I don't know what movie one of the other reviewers saw, but it certainly wasn't the same one I saw. I thought it was excellent & no I am not a fangirl or fanboy, I have just been a movie buff my whole life. I thought Gyllenhaal did a great job considering he did most of his own stunts & looked very much like the PoP video game character. Plus he brought a lot of wit & charm to the character & there was quite a bit of chemistry between him & Gemma who was exquisitely beautiful, wonderful, & feisty as Tamina. My only problem with this movie is there won't be a sequel since the US did not embrace this movie like they did overseas. However, it was fun, exciting, had beautiful cinematography with the Moroccan landscapes & deserts. The only CGI special effects were the turn back time sequences, & a few other places with the sand glass. It had quite a few teaching moments too, which makes it a great family film & for kids of all ages to enjoy. Bruckheimer movies are always big budget flicks & it shows in every way. There definitely was no cutting corners here, you could really tell. One more thing I want to add is the Parkour stunts were beautifully choreographed, that was an excellent idea to get David Belle to teach Gyllenhaal the art of Parkour, so they looked real. FYI to you naysayers, there is such a thing as suspension of disbelief & a good imagination that one must have to thoroughly lose yourself in a fantasy type movie as this is so you can enjoy it for what it is, otherwise, you waste the whole movie thinking about the stunts & events in it are impossible & illogical.
Do not listen to the crackpot at the bottom of the page. I have not only played every Prince of Persia game, but I was a serious doubter in the video game to film adaption of this (kept replaying the nightmare that was "Doom"). I was extremely surprised. I am not a Jake Gyllenhall fan, but I am a Bruckheimer fan. And, I am, for the most part, a Disney fan. Apparently the reviewer at the bottom cant accurately critique a Disney film, because he doesn't even appreciate what was "Pirates".
Prince of Persia delivers in every way imaginable, and reminded me why I loved going to the movies in the first place. Is Jake Leo DiCapprio in a Scorcese film? Of course not. Is the movie realistic? Of course not, its a DISNEY FANTASY MOVIE. If you think it should be realistic, then you are the reason for the "do not try this at home" warnings on TV that the rest of the known world finds insulting. Is the movie well acted? Absolutely, for the type of movie. Is the action in the movie sufficient? More than. Is the movie enjoyable? Hell yea! I had a blast. I loved the chemistry between Jake and Gemma, and thought Bruckheimer made a convincing and thoroughly thought through story for a game that really didn't have that thorough a plot line to begin with. Excellent score for Disney, and it would make a grand classic for the whole family if added to your collection. I can't wait for it to come out.
Buy Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2010) Now
Even though this is not on Bluray/DVD yet, I am providing a quick review since it is already given a 3 star rating due to complaints about the original price tag (as seen, the price has dropped into the $20s where a normal Amazon Bluray first settles).Anyway, if you love movies with an intriguing story, nonsensical action, a splurge of humor and an unyielding message, Prince of Persia is for you. In the mold of Bruckheimer, some things are not meant to be taken seriously, but I must commend him for making the best video game based movie I have ever witnessed.
The title Sands of Time, refers to the power of a magical dagger that can send its bearer a few seconds into the past to "change" the event that just occurred (similar to the weapon the Prince carries in the video game). The one who possesses this power can undo a previous action or even prevent themselves from just being killed. Without giving anything away, the story eventually unfolds to a darker danger to time itself if the dagger falls into the wrong hands.
Jake Gyllenhaal delivers as the happy-go-lucky Prince who comes of age to figure out the mystery of the dagger and attempt to stop those who threaten his family and the legacy of the kingdom. Gemma Arterton contrasts as the witty and beautiful Princess Tamina who stoutly serves as the hero's foil while herself experiencing a personality check as the movie progresses. Ben Kingsley is always a professional and the great Alfred Molina completely steals the show as Sheik Amar in his scenes!
One thing must also be said DO NOT TAKE THE TRAILERS AND TV SPOTS AS THE MOVIE! As far as I am concerned, the Marketing Dept dropped the ball on this; creating a perception that this is a movie of mindless action and flirtatious banter between the stars ("Why can't you keep your eyes off of me???" nonsense). There are some hysterical moments between the Prince and Tamina, brilliant stunts (the Prince's action scenes are very close to what he would do in the video game), and a story that revolves around trust, hope and not giving up on the love of one's family.
If you loved Pirates of the Carribbean...this one will not dissapoint (In my opinion, it is certainly better than Dead Man's Chest and At Worlds End by a long shot!)This movie clearly aims at kids, and teens. It also caters to hard-core video gamers who love Prince of Persia game franchise. There are a lot of jumping just like in the games.
There are many fighting scenes. They look okay. The scenes are colorful and beautiful. The special effects look riveting. For example, the snake scene looks very real.
Jake Gyllenhaal's acting is fun and engaging. Gemma Arterton's acting is stiff. The time-shifting twist keeps the movie interesting till the end. If you're looking for characters' depth here, you'll be disappointed.
The ostrich racing scene looks original to me. I've never seen something like that before.
This movie reminds me of Scorpion King. As a family movie, it's absolutely worth watching once.
Want Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2010) Discount?
Before we begin: DO NOT READ AMAZON'S MOVIE DESCRIPTION! It gives away too much of the plot.Now then: I don't hold out much hope for movies based on video games (or films involving Sir Ben Kingsley because of the many flops he's been in during the last decade+), but Prince of Persia (PoP) genuinely surprised me with its depth of characters, fantastic costume design, and entertainment value. I found myself totally immersed in the fiction and loved every moment of this film.
For non-gamers, there's no need to know anything about the games this film is based on. I played the first PoP as a middle school student (20 years ago.. yikes!) and barely remember the basic plot. All you need to know is that this is a fantasy action-adventure set in ancient Persia. It is about love (between a father and his sons, the bond between brothers, and the love of a man and a woman), loyalty, courage, friendship, and betrayal. This kind of story has been done many times, but it's done very well here by Disney, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and director Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).
It's a "sword and sandals" epic: fantastic costumes, lots of sword fights, horses, men in armor, a beautiful princess, and a mystical dagger. For the guys, there's the lovely Gemma Arterton, who plays the same kind of character/love interest as in Clash of the Titans. She is never difficult to look at. And for the ladies, a beefy Jake Gyllenhaal plays Prince Dastan, the adopted son of the King of Persia, a noble, wise, and just ruler. Dastan is later framed for the murder of his father and spends most of the movie running from his pursuers while trying to restore a sacred artifact to its rightful resting place. Along the way, he meets an cadre of unlikely friends. Though minor characters, they are very well-written and provide some of the film's best moments. I especially liked the gregarious sheikh, played by Alfred Molina (Dr. Octopus from Spider-Man 2) and his M'baka companion.
The sets, CG, and costume are all lavishly detailed and superbly designed. Everything looks wonderfully ancient and historically appropriate. The main characters all speak with British accents (and are British actors) though they're supposed to be Persian, but it works! Dastan has some really slick combat choreography. Parts of the film look like another video game, the more recent Assassin's Creed games, both because of the ancient Persian setting and the rooftop acrobatics. Add some super-duper bad-a** assassins and you've got good times here.
A light-hearted and fun movie, this is what summer is all about, with absolutely no WTF moments for me to complain about. Highly recommended.
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