Over Memorial Day weekend Disney released Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a film loosely based on the 2003 videogame of the same name. Most film adaptations of video games generally fall flat, but Prince of Persia does a superb job of being entertaining as an adaptation and on its own right.
The film begins with Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), his brothers, and their uncle (Ben Kingsley) before the sacred city of Alamut. According to their intel, Alamut is supplying weapons to their enemies and though Dastan feels something is amiss, he does not dissuade his brothers from waging war. With Dastan’s agility and fighting prowess, the Persian army easily takes the city over, and Dastan collects the Dagger of Time from an escaping envoy. During the victory celebration, Princess Tamina of Alamut (Gemma Arterton) is promised to Dastan when he presents her to his father, along with the robe of Alamut’s high priest, a gift his brother had given him to present. The robe is poisoned, the King dies, and Dastan is blamed. Dastan and Tamina escape and must uncover the truth behind a plot that could destroy the world.
On their journey, they meet characters that bolster their forces, discover the Dagger of Time can reverse time for a minute, and unravel the conspiracy.
The plot is fairly simple with plenty of action sequences to push the scenes along. However, the movie sags a bit after our heroes escape from Alamut. During this time, Dastan and Tamina develop their relationship, which feels somewhat forced, though the dialogue remains witty and fun.
Dastan is based on the videogame Prince, a role that Gyllenhaal pulls off perfectly. He plays a man who has no problem making snide remarks and quibbling with others, but is an overall honest and good person. Arterton’s Tamina is not your standard damsel in distress. She knows what she wants, fights for it, and even manipulates people to get it. Ben Kingsley plays Nizam, the Prince’s uncle, and does a fabulous job of playing a cold and scrutinizing vizier. And who can forget Alfred Molina’s Sheik Amar, an illegal gambling ring operator whose character does nothing to further the plot but winds up being highly entertaining to watch.
The cast does a fantastic job playing their roles, but when Dastan and Tamina start falling in love, not even A-list acting can save that unreal development.
The action in the movie is predominantly filled by Parkour or Free-Running stunts that the games are well known for. Additionally, there’s lots of interesting fight scenes that highlight acrobatics.
The music in the film is not memorable, and is certainly not traditional Persian. It does, however, feel exotic. It incorporates Persian instruments such as the sitar and ney, as well as vocal ululating, but generally the soundtrack is more adventurous than exotic. It exemplifies key scenes with strong melodies, like the victory celebration where Dastan is with the King. A warm string piece is played that highlights the emotional bond between a father and his son, acting as a part to create a better whole.
The film is fun to watch, is the best video game to film adaptation, and can stand its own ground with a solid plot and entertaining characters.
And now, some fun Easter Eggs for those who played all the Prince of Persia games:
1. Dastan’s costumes reference Warrior Within, Forgotten Sands, and the 2008 Prince of Persia.
2. Both the ending of The Sands of Time and the ending of the 2008 Prince of Persia are referenced.
3. When Dastan activates the dagger for the first time, he is encompassed by the sands like the Prince is in Two Thrones.
4. The Dagger Tail is one of the weapons used by the Hassansin.
5. The camera pans to show the path Dastan will take, just like the camera does in the videogames.
