Title: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley
Director: Mike Newell
Runtime: 116 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Format: Blu-ray / DVD
For those unaware of the origins of this film, allow me to explain. Prince Of Persia was once a 2D platform game on the likes of the Atari home computer, that later became a more graphically stunning 3D adventure game similar to Tomb Raider. And here is were the film begins with a nice sequence of characters jumping and sort of free-running around the place. It looks very cool and it mimics the games very well. It’s very stylist in fact.
Jake Gyllenhaal is the Prince of Persia of the title and he is perfect for the role. For the dole of Prince Dastan he’s clearly bulked up somewhat, muscles-wise. He is certainly believable as a Persian warrior. Framed for murder after an invasion of a nearby city goes wrong he is forced to leave his home city and escape into the desert. And who should he have the fortune of taking with him Princess Tamina played by the beautiful and talented Gemma Arterton. I wouldn’t mind living in the desert with Ms Arterton.
No need to spill anymore of the plot besides to say that obviously there is some dirty dealing going on. Oh and that in the desert he also meets Alfred Molina playing Sheik Amar some sort of rather fun, ostrich-racing, desert-dwelling businessman.
Gyllenhaal is great for the role. Clearly up for anything and looking for a different acting challenge that might be fun as well as meaningful he romps through the film looking as though he’s enjoying every minute. Arterton following up her role in the newly adapted Clash of the Titans remains in the sandier parts of the world to film this movie. I’m not exactly sure why she wanted to. Her role in Titans was pretty small and her role here is only a little bigger. I think she seems a little out of place here. Not to say that her performance is poor or unbelievable, it’s not, it’s just that she would simply seem better suited to more contemporary roles such as her breakout roles – the delightfully dark comedy Three and Out or St Trinians. I’m looking forward to seeing her is something a little more breezy again like Tamara Drewe. Ben Kingsley is also good, as always, as Nizam – brother to the King.
The director of Prince of Persia is Mike Newell, the now 68 year old, director of semi-romantic fluff such as Pushing Tin and Mona Lisa Smile. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy those other films but to go from those kind of films to directing Prince of Persia (at 68 years of age) must have been a bit of a stretch, no? Mind you he also directed the gritty cop drama Donnie Brasco so maybe he’s just one of those great directors that can turn his hand to any genre. And he does an excellent job here. Prince of Persia despite starting slightly slowly, builds to an enjoyable middle section and a exciting end.
Prince of Persia is a cracking film, full of swordplay and action, as well as a well played love story that’s not too in your face.
