Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• xGary X

  
  A prince of ancient Persia discovers a mythical blade that can turn back time and uncovers a plot to usurp his father and claim the throne. Prince Of Persia is a Disney financed summer blockbuster that was clearly a somewhat cynical attempt to mimic the success of the POTC franchise… More
  A prince of ancient Persia discovers a mythical blade that can turn back time and uncovers a plot to usurp his father and claim the throne. Prince Of Persia is a Disney financed summer blockbuster that was clearly a somewhat cynical attempt to mimic the success of the POTC franchise but actually manages some success as an entertaining swords and sorcery adventure. Jake Gillenhaal makes a surprisingly good swashbuckler and he and Gemma Arterton make for an attractive couple, Alfred Molina is an amusing comic sidekick and the format of a combat platform game lends itself to the current fashion for parkour style action very well. The dialogue is unimaginative but serviceable and the likeable cast keep things fun and interesting for the duration. What prevents it from being a good film rather than a decent one is the choppy, ADHD editing that insists on breathlessly prodding the plot along without pause for tension, atmosphere or characterisation, as if the studio was worried that the cinema audience would all start changing channel if nothing was getting stabbed, flung through the air or blown up for more than 10 seconds at a time. It's this lack of respect for the audience's intelligence or attention span that's the bane of modern cinema for me, and Prince Of Persia is another of its casualties. Reasonably good fun, but it could've been so much better.

• Dead A

  
  Absolutely loved it! Jack was awesome!

• Brad W

  
  I hated this film, it has no appeal, or good acting, mostly its just for video game nerds.. After being adopted as a child, Dastan (Jake Gyllenhal) is accused of killing his father the king and must escape and clear his name, and he meets Tamina (Gemma Arterton), a woman she should… More
  I hated this film, it has no appeal, or good acting, mostly its just for video game nerds.. After being adopted as a child, Dastan (Jake Gyllenhal) is accused of killing his father the king and must escape and clear his name, and he meets Tamina (Gemma Arterton), a woman she should hate after taking over her kingdom, but they soon grow to like eachother, and using a time machine she posesses called the hourglass, they might be able to fix whats been done. The plot was ridiculous and stupid, it truly tried to hard to be a video game. Jake Gyllenhal did nothing great except talk, no changes from him. Effects were okay, kind of cheesy at points. Overall it sucked, a very disappointing film.

• Bently L

  
  Video game adaptions are something I tend not to pay attention to. So yeah. I'm not a Pokemon fan. Heh heh. Don't get me wrong! I love video games but I'm more of an avid film fan than gamer. I'm not a crazed person who counts down the days until "Gears of War… More
  Video game adaptions are something I tend not to pay attention to. So yeah. I'm not a Pokemon fan. Heh heh. Don't get me wrong! I love video games but I'm more of an avid film fan than gamer. I'm not a crazed person who counts down the days until "Gears of War 3" comes out. Anyways, "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" is a video game I happen to own on my PS2. Yes, I still play PS2. I got it for Christmas of last year. I was aware of the video game franchise and this film way before I got my copy of the game. To be honest, I didn't like this film even though I wanted to. The story is about Dastan. A fearless boy who grew up in the slums until the king takes him under his wings and takes him as his son. He grows up to be a warrior and witnesses his father's death, who he is framed for. He flees fomr the kingdom, along with Princess Tamina who he was offered to wed. He then finds a magical dagger of Tamina's that can turn back time. Thats all I got from the story. The film for me was so complex. The dagger was cool but I wish we got a little more of it. When the film didn't focus on that, lame possible plots fill the gaps. The story was the main issue for me. Now on to acting. I like Jake Gylenhaal. He was okay in this movie. Its both weird and quite cool to see him take on a role like this. Ben Kingsley was okay and Alfred Molina could have had potential but fell flat. I enjoyed Gemma Arterton and it wasn't just because I had a crush on her. She had good chemistry with Jake and was sassy. The entire cast was okay. The performances are very far from being good or great. The effects were too much CGI but better than the effects in that other Disney film that was released two months before this. I'll wrap up by saying I was not fond of this film. The story and pacing were no-nos. Its a merely okay film that was both dull and exciting. Odd mix. I'll stick to the video game instead. i just didn't like it and I don't know why.

