Prince of Persia: Les sables du temps

Never played the video game, but I enjoyed this film suitably.

It has flaws, though there's enough to like about 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time'. I rate Jake Gyllenhaal as an actor, while I don't think he's perfect for this role I did enjoy his performance all in all. The special effects are neat, especially for the dagger. The support cast are satisfactory, Alfred Molina being the standout behind Gyllenhaal.

The premise is a pretty fascinating one, but I don't feel there is enough there for a near 2hr production. It felt, a number of times, that the story was going round in circles and overextending itself in order to fill the run time, there are many times where 'A' runs from 'B', 'B' finds 'A' instantly, 'A' gets away. In many different guises, but it kept happening.

Could've been far greater, but I still come away from viewing this fairly positively.

I've never played the Prince of Persia games, but this movie wants me to try one of the games. The movie is very good and the visuals are stunning.

The common view amongst "professional" reviews is that the movie is average. scoring below 50% from Rotten Tomatoes, and MetaCritic, and notably a 2 out of 4 stars from Roger Ebert. The average user ranking on MC puts it at 9 out of 10.

Most reviews range anywhere from 8 out of 10, to as low as 2 or 3 out of 10.

If there's one thing critics can agree on, its that the movie is clichéd, borrowing elements from plenty of epics based in the Middle East and fantasy alike, and that it's loads of fun.

The one thing no one can agree on is whether that's good or bad.

It should be pointed out that this film is produced by the same company/studio that brought us 'Pirates of the Caribbean', and it certainly shows.

With that said, I'll lead into my thoughts on the film. The first "Pirates" scored on average a 7.8 - 6.4 of 10, while the sequels averaged anywhere from 4.5 to 5.3. I'd say this movie is better than the sequels while not as good as the first.

So, I'd give it roughly a 7 out of 10.

The story is fun, for what it is. Which is a rough retelling of the video game "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time", while incorporating elements of the following two sequels, as well as incorporating stylistic elements from the following game and the first three of the original trilogy. Thats right! Based loosely on one game, borrowing elements from SIX more. The movie is stretched too thin, and it shows.

The movie feels like your prototypical "sword and sandal" action flick, borrowing heavily from films like "The Thief of Baghdad", and stories found in "1001 Nights". So think 'Arabian Nights', Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Aladdin, all mixed with some Steve Reeves 'Hercules' and Robert E. Howard 'Conan' flash.

Is it as cheesy as that sounds? YES! Is it as awesome as that sounds? YES!

But it's still well edited, well acted, well scored (Harry Gregson-Williams never fails), and overall well done enough to merit an enjoyable experience.

The ONLY complaints I can think of are few, but here they are: A bit too much CGI, not on the stunts (not much CGI there surprisingly) but on things like demonic-esque snakes (you'll see). Too much random slow-motion. The sexual-tension seemed too forced (too many of those really slow "they're about to kiss but don't" moments). And whereas yes, the ending is supposed to have a "Deus-Ex-Machina" feel to it, in the game it is much more thorough and more explained, in the movie you're just expected to roll with it.

Other than that. A fun night at the movies! Grab your over-priced candy, soda, and popcorn (or do like me and sneak snacks in) and have fun with friends, family and loved ones, recapturing the fun escapism of your childhood with an epic but cliché action movie.

Hope you enjoyed my review... And I hope you enjoy the movie too!

Prince of Persia is a great action adventure with elements of Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and Tomb Raider. While it doesn't rise to the heights of those films, it's still an entertaining film filled with beautiful set pieces, excellent action, and a unique story. There are a lot of complaints about this film, such as casting choices and mediocre CGI, and while some of that might be valid, if accepted for what it is, Prince of Persia is a ton of fun! While a surprising choice for the role, Gyllenhaal commits to the action and stunts and makes Dastan a likable hero. Ben Kingsley is always excellent in whatever he does, and so is Gemma Arterton. I really do enjoy this movie and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good, fun adventure film.

I was looking forward to this film because of the hype, and I was afraid to be disappointed. But as the film unfolded, I most definitely enjoyed this adventure from beginning to end.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays the titular Prince of Persia, Dastan, who was an urchin picked by the King from the marketplace to be his third son. He and his brothers get caught in a web of political high jinx that cross their paths with Princess Tamina of Alamut (played by Gemma Arterton), and the fabled powers of the Sands of Time.

This is Jake Gyllenhaal's most accessible film so far, and he goes to town with it. OK, granted he does not look the least bit Persian, or of that particular time period, but somehow his charisma was able to carry us on this fantastic ride. I also enjoyed his interaction with the beautiful Arterton, which sparks with humor and romance. She was my favorite part of "Clash of the Titans (2010)," and same here.

I highly recommend this film for a good old-fashioned, action-adventure film set in ancient times. The parkour sequences are definitely of the highest order and very well-edited and photographed. The sets and visual effects are excellent. Best of all, the story is intelligent and well-constructed. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has again delivered a very entertaining summer blockbuster. A very well-executed film of its genre. A must watch!