Nizam. Alfred Molina gives a standout comedic performance as Sheik Amar, a savvy businessman who's found a lucrative venture in the desert. Once I was able to get past the proper British accents of the characters, I was comfortable with Gyllenhaal as the reluctant and beefy hero, and Coyle and Kebbell as his brothers. However, Gemma Arterton's role is a lovely but pale comparison to the stronger female lead portrayed by Rachel Weisz in The Mummy. I enjoyed the dialogue for most of the film, with playful bantering between the leads and one of the most humorous underground races I've ever seen on the screen -- not to mention Sheik Amar's anti-government rants.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was mostly shot in Morocco, lending an authentic feel to being in ancient Persia. The art design is stellar, with opulent chambers in the kingdoms, secret passageways, and vividly colored costumes. However, the cinematography, editing and special effects are a bit heavyhanded. The special effects in a climatic scene are overdone and distracting from the continuity of the film. The majority of the viewing audience laughed at some of the slow-motion action scenes and poses by our hero. The first act seemed a bit forced, and not until the final act does the pace relax enough to allow the audience to be invested in the characters.
As much as Jerry Bruckheimer might have been striving for the epic feel to The Mummy or the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the parts of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time do not add up to a remarkable or memorable film. Although I'll enjoy seeing this film again in the future for a good laugh -- and ostriches! -- I'll not be adding it to my action-adventure movie library.