• paul s

  
  Once upon a time there (circa 2005) there was a revolution in video gaming. It was the nexus of computing power and imagination (just as CGI became so seamless in films). Riding that wave of physics accuracy was a game that took the old standard of hitting keyboard keys to jump or… More
  Once upon a time there (circa 2005) there was a revolution in video gaming. It was the nexus of computing power and imagination (just as CGI became so seamless in films). Riding that wave of physics accuracy was a game that took the old standard of hitting keyboard keys to jump or roll (going all the way back to Donkey Kong, etc.) and made it all realistic and fluid. That Prince of Persia has now made it to film (like so many of its predecessors) is hardly newsworthy, and the film, while trying hard to include some of the acrobatics that made the game fun, fails in the same way as is predecessors; namely bad acting, weak dialog and an iffy script. The film duplicates themes we've all seen so many times before - a guy and a gal get thrown together for whatever reason - and they spar back and forth (though hardly at the level of wordplay of say Taming of The Shrew) and ultimately fall in love. As always seems to be the case in these teen oriented potboilers, they spend half the film almost kissing - as if that's supposed to ratchet up the tension and make the inevitable kiss all the more special: note to script writers everywhere - this is not a truism. Kissing does not signify everlasting love, so please, let's dispense with this kind of melodramatic drivel. The plot line is also something we've heard a million times before: a homeless lad is "adopted" by the king and grows up a "brother" to the royal heirs. Flash forward 15 years (yep, the film does just that) and there seems to be a dilemma where the king in waiting has been told by the king to not lay siege to some mystical holy city. But wait! The king's uncle (played by Ben Kingsley in a bit of typecasting) tells the prince that the city has been supplying arms to their enemies!... hmm. Wait a minute - this takes place in Persia, which is now the Middle East, and there are reports of arms being supplied to "our" enemies. Holy Hand Grenade Batman - could these be weapons of mass destruction? We'd better invade! Oops, wrong century. But, taking the evil uncle's advise (and it's not a spoiler to mention that the uncle is evil, although the film would rather you didn't find this out until much later, even though Kingsley hams it up with dark and sinister glances) - the prince sacks the sacred city and decides he should marry the hotty princess of the city (although she's got those damned botoxed lips - what is it with women in films nowadays? Note to actresses, good or otherwise - those fake Halloween lips are NOT SEXY). From here the plot moves (sorta) into a murder - the non royal prince gets falsely accused - the aforementioned let's throw a guy and a girl together and watch em fall in love - some chase scenes - some fight scenes (all poorly done), mediocre CGI (man, those scenes involving the sands of time were awful!) and a huge bit of illogic (that's even considering that you buy into a magic dagger that can turn back time - maybe Cher should have starred in this). Said huge bit of illogic involves a character (guess who?) who wants to go back and erase something that happened 30 years ago, assuming that by correcting this single act he gets what he wants and everything else in the universe will remain the same. Uh, guess the scriptwriter never read Ray Bradbury. The film takes this all way too seriously, and probably would have been better served if they would have taken a cue from Alfred Molina and played it for laughs (especially the entire, tired love story). Molina is truly the only bright spot in the film, playing a shaky sheik calling himself an "entrepreneur". He easily has the best lines in the film and plays his part with bravado and reckless abandon. Especially fun are his rants against the Persian tax collectors, and how the taxes all go towards stuff that he doesn't need - touché! The characters on a whole are pretty wooden and predictable, though a little more back story would have been a help. For example, at one point late in the film the non royal prince pleads with his brother saying "I know we've had our differences but...". Well maybe HE knows that, but the audience sure doesn't - and perhaps some sibling rivalry would have made a better film (take a page from Lion In Winter, perchance). In the lead you have Jake Gyllenhaal who could lose an l and an a and do us all a favor. He spends much of the film sporting a glazed over, slacked jawed look as if he's shocked to find himself in such a film - note to Jake - you've hit your level here fella, get used to it. Gemma Atherton, queen of botox, isn't given much heavy lifting, and I guess it's neither actor's fault that they have to utter such lame ass lines - (example: the only way we can save the universe is to hide the blade in the secret, sacred, sanctuary - and other such drivel). Again, a bit of logic here - if the blade is the only thing that can pierce the sands of time and thus unleash Armageddon, then why keep it around in the first place? Oh, I know - it's so they can make a crappy film a thousand years later. I dunno, Hollywood keeps cranking out these kinds of film and people keep paying to see them (not me, I got this on the free Starz weekend). Every one of these blockbuster type heavy CGI films seems to have lousy scripting and iffy acting. Why is this, I wonder? I get the feeling that the studios just give a nod and a wink, saying, yep, good enough to make us some money - instead of even attempting anything artful and above mediocre. Sign of the times I guess - and now I wonder if Molina couldn't have done a rant about that in the film as well.....

