Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time takes place during the height of the Persian Empire where three Persian princes, each tall, dark and handsome, plot to attack the city of Alamut. The attack is led by the youngest prince, Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal, Brothers).
Dastan — actually a street urchin adopted into the royal family as a child — and his herd of street-rats-turned-warriors are the clear protagonists of the video-game adaptation, evident in the way they manage to simply walk out of battle without even a hangnail while all around them lay slaughtered carcasses.
The battle ends fairly quickly, with Dastan’s oldest brother Tus (Richard Coyle, Franklyn) forcing the lovely Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton, Clash of the Titans) to surrender and marry into his royal family to unite their people.
The king is presented with a victory gift from his sons as a last hurrah for taking over another land; however, his gift is poisoned and for some unclear reason, the war hero Dastan is blamed for the murder. Naturally, he flees the scene with the princess rather than simply deny the accusations. And for better or for worse, Dastan is in possession of a mystical dagger.
The plot of the film follows the basic path of the hero’s tale, and Gyllenhaal plays his role well. Besides his obvious good looks, Gyllenhaal makes sure his character retains his street smarts and street style.
Arterton seems to have her role confused. She engages in crafty sword work against her opponents and shrewd banter with men who ogle her relentlessly. However, she also portrays the princess as a damsel in distress, as well as a serene holy figure.
Viewers will probably never understand what kind of a girl Tamina is, though they might wonder what she hit her head on.
Arterton and Gyllenhaal make for humorous travel buddies, engaging in a war of wits for about half of the film. But the pacing of their characters’ romantic endeavors is extremely fast — Dastan and Tamina go from resentful strangers to lovers quicker than Dastan draws his blades.
The parkour makes this average movie a little more than mediocre. It makes the battle scenes stand out from other on-screen battles, and it gives the movie an extra jolt of energy.
Prince of Persia brings back childhood fantasies of castles and rescuers, adds a bit of comedy with a great deal of surprise and, like every Disney movie, finishes off with a heartwarming happily ever after.
RATING: 3 stars out of 5 stars
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