Prince of Persia

Rating: 3 1/2 Shurikens

This is a movie based on a video game, one which I first saw on the Apple //e platform, back in the 80's. The movie was true to the video game concept, featuring the main character running through various places, leaping and swinging, and dodging adversaries. This is probably the most video-game-like adaptation I have ever seen. There are probably eight or nine sequences where the Prince runs, jumps, dodges, swings, throws, stabs, and many other actions.

The movie is very long. It does not shortchange you with a mere ninety minutes. It has a plot, although somewhat weak, but it includes a time paradox. I can't discuss it without giving away a major plot vehicle, thereby spoiling the movie. You will have to go see it yourself.

The main character, Dastan, is played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who I saw in October Sky some years ago, but otherwise I didn't recognize him. He does a decent job of with it, and he handles the love interest believeably. Tamina, played by Gemma Arterton, is a princess in a holy city, guarding a legendary dagger, and another much bigger item. She was seen in James Bond Quantum of Solace as Strawberry Fields, and I believe she died pretty early in that movie. She is very pretty, but she seems to have had some collagen implanted in her upper lip, making it difficult to take her too seriously. I really wish the mvie starlets would stop paying plastic surgeons to deform otherwise lovely features.

The relationship does not elicit any sense of empathy from the audience, which s just as well, I guess, since the audience is probably mostly children. I never once felt myself hoping they would live happily ever after. Most of the romance seemed like it had been seen before in movie after movie. The one kissing scene was overshadowed by her upper lip.

As for the villain, it was hard to tell at the beginning who the bad guys were going to be. I was a little surprised at how that all turned out. It seems there was a King of Persia who had a brother, played by Ben Kingsley, and two sons. The King of Persia, Sharaman, was played by Ronald Pickup, and the sons Garsiv and Tus were played by Toby Kebbel and Richard Coyle, respectively. Kebbel wil be seen in the upcoming Sorcerer's Apprentice, as will Alfred Molina, who plays Sheik Amar, and interesting person who comes to be allied with Dastan. The Uncle of Dastan and the other two Princes is Nizam, played by Ben Kingsley

The King adopted Dastan as an orphan, and raised him as his own. The oldest son, Tus, is destined to be the heir to his father's throne, and when the father is murdered, everyone is easily convinced that Dastan did it. He didn't, as you might well assume, given that he is the star of the movie. He was framed in an elaborate plot by the evil, well, I don't want to give that away, either. It was someone who was trying to find the magic dagger, and release the Sands of Time from their storage place. It turns out that it is not a good idea to rbelease the Sands of Time, as the whole world would be destroyed.

When Dastan flees for his life, he takes the dagger and the Princess with him, and meets Sheik Amar and his band of reprobates. Adventure is had by all as the Prince tries to convince his family of his innocence, and discovers who the real killer is, and then tries to keep the Sands of Time in their rightful place.

Truly, the story could have been written by a computer, or a room full of chimpanzees with typewriters. It is not very imaginative, for most of the time. The ending redeems it somewhat, but only partly. Most of the reason to see The Prince of Persia is the incredible acrobatics and the special effects. The angles which they shoot the action scenes shift way too fast for me, but that is a fact of life these days as movies try to pack so much action in a movie that they can't spend more than a half of a second on a shot. All in all, the movie is a pleasant diversion, with lots of action, fairly decent acting, and great effects, and it is good and long. I give it 3 and 1/2 shurikens.