• Shawn E

  
  This film was not boring but the plot was not that interesting. Most of the effects and stunts were well done, but I wished they actually used the time traveling sword more instead of just passing it back between Dastan and his enemies.

• Curtis L

  
  They've yet to make a decent video game movie. Perhaps that means it just isn't possible, and they should stop trying? Anyhow, at least it had Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina in it. Fun to look at for a while, but still too clean and modern looking for the time period.

• Wildaly M

  
  I always go ga-ga over Gyllenhaal and I used to play this video-game so I was excited for this one. While I wasn't expecting much (it's Disney, come on), I had a lot of fun with what I saw. I think the actors did the best they could with the script that was given to them.

• Steve K

  
  Eye candy galore, but an over-complicated plot that's difficult to care about, and Jake... well, he should stay away from this genre.

• Justin Y

  
  <i>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time</i> is an adaptation from a video game concept and Mike Newell does a good job at not generating utter crap by doing this.<p>The film runs nearly 1 hour and 50 minutes and that is a little long considering the lack of depth in… More
  <i>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time</i> is an adaptation from a video game concept and Mike Newell does a good job at not generating utter crap by doing this.<p>The film runs nearly 1 hour and 50 minutes and that is a little long considering the lack of depth in the plot; nonetheless the story is good enough to move things from place to place.</p><p>The effects are more than satisfactory and the action is on par, although it isn't the highlight of the film. It's not the swordplay that highly amuses, but more the chases and jolting stunts. When it comes down to the violence, it is pretty mild. Hey, it's Disney and it's PG-13.</p><p>In regards to the cast, Jake Gyllenhaal easily stands out as the lead; however it is the supporting cast that steals the show. To be more specific, the alluring Gemma Arterton delivers a charismatic performance as Tamina. Alfred Molina also stands out as a notable side character.</p><p>All in all, <i>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time</i> has enough positives to make it a non disappointment. Go ahead and give it a go if the chance arises.</p>

• Tim S

  
  More Hollywood summer blockbuster crap.

• Thomas J

  
  The desert setting and constant earth-tone wore me down. The movie is alright, but falls short of all it could have been.

• Michael E

  
  a visual treat with great action, gripping suspense, and great effects, and its one of the movies that is acceptable in the gaming world

• Candy R

  
  This movie is about a rogue prince who is accused of his father's murder and has to find out the truth. He meets a princess who is also the guardian of a dagger that can turn back time. Good cast and storyline.

• Dean !

  
  A decent entertaining action film based on the 2nd Prince of Persia video game. Not played the game but it seems the main elements and plot to the game made it into the film alright. This has a good cast, pretty good CGI and produced by Walt Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer! So not too… More
  A decent entertaining action film based on the 2nd Prince of Persia video game. Not played the game but it seems the main elements and plot to the game made it into the film alright. This has a good cast, pretty good CGI and produced by Walt Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer! So not too bad, pity didn't get a cinema release. If you liked films along the lines of The Mummy, Scorpion King you will enjoy this.

