Film Review: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

About Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)In the spirit of the Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films transport you to the mystical lands of Persia for this wildly entertaining, epic action-adventure. It’s a race against time when a rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) reluctantly teams up with a rival princess (Gemma Arterton) to safeguard a magical dagger that gives its possessor the power to reverse time and rule the world. Filled with death-defying escapes and unexpected twists at every turn – Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time is a fun-filled adventure that will keep your pulse pounding long after the credits end.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley

Directed by: Mike Newell

Runtime: 115 minutes

Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

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Review: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 

I used to play Prince of Persia on the Amiga back in the early nineties but never tried the recent collection of games that appeared on the Playstation. Mike Newell adapted elements of these games to give us Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The story focuses on Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), an orphan adopted by King Shamaran of Persia (Ronald Pickup). Dastan has been raised with his brothers Tus (Richard Coyle) and Garsiv (Toby Kebbell) and his uncle Nizam (Ben Kingsley). At the outset the Persians attack the city of Alamut with Dastan being instrumental in the victory. In the ensuing battle he comes into possession of a mysterious dagger. Tamina (Gemma Arterton), the princess of Alamut, agrees to marry Tus when she sees Dastan has the dagger. Celebrations descend into scandal when Dastan is given a sacred robe to gift to his father. When the king puts on the robe it fatally burns him leading to Dastan fleeing and being accused of an assassination attempt. Dastan escapes with Tamina and when she tries to kill him he comes to realize the power of the dagger – it can turn back time. Dastan must not only clear his name but get to the heart of the intrigue that led to the king’s death.

I had my reservations about this film but was surprised at times. As soon as Jake Gyllenhaal appeared I thought he just isn’t right for this role but as the film settles he seemed to improve. After the opening battle for Alamut and the death of the king, Dastan is faced with the wrath of his brothers and seeks out Nizam for aid. After talking with Nizam, Dastan learns who has framed him and that they desire the dagger for themselves to go back and influence time. Dastan has to go far from his royal upbringing and be amongst murderers and thieves if he is going to prevent the dagger falling into the wrong hands.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time turned out to be better than I expected but by the same token it isn’t spectacular. Gyllenhaal seemed uncomfortable early on but gradually settles into the role as our leading man. The rest of the cast provide okay support as well with Kingsley usually standing out in his films even though he’s worth much better roles than this one. There’s plenty of action, intrigue, an inevitable romance and a mysterious dagger in the heart of all that sand.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time does not evoke the same jubilation as the game I once played in my early teens but there are some good moments. The cast are okay rather than brilliant and the predictable nature of the storyline will make you feel like you’ve been here before.

Verdict: 3/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

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