Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 2010
Director: Mike Newell
Writers: Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Steve Toussaint, Toby Kebbell, Richard Coyle and Ronald Pickup
Prince of Persia is the latest in the video game to film adaptations and is definitely one of the ones that is more faithful to the games that it is based on. It is made by the same production company that makes the very popular Pirates of the Caribbean series and it has the epic feel of those films but seems to be a step down from those as well. The film has the feeling of the Sinbad films of old, just without the mythical creatures that inhabit those films. The film is fast and light and has a good lead hero in Gyllenhaal. The film really shines whenever Molina is onscreen, he really steals the movie. The action sequences are quite breathtaking and really keep you inside the moment. The film has a great sense of good and evil and does not try to over complicate things. This is definitely a summer popcorn flick and a fun one.
The plot basics are this, in the ancient empire of Persia we meet a young boy living on the streets, Dastan (Gyllenhaal) is adopted through an act of kindness by the King (Pickup). He grows up as a mighty warrior and a prince. He is at a battle encampment with his other brothers when a spy comes in to tell them that the city they are battling has a hidden cache of weapons. They use this news and attack the city becoming victorious and Dastan brings a cloak to his adopted father, the King, but it somehow kills him. So, he is now on the run for his life with a Princess from the beaten city (Arterton). Dastan now tries to clear his name with the princess in tow. Dastan finds the true meaning behind the city’s attack and how it could mean the end of all life and now must proceed on a perilous journey to right these wrongs and save the world.
This is a fun and action packed film. Newell’s direction is superbly done. The aerial movments of Dastan are photographed beautifully well. The chase scenes through the city are done very well. The small character moments between Dastan and Tammina are alos done with much flourish. The script is light and simple, something that is hard to do when you braoch the subject of time travel, but this one makes it work. The characters come to life very well and you care and sympathize with them. The cast is quite good. Gylennhaal is a solid hero and pulls off the heroics very well. Arterton is quite stunning and a joy to watch throughout the film as the heroine. Kingsley as always makes a great and nefarious villain. Molina as the snide and opportunistic con artist really steals the film and is a delight to watch every time he is on screen. The SFX and action sequences are done very well. This film has some of the best sword fighting sequences I have seen in a film in quite a while. The score by Harry Gregson Williams is sweeping and epic and really fits the film very well. This is by far one of the best video game adaptations I have seen and an enjoyably summer action film to boot.
This one gets 4 out of 5