• Chris W

  
  This movie is really just a fancy repackaging of many things that have been seen far too many times before. The basic plot and story beats are formulaic, as is the idea of destiny and mystial objects. Hell, this actually reminded me a lot in a couple of ways of another film of… More
  This movie is really just a fancy repackaging of many things that have been seen far too many times before. The basic plot and story beats are formulaic, as is the idea of destiny and mystial objects. Hell, this actually reminded me a lot in a couple of ways of another film of Gyllenhaal's known as Donnie Darko. That was a trippy and origina lmindfuck, this is just Jerry Bruckheimer "doing his thing" in the ancient Middle East. This film is trying to be the next Pirates of the Caribbean, but it doesn't really quite live up to those aspirations. None of this cast has quite the charm, charisma, and energy of Depp and Co. Monlina comes close, and he's one of the best parts of this movie, but I wanted to see more of him. We all know Kingsley is talented, but I knew what was gonna happen from early on. His casting just made that part obvious, as did the fact that I just knew without a doubt the fates of Jake and Gemma. Jake is a credible action hero, but I don't think he was quite right for the part. They should have just cast a bunch of unknown from the region instead of using big names and whitewashing for marquee value. Gemma is good, and she brings a bit of gravitas to things, but her character just seemed lifeless. Despite not being subtle, Kingsley is good, and, as I said, Molina is great as the scene stealer. The action is well done, and is fun to watch, but the excessive CGI wore me out and actually got a little boring. Had they spent more time and money trying to develop a better and more coherent story instead of eye popping effects and action, then this movie might really have been something. The general cinematography is really pretty good though, and I love the costumes and set pieces. The music is nice, but I kept expecting to hear Maurice Jarre's far superior score to Lawrence of Arabia to popup at any second. I was entertained by this, but it's not very good. I like the idea of a Prince of Persia film, as there are plenty of opportunites there to make a great and thoughtful adaptation, but this just wasn't it.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Steve Toussaint, Toby Kebbell, Richard Coyle, Ronald Pickup, Reece Ritchie, Gísli Örn Garðarsson, Claudio Pacifico, Thomas DuPont, Dave Pope Director: Mike Newell Summary: Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Prince… More
  Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Steve Toussaint, Toby Kebbell, Richard Coyle, Ronald Pickup, Reece Ritchie, Gísli Örn Garðarsson, Claudio Pacifico, Thomas DuPont, Dave Pope Director: Mike Newell Summary: Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Prince Dastan, who pairs with spunky Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) to keep the Sands of Time -- a mystical dagger that gives its holder control over the flow of time -- from falling into the wrong hands and putting the world in peril. My Thoughts: "It was a fun action packed movie. Jake Gyllenhaal as Dastan was a good role for him. Nice to see him as an action hero. I thought he did great. Found Alfred Molina to be very funny in this. The running/fighting scene's were great. I even enjoyed the story-line. I found it interesting enough. Kept me intrigued to how it would end. Ben Kingsley was amazing in his role as always. I am sure there will be sequels. Hopefully they turn out just as good, or better."

• Manu G

  
  Good movie! It was fun and entertaining. Gemma Arterton is gorgeous!!! Adopted from the streets of Nasaf by King Sharaman of Persia, young Dastan grows up amongst royalty and quickly earns his place as a mighty warrior and prince. As his brothers Garsiv and Tus plan battle… More
  Good movie! It was fun and entertaining. Gemma Arterton is gorgeous!!! Adopted from the streets of Nasaf by King Sharaman of Persia, young Dastan grows up amongst royalty and quickly earns his place as a mighty warrior and prince. As his brothers Garsiv and Tus plan battle strategies, a spy sends word that the Holy City of Alamut has been supplying weapons to enemies of Persia. Taking matters into his own hands, Tus orders an attack on the sacred city and upon its fall Dastan encounters the beautiful Princess Tamina. When King Sharaman dies under mysterious circumstances shortly after, and Dastan is accused of his murder, he flees with the princess on a harrowing mission to clear his name. Learning from Tamina the true motives behind Alamut's invasion, Dastan must embark on a perilous quest to stop an evil mastermind's plot for ultimate power with a mystical weapon that can control the very fabric of time.

• Stuart B

  
  Fairplay to them, they are making some tripe nowadays. Could've and should've been so much better. Aren't those hungarian defenders?

• Josh L

  
  Shallow, lightweight entertainment, but sometimes that's all something aims for and Prince of Persia's aspirations are certainly to entertain more than anything else. For me, it succeeded. This was a fast watch that flew by with almost 2 hours feeling like minutes. Jake… More
  Shallow, lightweight entertainment, but sometimes that's all something aims for and Prince of Persia's aspirations are certainly to entertain more than anything else. For me, it succeeded. This was a fast watch that flew by with almost 2 hours feeling like minutes. Jake Gyllenhaal does a nice job as the charming prince with funny one liners sprinkled throughout, most aimed at the princess played by Gemma Arterton (who is some nice eye candy). They have nice rapport among them and have enough chemistry to make you believe they fall in love by the end. The story is certainly all over the place and people have complained about that, but if you are familiar with the source material at all its easily understandable. There's plenty of enjoyable actors playing smaller parts too, from Ben Kingsley to Alfred Molina. If all you want to do is watch good looking people bounce around in an admittedly preposterous film, there's certainly much worse things you could watch than Prince of Persia. It's a fun little movie and I look forward to a hopeful sequel to quench my next shallow entertainment craving.

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