Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

I have never played the Prince of Persia games, but I do remember when this movie was announced. There was a lot of hype surrounding it, and apparently it was supposed to be Disney's next big property, the next Pirates of the Caribbean, if you will, even bringing in the same producer, Jerry Bruckheimer. I initially didn't understand the issue with this film, but, after finishing it, while I actually had fun, there is one glaring issue with the story.

The story is actually pretty interesting, with the adopted prince of Persia, Dastan, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is framed for the death of the king and has to figure out who really was responsible. At the same time, he comes into the possession of a mysterious dagger that has power over time. It's a really cool concept, and for the most part, it is done well, with some really good action and adventure setpieces.

The performances were great, with Jake Gyllenhaal as the rough and tumble prince, Gemma Arterton as the sassy yet good natured princess, Ben Kingsley as the mysterious uncle, and Alfred Molina as the sleazy gambling sheik. It was a high octane adventure from the beginning until just before the end, and that is where this movie fails, is the climax. The whole climax is one giant deus ex machina, and, although I won't spoil it, the results of said deus ex machina make the entire movie completely pointless. I'd still say it is a fun time, and that anyone who watches it will enjoy themselves for sure, but that one thing was a major failure in an otherwise well written and well acted film.

Next time, we take a look at a movie that tried to adapt a racing game...for some reason, and decided to pull from Fast and Furious for its concept. Does it end up working despite the odd concept, or does it fail spectacularly? Find out next time when I review Need for Speed.

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